An Interview with John Sayles

Abstract

John Sayles’ films explore the ways in which human beings negotiate the hostile or corrupt systems of society, often focusing on the volatile dynamics of relationships in periods of change or stress. In many ways, Sayles is a screenwriter/director in the classical mold, striving for a kind of dramatic clarity in story and characterization that is uncommon in the late twentieth century. His heros are often virtuous people with tragic flaws, while his villains are impenitent rogues. This Manichean view of the universe locates Sayles’ films squarely within the world of melodrama. It is a tribute to both Sayles and the actors he works with that they inhabit this highly moral society with a resonant truthfulness.