Review of on-set tragedy: Alec Baldwin talks Rust

Review of on-set tragedy: Alec Baldwin talks Rust

In recent weeks, the discussion about the western “Rust” has intensified after the main actor Alec Baldwin announced that he did not want to watch the final version of the film for the time being. He said this in an interview with the industry magazine “Variety”. The background to this decision is tragic: In October 2021, camerawoman Halyna Hutchins was fatally injured by a shot from a revolver that Baldwin was holding during filming.

The incident, which overshadowed the entire film and its production, led to a variety of legal consequences. Baldwin was exonerated from a manslaughter trial over the summer, but the mastermind responsible, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, was sentenced to 18 months in prison in April. The need to come to terms with these traumatic events has led Baldwin to step away from the project, which is inextricably linked to pain for him and his family.

Emotional impact on Baldwin's life

Baldwin, who has been married to Hilaria Baldwin since 2012, said the events have also had an impact on his marriage: "Aside from the victims themselves, what hurts me the most is what it did to my wife," he said. He emphasized that Hilaria was “very, very traumatized” and that the tragedy had a deep impact on her life and her family. Despite the challenges, Baldwin says that the marriage is generally going well, including with their seven children. But the horrors of this incident have left a deep wound.

In addition to the personal impact, Baldwin states that he would do anything to undo the disaster. Before the incident, everyone on set was “so happy” and the film production was characterized by positive energy. A big thank you goes to the team for finally being able to complete the film after numerous difficulties. “The later reshoots made Rust a better film in many ways,” he notes, which gave him a sense of relief.

However, the actor is determined to distance himself from the negative attention surrounding “Rust.” His main focus is now on his family life, in which he wants to show himself to be a good father. "Right now I want everything related to 'Rust' to be off my radar so I can move on to other things," he explained. The last two years have “exhausted” him and he wants to invest his remaining energy in his children.

The film's buzz-worthy premieres were held at the Camerimage festival in Poland, and obviously wider reactions to Baldwin's decision are to be expected. Baldwin himself worries about the film's legacy, which he believes will always be linked to tragedy. In terms of entertainment, the question remains as to how the circumstances surrounding the filming and the subsequent process will affect the perception of the film. The situation remains tense and complex, and it is evident that the incidents on set have had a lasting impact on both Baldwin and the entire film community.