The Line is horrifying. From co-writer and director Ethan Berger, the film portrays a fraternity in South Carolina. From the very beginning, a fuse is lit. Every character poses potential danger, including the protagonist, Tom (Alex Wolff).
It’s a disturbing piece of tension from Berger, who previously produced and wrote the ESPN miniseries, More Than an Athlete. With cinematographer Stefan Weinberger, the two shoot the frat world with a cold, observing eye. Recently, Berger spoke with Immersive about crafting the well-received film.
So, for The Line, how did you get interested in this story in this particular part of the country?
Well, to me The Line, even though it’s set in the South, became interesting because I was in college and saw the influence of fraternities. I also lived with a guy from the University of South Carolina, and we talked a lot about his experiences. That, combined with seeing news stories about hazing every year, got me interested.
Did you know, while talking to that guy, that this would make a good horror movie?
At the time, I was and still am a huge Paul Thomas Anderson fan. In many of his movies, you have a character dissatisfied with their family who tries to construct a new family in a different context, only to find new issues. Whether it’s Mark Wahlberg’s character in Boogie Nights, set against the porn industry, or in Hard Eight with John C. Reilly and Gwyneth Paltrow, or in The Master and Punch Drunk Love. Initially, fraternities seemed like an example of that for me.
[Co-writer] Zach [Purdo] was living with me. I’d just finished college two years prior, and I was in a society, which I think has its own issues. I lived next to a fraternity where, during Hell Week, they’d blast “I’m Blue” for pledges. I’d walk past Beta Theta Pi and hear that all week. I started researching hazing deaths, and saw the truth in what the character says to his mother: a lot of politicians and CEOs come from fraternities.
What would you think of hearing that song over and over?
I remember thinking, “Why subject yourself to this?” But I was also in a different version of that by being in a society. Fraternities weren’t the epicenter at my school, but they are at most state schools. I get why kids want to join.
Which society were you in?
It was Eclectic, a co-ed society at Wesleyan. My experience was a bit like Lord of the Flies with kids judging each other. Not something I’m proud of.
Was Lord of the Flies an influence?
Not so much. More like Mean Streets. Harvey Keitel and De Niro’s dynamic in that movie is similar to Tom and Mitch’s. Hal Ashby’s The Last Detail was a huge inspiration too.
Ah, the character exploding from the truth at the end, right?
Totally. I’m a big Bob Fosse fan. For the “I’m Glad You Came” scene, Stefan and I watched a lot from Cabaret. We also watched Full Metal Jacket for staging scenes with groups to communicate things through visuals.
There’s something unsettling about the matter-of-fact way the behavior is presented. Was that important to you?
Yeah. We don’t pass judgment. Just let the behavior speak for itself and give actors the chance to give these characters’ souls.
What reactions have you got after showing the movie, especially from people who’ve been in or around this world?
It’s been really fascinating. I think that for women, it feels like access. It’s been really interesting to have conversations with women, for people who have been through the experience. I feel confident from the people I’ve talked to, that it’s an authentic representation of what it’s like.
Of course, everybody’s experience is different. I don’t want to make generalizations. I also understand, had I gone to 99% of the state schools here, I might’ve been in a fraternity because I was lonely and wanted to fit in when I was 18. You know, I get the impulse to join. Generally speaking, I don’t think people are proud of their fraternity 10 years later.
The Oakleys, pop collars, how’d you and your costume designer build that very familiar style?
My costume designer on this movie, Akua [Murray Adoboe], is literally one of the most important people. She is really, really smart. We talked a lot about each character, who they were, and how they’d present themselves. Akua used their wardrobe — and we both did — as an opportunity to characterize them, illustrating conformity within the frat while also distinguishing one character from another. Conformity is a theme we tried to integrate into the wardrobe.
We also did research. Three of the guys in the movie, Alex Wolff and I met them while visiting the University of South Carolina before we shot. Nick Basile, who plays Frank Viti, and Mason Roberts, who plays Oliver, were kids in SAE at the University of Southern Carolina. They knew the movie we were making and wanted to be part of it.
I wanted them there because they were great kids, good actors who gave us solid tapes, and because they helped us ensure the whole thing felt authentic. When you’re making fiction, unless you only want to make movies about your own life, you need to talk to people who’ve been through what you’re trying to portray to get it right.
In your experience, talking to former fraternity members, do you ever sense guilt or shame? What’s your impression?
It’s been fascinating. I think it’s different for everyone, but it seems authentic from the conversations I’ve had. I don’t think most people look back proudly 10 years later. What happens in fraternities is often kept secret. Our goal was to bring this culture from basements to the big screen. It’s strange, like an animal kingdom hierarchy.
When creating characters, did you think of it like an animal kingdom?
Yes, definitely. Todd (Lewis Pullman) is like a politician, someone who goes on to be a senator, concerned with public face and protecting the fraternity. At the vigil, he says no one’s to blame, but behind closed doors, he’s assigning blame.
I like how Pullman’s innocent face contrats his character’s sinister side. Was that appealing in casting?
Absolutely. He’s amazing. He can convey that duality. I shared tapes of politicians like Josh Hawley and Marco Rubio for inspiration. He’s slightly older than the others, which was exciting.
This movie captures that strange young male college intimacy or the lack of it. Was that intentional?
Definitely. We wanted to show this point where you’re on your own, yearning for acceptance, figuring yourself out, and fitting in. Within the frat, it’s both homophobic and homoerotic, and we aimed to convey that tension. This movie feels like something bad’s going to happen, you just don’t know to whom. That mirrors pledging in a fraternity.
The Line is now playing in theaters.
