Director Joseph Kosinski, whose movies are well known the world over, is the mastermind behind the latest blockbuster featuring Tom Cruise, Top Gun: Maverick. And like almost no other in Hollywood, Kosinski experiences this world of dynamism and speed firsthand. Appointment in Los Angeles with a man full of adrenaline and fantastic ideas.
Tom Cruise gives a powerful performance in the blockbuster movie Top Gun: Maverick, which was released in 2022. In one scene, he orders a young pilot he has taken under his wing to “Trust your instincts!” With little time to think, the pilot will need a good dose of self-confidence to survive a highly dangerous mission. Cruise is an extraordinary pilot in real life and not only trained pilots in the movie, but also trained actors during the shoot. Working with navy pilots, he taught them how to withstand forces of more than 7 g and still perform their roles in F/A-18 jets. “It was a huge undertaking,” says director Joseph “Joe” Kosinski, referring to one of the most successful productions in film history. “But the audience won’t take the forces and speeds seriously unless the shots are realistic.”
“I’ve always been interested in speed.”
Joe Kosinski
According to the 48-year-old, great cinema requires maximum authenticity – and it’s no different with his new Formula 1 movie. “I’ve always been interested in speed,” adds Kosinski. We’re sitting in his home theater, where he receives Tom Cruise on occasion and more recently Brad Pitt, the star of his motorsport movie under production in 2023. The house is an architectural jewel, and the director a quiet, focused conversation partner. But sitting isn’t one of his strengths. “I’m always moving. I don’t do well on vacation.”
He originally wanted to build race cars and even dreamed about it under his Porsche 959 poster in his childhood room, which is why he studied mechanical engineering and aerospace at Stanford University in California. But he only earned a bachelor’s degree, as a professor recognized Kosinski’s keen eye for design and recommended architecture instead, which he studied for three years at Columbia University in New York, traveling the world from there.
He admired Antoni Gaudí’s work in Spain, the futurism of Erich Mendelsohn’s Einstein Tower in Potsdam, Germany, and in particular Frank Lloyd Wright’s architectural legacy at home. He also expanded his studies to include music, which is in his blood. “My grandfather was a jazz trumpeter, my mom a concert pianist.” He played piano as a three-year-old and then switched to saxophone at the age of ten. Like his grandfather, Kosinski played in a band – primarily classic jazz: Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and the like. “But I was smart enough to realize that I didn’t have the talent for a professional career.” Still, his musical knowledge helps him today when he works with the world’s best film composers, including Hans Zimmer, who he collaborated with on Lady Gaga’s Hold My Hand for Top Gun: Maverick, for example. French duo Daft Punk was nominated for a Grammy for its soundtrack to Kosinski’s 2010 cinematic debut, Tron: Legacy. “Music can have an overwhelming emotional effect,” emphasizes the filmmaker. “That makes it just as important as the shots.”
Authentic:
Just like Top Gun character Maverick, Kosinski relies on the Chronograph I by Porsche Design.
Kosinski’s career in filming kicked off during his studies in architecture in New York – when he began producing his first short films. The Desert House flick was just two minutes long, but still managed to win over marketing experts at Nike. Soon thereafter, Kosinski filmed his first of many high-speed commercials.
Two of his cinematic successes are sequels: science fiction film Tron: Legacy and, of course, Top Gun: Maverick. Does the Formula 1 movie look to past films for guidance? “For inspiration, definitely,” says Kosinski. For him, the 2010 documentary about Ayrton Senna is the best motorsport movie of all time. “That’s because of its accuracy. It shows you better than anything else what it’s like to compete in Formula 1 races.” He also considers the 1966 movie Grand Prix to be a cinematic milestone.
“The plot, including the love story, is fictional, but John Frankenheimer filmed during real races with real drivers,” explains Kosinski, praising the US director’s pioneering work. “He developed a camera that could be mounted on a race car and even rotated. For me, that movie is still one of the most groundbreaking feats of engineering in film history, which we now build on today. We were successful with special cameras in jets, and can go even further technologically for the Formula 1 movie.”
Los Angeles:
Architecture combines with engineering.
