Key Highlights
- Real-life sisters Rooney Mara and Kate Mara co-star in Werner Herzog’s latest film Bucking Fastard, portraying twins who speak in unison and share a romantic interest played by Orlando Bloom.
- At the Venice Film Festival press conference, both actresses revealed that speaking in perfect sync came surprisingly naturally, drawing on their lifetime of shared history and childhood play.
- Herzog described stepping back during the intimate threesome scene, telling Bloom: “You are in bed, and you have two women in your arms. How you deal with it, I cannot give instructions.”
Sisterly Sync: The Mara Siblings Tackle Herzog’s Unconventional Twins
Real-life sisters Rooney Mara and Kate Mara have opened up about the unique challenges and unexpected ease of portraying deeply intertwined twins in Werner Herzog’s latest feature, Bucking Fastard. The film, which premiered on September 3 at the Venice Film Festival, casts the Mara siblings as sisters who, according to the synopsis, “speak in unison, love the same man, and have the same dreams.” Their co-star Orlando Bloom plays the shared romantic interest, leading to a controversial threesome scene that has drawn significant attention ahead of the film’s wider release.
Venice Press Conference Reveals Creative Process
Speaking to Variety at a press conference during the Venice Film Festival, Rooney Mara admitted the concept was initially intimidating. “At first, it was very daunting, the idea that we were going to be playing this kind of same person,” she said. However, the sisters quickly discovered their lifelong bond provided an unexpected shortcut. “But I think we found pretty quickly that having a lifetime together and all this history and a childhood of playing together. There was just an unspoken world between us that we didn’t have to work very hard to create at all. I’ve never laughed so much, it was a very once in a lifetime, unique experience.”
Kate Mara echoed her sister’s sentiment, describing the synchronized dialogue as almost musical in nature. “We had this unspoken sort of rhythm together. It was very musical,” she said. “It sort of happened quite naturally. Surprisingly, it came with a lot more ease than we were expecting.”
Herzog’s Directorial Approach: Stepping Back for Authenticity
Director Werner Herzog, known for classics such as Nosferatu the Vampyre, offered insight into his handling of the film’s most talked-about sequence. Regarding the intimate scene involving both sisters and Bloom, Herzog explained his decision to withhold specific direction. “In the love scene, I said to Orlando: ‘You are in bed, and you have two women in your arms. How you deal with it, I cannot give instructions.’ It is beautiful because it has such charm and depth,” the director said.
Herzog revealed he had wanted to make Bucking Fastard for several years but struggled to find the right casting for the twin roles. He said it only became “clear it could be done” when he met Rooney and Kate Mara, noting they “hardly needed any rehearsals” for the simultaneous speaking scenes. The production had allocated two weeks for synchronization practice, yet the sisters required only five days.
Why This Matters: Real-Life Inspiration Meets Herzog’s Vision
Bucking Fastard draws inspiration from the true story of Freda and Greta Chaplin, identical twins from the United Kingdom who garnered tabloid attention in the 1980s after becoming fixated on their neighbor. The situation escalated to the point where the neighbor obtained a restraining order against the pair. The film’s title originates from a remark the twins allegedly made simultaneously during a court appearance. Herzog’s fascination with this case aligns with his career-long interest in extreme psychological states and the boundaries of human behavior. The casting of actual sisters—both established actors with distinct filmographies including Rooney’s Academy Award-nominated work in Carol and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and Kate’s roles in House of Cards and The Martian—adds a layer of meta-textual authenticity to the project. Early reception metrics show an IMDb rating of 6.7/10 and a 75% score on Rotten Tomatoes, suggesting a polarized but engaged critical response.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bucking Fastard based on?
The film is inspired by the real-life story of Freda and Greta Chaplin, identical twins from the UK who became obsessed with their neighbor in the 1980s, leading to a restraining order and a court appearance where they allegedly spoke in unison—providing the film’s title.
How did Rooney and Kate Mara prepare for the synchronized speaking scenes?
According to Werner Herzog, the sisters “hardly needed any rehearsals.” Though two weeks were set aside for practice, they mastered the unison dialogue in just five days, crediting their lifetime of shared history and childhood play for the natural rhythm.
What was Herzog’s direction for the threesome scene with Orlando Bloom?
Herzog deliberately gave no choreography or line readings for the intimate scene. He told Bloom: “You are in bed, and you have two women in your arms. How you deal with it, I cannot give instructions,” aiming for organic authenticity.
