Day 29

Note to self: Always have a job where you can sneak off and read in an Opium Den or a Tattoo parlour.

This is my last day working on the film.

We had a whole day at the studio to get pick-up shots from scenes we couldn’t finish because the Star wasn’t around.

Everyone is in a good mood. Partly because the end is near: salvation and sleep! And partly because the second unit were filming in the mountains today and they faced side-ways snow, sleet and buttock-freezing conditions.
The fact that we are here inside the studio, means we avoided that particular short straw.

Earlier in the shoot, there had been my favourite little action of the film. The Star’s character is brutalising a room full of people again, and the Chinese bad guy, who he is after-notices him:

“LI HO; Realizing who he’s up against, he…

DIVES STRAIGHT THROUGH A WINDOW.”

Looking back, I run a similar scene in my head. The Star walks on set for the first time:

“CREW AND PRODUCERS; Realizing who they are working with

SIMULTANEOUSLY DIVE THROUGH WINDOWS.”

It has been a real experience. Chaotic at times, but you couldn’t help but be impressed by the professionalism and hard work of the crew and their warmth. I even feel oddly sympathetic with our Star. The way he behaves reveals insecurity more than anything. And this is what stars are meant to do, isn’t it?

We had a photographic double for the Star. His name was George. He is the most blank-faced person I have ever met. He always looks like he has a mouth full of lemons and he’s being forced to watch an endless loop of Michael Winner films. Through every scene, on everyday, at every location, George was there; his expression the same. Dressed in the same garb as the star, he would step-in to be filmed from behind, sometimes performing the actions.

Whatever the situation: Mad Monks, bare breasts, Monkey Barbers, exploding pigs, Tibetan philosophy; George was there; face perma-frozen in absolute misery. He was an antidote to all the surrealism around him and an extraordinary achievement: finding someone with less expression than our Star.

(C.)JMessias 2002