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Chapter 162: Normandy Cemetery
🕑 Added 2024-11-23 08:27:08 +0000 UTCHeavy rain poured down from the sky. Eight American soldiers, holding their weapons, cautiously sheltered behind a dilapidated house. The captain among them moved to the garden gate, peering through the crack to observe the enemy situation outside.
Behind them, three photographers clad in special raincoats held handheld cameras, carefully capturing the genuine reactions of each soldier.
In the rain-soaked perimeter, Duke stood on a pre-constructed observation platform, overlooking the entire battlefield while wearing a raincoat.
The artificial raindrops continuously struck his face, yet he felt no cold; instead, there was a warmth lingering on him. Although it was late February in Ireland, having passed through the coldest season, the temperature remained low. The crew couldn't use cold water for filming, so they manufactured warm artificial rain.
Rain often brought many troubles. Including rehearsals, this scene had already been shot seven times over the past three days. Fortunately, according to Duke's observations, the actors were getting better; so far today, there had been no issues.
This might be related to the approaching end of filming. Once this scene concluded, the crew could leave the dampness of Ireland for France and enjoy the warm sunshine.
Another squad charged out from behind the door, with the captain, played by Tom Hanks, shouting, "Thunder!"
A voice responded from the opposite side, "Lightning!"
From Duke's perspective, Tom Hanks was assigning tasks, his demeanor calm and steady like a seasoned officer. He and his men coordinated to cover one team while the other advanced, quickly meeting up with a small American unit.
Meanwhile, German voices echoed from the other side…
John Schwartzman followed closely behind with his camera, ensuring his lens stayed focused on Tom Hanks, as instructed by Duke.
As Tom Hanks shifted positions, Schwartzman stepped back into a reserved shooting spot, while his assistant, Ben Watts, took over as the main cameraman, capturing the scene of the character played by Demirfo complaining and picking through some rotten fruit for edible pieces…
Gunfire, shouts, and cries of agony suddenly erupted. Even wrapped in a raincoat, Schwartzman was already drenched, and while sheltering from the warm water, he felt an icy chill.
"Cut!"
Finally, the familiar command to halt came from the high ground, "That'll be it for now!"
The tense American soldiers dispersed, heading towards the prepared washrooms. In this weather, neglecting oneself could easily lead to colds or fevers.
Returning to the tent where Duke monitored the shots, he took the towel Sofia handed him, casually drying his face before sitting down to review the footage just filmed. The shots, captured from various angles, seemed scattered, but they resonated with Duke's mental image of the scene, leaving him generally satisfied.
This was the best set of shots they had filmed over the past three days.
"Notify the crew," Duke turned to an assistant director, "let's move to location fourteen as soon as possible!"
Location fourteen had already been set up. The crew quickly transitioned there, allowing the actors, who had just endured the rain, some time to rest.
Once the actors changed costumes and entered the filming area, Duke gathered both the American and German actors for final instructions.
"This is an encounter battle!" Duke stood by a wall that would easily fall over. "You're facing the enemy unexpectedly, and I want you to show your hysterical side, shout loudly!"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Duke specifically called out John Spencer, who was playing Upham.
"John, not you!" he reminded. "Remember, even in this situation, you still refuse to pick up a weapon; I'll give you a close-up! Remember to speak in German."
"I understand."
The actor looked weak and young, but he was actually in his thirties, having struggled in Hollywood for many years—one of those typical actors with decent skills but poor luck.
Of course, such actors were abundant in Hollywood.
Ten minutes later, with preparations complete, Duke signaled the assistant director to call for action.
A squad of American soldiers moved through the ruins of the street. The officer leading them, believing the area was secure, sat down on the debris to empty the sand from his shoes. Unbeknownst to him, he accidentally knocked a wooden beam askew, causing it to crash against the wall behind him. The battle-worn wall could no longer support itself and collapsed, drawing the attention of several nearby.
At the same time, those inside turned to look outside, and the American and German forces encountered each other at a very close distance, both sides simultaneously raising their weapons and screaming at each other to drop them.
Ben Watts immediately positioned himself at a sixty-degree angle, capturing a shot of Upham gripping his weapon and shouting in German.
