Chapter 116: Into the Role

Fox Studios.

It was late July, and Catherine Bigelow entered the studio at the studio complex, greeting familiar faces until she quickly found Simon, who was busy directing Robert De Niro and Janet Johnston.

Today's shoot involved a scene between Butch Coolidge and the cab driver Esmeralda Villalobos.

To allow the actors to perform without distractions, except for the beginning and end, the scene was shot inside the studio. The street scenes visible through the car windows in the original film were clearly just projections on a big screen.

Simon had given the role of the cab driver, which he was very fond of, to Janet, who had prepared diligently for the part. Upon learning this, Catherine decided to visit the set today to see how her best friend, who had never been in front of a camera, would perform.

Seeing that Simon and the others were busy, Catherine did not approach them but simply nodded at Janet, who had noticed her arrival, and then sat down in the resting area to casually chat with the film's producer, Laura Ziegens.

Laura Ziegens, a blonde woman in her thirties, had just helped Orion complete a film starring Kevin Costner and Sean Young titled "The Naval Spy," which was set to premiere next month.

After a few words, Simon and Janet came over.

Janet hugged Catherine affectionately and then spun around with her arms raised: "Kate, how do I look?"

Catherine examined Janet's loose red robe with its floral and bird print and her tousled, lazy brown hair, and said, "It looks a bit odd."

Janet giggled and swayed, showing off her moon-white wide-leg pants and her bare feet painted with nail polish, and said, "I thought so too, but if the little rascal likes it, it must be right."

Simon noticed Catherine's questioning look and explained, "I actually considered using plain red. Red signifies danger, and in Eastern ghost stories, a woman in red at night is often not human but a very dangerous ghost."

Feeling Simon's penetrating gaze, Catherine instinctively shifted away slightly and asked, "Then why not use it?"

Simon smiled and said, "Because this is a dark comedy. Adding supernatural elements would disrupt the film's style."

Having stood quietly beside them and listened in, Laura Ziegens chimed in, "Simon, in that case, what about the thing in the suitcase? You never explained in the script what the glowing item actually is, leaving the impression that it contains something that shouldn't exist in reality."

"It's just an Easter egg for the audience to guess," Simon shook his head, "Since no one knows exactly what's in the box, it naturally won't affect the plot of the movie."

As they were talking, the assistant director came over to indicate that they could start filming again. Everyone headed towards a car model set up near the projection screen. De Niro and Janet got into the car and settled into their positions while Simon double-checked everything and gave the assistant director an OK gesture before operating the camera himself.

Although the film naturally employed a professional cinematographer, Simon had almost unthinkingly decided to take over for the scenes involving Janet.

Once Simon was ready, the big screen projection and the car model began operating simultaneously, simulating the taxi in motion.

"Everyone ready."

"'Pulp Fiction,' Scene 26, Take 3."

"Action!"

The clapperboard was brought down.

Inside the cab, Robert De Niro began tearing off his boxing gloves with a mix of ripping and biting. Janet, with one hand on the steering wheel, displayed a look of wariness and curiosity, occasionally glancing at the rearview mirror.

After a moment, Janet spoke in a soft, practiced accent.

"Sir... hey, sir?"

"What?"

"Were you just in that boxing match? The one on the radio, were you that boxer?"

"Why would you think that?"

"You are him; I know you are. Tell me, you are him!"

Behind the camera.

As the performance reached this point, Simon raised his head and signaled to everyone: "Cut."

Everyone paused.

Simon approached the open car, gave De Niro a reassuring look, and then said to Janet, "Janet, for the line 'Tell me, you are him,' I want to see your excitement, a tension that's suppressing an inner madness."

Janet paused, her gaze shifting to the rearview mirror, and she tried the line again with a slight change in emotion, "Tell me, you are him!"

"Not quite," Simon shook his head, thought for a moment, and said, "Hold your breath when you say it."

Janet took a breath, her eyes focusing on the rearview mirror, and repeated, "Tell me, you are him!"

"Don't breathe deeply beforehand; it disrupts the flow of emotions. Make it more natural, don't treat this like a performance. Remember, you are Esmeralda, a cab

 driver who is inwardly crazy and dangerous. Then suddenly, you meet a boxer who has just killed his opponent with his bare hands, stirring the evil within you. You become intensely curious about what it feels like to kill someone, so you persistently question Butch," Simon lowered his voice slightly, enticingly describing for a moment, and sensing Janet gradually immersing herself in certain emotions, finally pointed at De Niro in the back seat and said, "Look, Es, he's the killer."

After saying this, Simon retreated behind the camera again.

"Everyone ready."

"'Pulp Fiction,' Scene 26, Take 4."

"Action!"

Inside the cab, De Niro, freshly sprayed with 'sweat,' once again began tearing at his boxing gloves.

From the crowd, Catherine quietly watched the scene unfold.

The fourth take was still not approved, and Simon approached again, patiently instructing Janet on how to perform, occasionally not hesitating to imitate a woman's voice to demonstrate Esmeralda's way of speaking for Janet.

Then.

The fifth take, the sixth, the seventh, the eighth...

Simon continuously called 'CUT', all the while showing no signs of impatience, time and again guiding Janet, who was extremely compliant.

However, unbeknownst to her, this compliance was gradually taking on a hint of madness.

After nearly two hours, Catherine quietly observed for two hours. At some moment, Catherine suddenly felt that both individuals were probably close to madness.

The filming that started at one in the afternoon continued through the end of the workday without anyone suggesting they stop, despite the intense involvement of a certain man and woman.

It was seven in the evening.

Once again, the big screen lit up, and the car model began to move.

Inside the cab.

Perhaps due to fatigue, the woman sitting in the driver's seat had her originally fluffy brown hair appearing lifeless and drooping, adding an extra hint of sultry laziness to her look. Her eyes remained bright with curiosity, her entire demeanor like a dangerous cat ready to pounce on its prey at any moment.

At this moment.

Everyone on set could feel it: this was Esmeralda, a cab driver who shared her name with the protagonist of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame."

Seductive, charming, with an accent and a soft tone, yet suppressing a potential explosion of danger and madness, as if she could pull out a knife at any moment and stab several bloody holes in a living person.

In the shot.

The woman slightly raised her chin, her eyes not particularly lively, but her deep immersion into the character brought a mysterious allure to her presence, even subtly overshadowing the two-time Academy Award-winning actor in the back seat.

"…"

"…"

"So, Esmeralda, what do you want to know?"

"I want to know what it feels like to kill someone?"

"I can't tell you. If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have known he was dead, how could I tell you how it feels. Anyway, I don't feel guilty at all."

"…"

The thirty-first performance ended.

The projection continued to play, and the model kept moving, with both individuals in the cab still immersed in their roles, although they had fallen silent, each maintaining their own state.

After a moment.

Simon finally looked up and loudly said, "Good."

Everyone sighed with relief, finally able to wrap up for the day.

People began quickly cleaning up the set, De Niro got out of the car, taking a towel handed to him by a staff member to wipe down his body, repeatedly sprayed with 'sweat,' his boxing shorts now completely soaked through. Without thinking, De Niro turned his head and noticed that Janet was still sitting in the cab, showing no intention of moving.

Soon, everyone else also noticed Janet's unusual behavior, and Simon immediately approached her.