Angelina Jolie: Behind the camera

 

(CBS News) 

She's often called "the most beautiful woman in the world," but Angelina Jolie has worked hard to prove she's far more than that. Restless in her role as a movie star, she's now turned to directing, with a film she wrote about the Bosnian War. She talks candidly to Bob Simon about her career, her family, and the "darker times" she's put behind her.

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The following is a script of "Angelina" which aired on Nov. 27, 2011. Bob Simon is correspondent, Tom Anderson, producer.

Every once in a while you draw the short straw here at "60 Minutes." This time, we were told to spend a few days with a woman who is often called "the most beautiful woman in the world."

Angelina Jolie.

She may well be the most photographed, the most recognizable and the highest paid actress in Hollywood. She is certainly the number one target for paparazzi everywhere. And that's how many Americans know her - from the tabloids - as wild, weird and eccentric.

Angelina Jolie: Answering the personal questions
Angelina Jolie: Her face, her fame

But the Angelina we met was quite different from all that. For starters, she just wrote and directed a film about a very serious topic. It'll be released next month and she doesn't even appear in it.

For the first time, Angelina has moved behind the camera where, she says, she feels more comfortable.

We linked up with her in the indisputably beautiful city of Budapest which is where she shot most of her film - "In the Land of Blood and Honey."

Angelina Jolie: We came here to Budapest for logistics and financial reasons 'cause we're a tiny movie.

It may be a tiny movie but look at it, it's about a heavy subject - the war in Bosnia - which was fought in the early 90s, killed at least 100,000 people and brought ethnic cleansing to Europe for the first time since Hitler.

Bob Simon: What did your-- what did your friends and colleagues say when you said, 'Hey, I'm gonna direct a film about the war in Bosnia.'

Jolie: I think people that really know me weren't surprised. But I think they all thought it was a bit crazy. I think everybody still thinks it's a bit you know-- it's not, I still think it's crazy.

Simon: You could have done a light comedy or an action flick.

Jolie: I think I'd be terrible with a comedy.

There's certainly no humor in this movie about a Muslim woman named Ajla who starts to fall in love with a Serb named Danijel. After the war breaks out, Bosnians are rounded up and locked up by the Serbs and Danijel, a Serb captain, becomes Ajla's jailer.

Jolie: It is a gorgeous building. Is this-- there are gorgeous--

Simon: You made horrible things happen inside here.

Jolie: And beautiful things.

Angelina shot the jail scenes in this Budapest museum and she relied heavily on her actors. They all come from the former Yugoslavia. She let them rewrite scenes and they speak their native language in the film, which will be released with English subtitles. Angelina said she wanted to make the film as realistic as possible.

Jolie: We all spoke about every speech, every scene and made sure that it was right and true. So everybody helped to educate me and we all adjusted the script together.

While we were there, Angelina gave the cast a sneak preview of the film's trailer and they thought it reflected the reality of their war.

Goran Kostic and Zana Marjanovic play the two lovers.

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[boatdocster]

"the most beautiful woman in the world." - Hardly

"The most conceited actress in Hollywood." - Absolutely!!!

[IngridChristine]

Why do think she is so conceited? Based on??

[sebastian01234]

The most beautiful woman in the world . . . . . . I don't think so. I found it interesting that it was left out of the interview about "how" they met when they started dated. Oh, yeah, . . . . . he was married! And now they have 3 children of their own and still not married to each other. I think they have cart before the horse here. It's sad that 60 Minutes would promote such a thing. And you wonder why teenage pregnancies are a problem these days? Gee, 60 Minutes, was it a slow news day?

[IngridChristine]

FYI, teenage pregnancy rates are the lowest they'be been in over two decades. Also, though I do agree that adultery isn't something to promote; that's pretty old news and hardly relevant.

[Arlene272]

Your script says: "It may be a tiny movie but look at it, it's about a heavy subject - the war in Bosnia - which was fought in the early 90s, killed at least 100,000 people and brought ethnic cleansing to Europe for the first time since Hitler."

This is patently wrong. I am so weary of books and news organizations that, in essence, rewrite history with this kind of false information.

To set the facts straight, Hitler's was NOT the last ethnic cleansing in Europe until the Bosnian war. After Hitler killed himself and WWII was officially over, Josip Broz Tito continued with ethnic cleansing of innocent ethnic Germans living in Yugoslavia. Tito's genocide lasted from 1944 to 1948, and two million ethnic Germans who had nothing to do with Hitler's Germany were killed by torture and starvation. My relatives were among them, including my grandfather.

A similar "ethnic cleansing" went on in Romania after WWII, but on a subtler level. 60 Minutes, please get your facts straight.

[Tish-Love]

How many times does Brad have to go on TV & explain that he was seperated.
Jolie has said she would never be with a man who is married,that is what Jolies father did that to her mother & it destroyed her mother.
As for Aniston she is more famous because of these Tabloids & herslf that won't leave it alone. Stop hating & be greatful Jolie-Pitt actually contribute to the world. This world is in big trouble.

[MarcusPan]

Only the boldest, most admirable people bring out the pettiest, nastiest haters. Jolie is an inspiration. Naturally, her taking a stance on issues is going to ruffle people's feathers. Not to mention a small group of bitter women who can't get over how Jolie leads her personal life. (You know, loving, monogamous relationship of several years raising 6 children. What a witch!)

[formerusmcsgt1]

She can't be a worse director than she is actress.

[shurch4truth]

She seems like a decent enough person but I did not get the impression that she thinks that deep and articulates complex ideas and concepts beyond an average person. There's nothing wrong with that but I was disappointed to see the interview present her as though she has above average intellect.

What I saw was a person with average intelligence using the opportunity of a 60 minute interview to promote her making of a movie. She was simply being opportunistic and there's nothing wrong with it but lets call it what it is. People didn't watch it because they had a great expectation to witness the making of an incredible movie, they watched it because AJ was being interviewed. AJ, 60 minutes, and the audience all knew that. Her hope is that it will be the beginning of a great career of her as a movie maker. We'll see

I do admire the way her and Brad give to charity.

[scottpatrick1234]

She is beautiful, but to say the most beautiful is always a mistake. There are many extremely beautiful women in the world, all with different looks but equally attractive. It is amazing how that works.

[LACarlson]

I have been a fan of Jolie ever since she acted in Gia. There's always been more to Jolie than the ridiculous headlines that are plastered on the those waste of print magazines. In the US we rarely hear about her actual real work because the media does not focus on something substantial; it gives the public what they want- fluff.
She has received more than enough bad press about the Pitt/Aniston break-up. Remember, Pitt was equally responsible for what happened and everyone seems to praise him.
One only has to listen to her responses to know she's a very smart woman and she clearly has grown past
her darker years. It seems clear she knows who she is and is fortunate enough to be to do what she wants to do.
Indeed, she's stunning but there's more there beyond the looks. Note to Media; Give us more substance about people like Jolie; we're tired of all the empty tabloid trash.

[kayers43yahoocom]

Hollywood is full of characters so caught up in their parts that they think the rest of mere people are stupid. AJ was receiving a lot of criticizing about her adopting so many mixed kids so she has to come up this sob story of her unhappy days in order to get our sympathy and to put her in the news again.