Tom Hanks sees U.S. election warning in thriller ‘Inferno’
LONDON >> Embedded within the manic action of “Inferno,” the latest big-screen adaptation of a Dan Brown thriller, is a warning about the dangers of seeking simple solutions to complex problems. Star Tom Hanks says it’s a theme with echoes in the current U.S. presidential race.
“Inferno” sets Hank’s polymathic professor Robert Langdon on the trail of a deadly plague concocted by billionaire scientist Bertrand Zobrist (Ben Foster) out of a sort of warped humanitarianism: He plans to end war, poverty and famine by wiping out half the world’s population.
Hanks says the belief that there’s a “one-step answer to all problems” is alarmingly relevant.
“Down through history there’s been an awful lot of people who say: Here’s what the problem is, here’s what it was caused by, and all you have to do is my suggestion, there’s an easy way in order to make it go away,” Hanks said.
“It’s very simplistic, it’s very reactionary. It’s almost like a fundamental embracing of a brand of ignorance,” he added. “But I think it’s part of the political discourse.”
Hanks clearly has the contest between Trump and Clinton in mind.
America, he says, needs “vision and leadership and scope, as opposed to one-stop shopping fixes all.”
“I’m not a political activist, nor am I a political animal, but I will say: Look, I’m going to vote for her, because I think this is a marathon in order to solve not just the most obvious problems, but the ones that are coming down the pipe.”
Political discussion over, Hanks happily reverts to talking about Dan Brown’s mega-successful mix of medieval conspiracies and modernday skullduggery.
In his third screen outing as Langdon, Hanks is sent on a high-stakes treasure hunt centered around the life and works of Dante Alighieri, whose “Divine Comedy” created a teeming vision of hell that has influenced artists and writers for 700 years.
He’s joined by Felicity Jones’ brainy medic Dr. Sienna Brooks as ally and intellectual sparring partner.
Hanks, who played Langdon in “The Da Vinci Code” and “Angels & Demons” — both directed by Ron Howard, as is “Inferno” — says he still finds pleasure in making the border-hopping thrillers. “Inferno” scurries from Florence to Venice to Istanbul, wreaking havoc in some of the world’s most beautiful historic buildings.