Gunfire erupted suddenly, and German soldiers in the ruins fell one by one, blood raining down like the water…
Once the American soldiers finished checking the ruins, Duke called for a halt. He could clearly hear the collective sighs of relief from the crew; even though they still had to move to France for a few more scenes, they could finally leave the cold dampness of Ireland.
Moreover, there were only a few shots to film in France, and once they concluded, they could return to California and enjoy the bright sunshine and warm air once again.
"Sofia,"
While the crew packed up the set, Duke called Sofia Coppola over and asked, "Have Hudson Yang and the other extras arrived?"
Hudson Yang was the actor hired to portray the older James Ryan.
"They arrived in Caen, France, the day before yesterday," Sofia flipped through the work log. "We have a dedicated person there to receive them."
"What about the cemetery?" Duke asked again.
"It's all been arranged!"
After a few exchanges, Tom Hanks came over, changed and ready, "Time to say goodbye, Duke."
Before Duke could react, he embraced him, smiling as he said, "It's been a pleasure working together, and I hope we can collaborate again."
"Yeah, I hope so too."
Duke meant it; working with talented actors often made a director's job much easier, especially with someone like Tom Hanks. They shook hands, and Duke gave him a thumbs-up, saying, "Tom, go for it! Get that Oscar for Best Actor!"
"Thanks for the encouragement!"
After Tom Hanks left, several more actors came by to say goodbye. They understood that maintaining a good relationship with a director like Duke could only benefit them.
"Are you interested in joining the party I'm hosting when we get back to Los Angeles?"
Finally, Leonardo DiCaprio approached, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then lowered his voice to say to Duke, "Blonde! Long legs! Models!"
"Leo..." Duke chuckled, giving him a hearty pat on the shoulder, "Looks like we can find some common ground in that regard."
Amid Sofia's rolling eyes, both of them laughed, sharing some similar tastes.
That afternoon, most actors departed from the set, with many taking flights back to their respective cities. The next day, Duke left behind an executive producer and a few assistants to handle the crew's aftermath, while he led the main group straight to Caen in Normandy, France.
The crew's destination was the Normandy American Cemetery, located on the heights above Omaha Beach, covering approximately 70 hectares and overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The other side of the ocean is the homeland of the fallen soldiers, America.
This area is a meticulously maintained green lawn, surrounded by towering pines, shrubs, and roses. The white marble crosses are arranged in intersecting patterns across the lawn, solemn and majestic, stretching endlessly, a resting place for nearly ten thousand souls. The cemetery's overall architectural design is divided into two rows, distinguished by letters, and there are two female statues on the west side, each holding a sword with a bald eagle and a Gallic rooster symbolizing the United States and France, respectively.
In 1956, this cemetery was officially opened to the public, and in 1979, the French government permanently gifted it to the United States, making the Normandy American Cemetery a unique "nation within a nation."
Each cross in the cemetery bears the names, ranks, unit numbers, hometowns, and dates of the fallen soldiers. According to the information Duke collected, the character based on the soldier saved by the 101st Airborne Division is buried here. However, the cemetery management has not marked their grave's location, as all the fallen soldiers receive equal treatment.
Due to prior coordination with the management, when Duke brought the crew here, a section of the cemetery was temporarily closed for filming, which was sufficient for Duke, even with just half a day.
The filming here posed little difficulty; after a few trial shots for adjustment, most scenes were completed in a few takes, bringing the filming quickly to the final segment.
The elderly James Ryan stood before Captain John Miller's grave, looking at his wife.
"Tell me my life wasn't in vain!"
"What?" His wife asked, puzzled.
"Tell me I'm a good man!"
His wife, realizing something, glanced at the white cross and said earnestly, "You are, James!"
She turned to walk away, and James Ryan stood tall, straightened up, and saluted the white cross with a proper American military salute.
The camera circled around 180 degrees, and Duke removed the ear monitor he was using to listen to the live recording and called out, "Cut! That's a wrap!"
Everyone exhaled in relief, but there were no shouts of excitement or applause; they silently honored the basic etiquette of being in a cemetery.
Without lingering, the crew quickly packed up their equipment and exited the American cemetery. That night,Duke and others flew to Los Angeles that night. After sealing two copies of the film in different bank vaults, they temporarily went on vacation.
