CRIMSON PEAK, Thursday, May 1, Day 19: Continuing the dramatic aftermath of the dinner party. Have you ever seen someone get slapped 40 or 50 times, for two days, and seen them do so without ever flinching prematurely? Well, I have now. I think I would not have stood up well under the punishment one of my cast mates took the last couple of days. Sure, it was all choreographed by the stunt coordinator and reasonable precautions were taken by all parties. But in the end, it involved getting slapped in the face repeatedly for the better part of two days. It was covered from every angle, and because it comes in the middle of a longer scene, everything in the scene had to be right before we could move on to another angle or, blessedly, another shot. Im bending over backwards not to spoil things in these diary entries, so who, what, and why must remain mysteries. But suffice it to say that theres some tough, dedicated folks in this cast. It was probably 3 in the morning by the time we finished the dinner-party aftermath and Mia, Bruce, Jonathan, and all the extras were sent home and we started work on an earlier scene that will precipitate everything weve shot for the past few days. This is a much more intimate scene between Jessica, Tom, and myself. I was particularly exhausted because Id moved to a new hotel the previous morning and, about 2 hours after I collapsed in the bed there, the fire alarm went off. I dragged myself up and walked down 12 flights of stairs and around to the front of the building, where the firetrucks were already being loaded up by the firemen leaving after a false alarm. There had been a similar false alarm the previous day at the old hotel, so clearly sinister forces are at work. Or coincidence, which is much harder to fight. Anyway, it cost me an hours sleep on a day when I didnt have it to spare. The scene we started at zero-dark-thirty (sorry, Jessica) is, for want of a better term, my most dramatic in the film, in terms of dialog and verbal intensity. Its a turning point in the narrative and involves a great deal of semi-suppressed emotion. It also involves a lot of prop work. I have to open envelopes, write (with an antique fountain pen), precisely tear paper, and walk at the same time. Normally, I have enough trouble doing that last by itself, so technically this was the kind of scene I really dislike. Im not a greatly coordinated person, and saying lines while writing, folding, and tearing on exactly the same words every time, every take, is a real challenge for me. Thats in addition to the standard requirements of turning at precise moments, hitting marks without looking at them, making sure my face is in the light while not shadowing anyone elses, and handling the props the same way and with the same hand every take. If acting consisted of nothing but standing and saying lines, it would probably not look all that interesting, but it would be a million times easier than it is. Instead, in a prop-heavy scene like this one, its a balancing act, juggling B-Bs on a tightrope to the beat of a metronome. Chris Geggie and Kevin Lise, our prop guys, are brilliant at getting everything placed properly for us, and re-placed after every take. But in the scene, no one can save you from recalcitrant props but yourself. I envy actors who handle props smoothly and without apparent stress. Im always sweating inside when I have anything to handle, even just a drinking glass. Guys like Lee Marvin, Steve McQueen, and John Wayne had a special gift for adroitness with props, making everything look like the natural extension of their characters. I, on the other hand, always feel as though Im being asked to do a card trick for the first time while explaining quantum mechanics in Hindi to tourists from Andorra. Have I mentioned that Jessica Chastain is astonishingly beautiful? A lot of the scene requires me staring into her eyes, and its a remarkable experience. I recommend it. I get to stare into Hiddlestons eyes, too. Its not quite the same, but I enjoy it. With both of them, particularly in this scene, theres such a wealth of thought and emotion swimming in those eyes. It feeds the scene even when they arent speaking. That the scene is lit gorgeously by Dan Lautstens (artificial) fireplace glow adds immeasurably to the atmosphere. But its a tough scene, and I dont think Guillermos getting from me what he wants in it. I dont think that, because he told me so! I asked if he was getting what he needed from me, and he laughed and said, No, but I will. Its a very dramatic scene, and I drive it, and theres a natural tendency amongst many actors (myself apparently included) to make more of a meal of dramatic scenes than we should. More than once, Guillermo warned me about getting too Agatha Christie with it. The great writer-director Billy Wilder was asked what was the hardest thing about directing, and he replied, Getting the actors to talk fast enough. Obviously, thats an issue for me in this scene, despite the fact that Im a die-hard proponent normally of getting through the words without undue delay. Guillermo keeps mentioning Howard Hawks, the director who directed his actors to tear through dialog rapidly. He said, Play it like the last scene in THE THING, the 1951 movie that Hawks produced, where the actors rip through the closing dialog like theyre in a race. I dont remember that scene terribly well, so I reference another Hawks film, HIS GIRL FRIDAY, a movie with some of the fastest dialog in history. No! Guillermo shouts. Not that! Thats too fast! Well, at least now I have a gauge, a set of reference points. But Im tired. Were all tired. The suns now been up for an hour or two and the crew is dead on their feet, Im dead on whats left of mine, and Im getting sloppy with the props and the timing and the words. Camera moves are starting to be more difficult. Finally, with the master and Toms coverage completed, Guillermo asks if we mind finishing the scene on Sunday, after Friday and Saturday off, getting a fresh start on it. Knowing that we were scheduled to finish the scene now, and knowing we had hours left to do, it was a real relief to everyone to wrap it up to come back later, even though Sunday was supposed to be a day off for Tom and Jessica. The funny thing is that it wasnt a particularly long day, as movie days go. Its just that the shift this week from day shooting to night shooting has thrown everyone into a whirlpool of exhaustion and mental disarray. Im ecstatic to have nearly two full days off, to get some sleep, to do some relaxing activities, and to prepare anew for the scene -- maybe figuring out how to do it the way GDT wants!
Posted on: Tue, 06 May 2014 19:54:52 +0000