Style

When others are under pressure to perform, in this play, Robert De Niro is the one with the least pressure to perform.

He is a little different from others. Brad Pitt's performance in the play is a type he has not performed before. In the play, Norton should show more melancholy and depression instead of the neurotic side. Although Liam Neeson has an outstanding image, playing this role requires further deliberation before it can be played well, but for De Niro, playing a gangster character is too simple.

He didn't dare to talk about other roles, but if he just said it was a gangster character, he definitely dared to say that no one knew how to act better than himself. Since he was young, he has always been a master of gangster movies.

At that time, he had already worked hard for this type of movie and had the experience of driving a taxi for a year to become a good taxi driver. Even if he is old now, the accumulation of his youth is still there. With his experience, there is no problem at all.

"When I was your age, people said I could be a policeman or a criminal. But when someone points a gun to your head, is there any difference between a policeman and a criminal?"

The gangster played by De Niro has actually done such a job; from his expression to his actions, he brings out a villainous yet charismatic character in all its glory.

"Cut! Great shot, Robert, great job."

Levi shouted and walked over with strides. De Niro just smiled. He first patted the shoulder of Heath Ledger, who was playing opposite him, to encourage him, and then he walked to the sidelines, letting the makeup artist touch up his face while talking with Levi.

"Nick, the young man you recruited, has good acting skills and is very sensible. Did you notice his fingers and lips when filming? The details are well grasped, and he understands these things at such a young age. Such people are rare now. It's good if they are willing to learn."

He continued, "I think this part of the performance should be fine. But don't let him leave the crew. The more you read this movie carefully, the more you feel that there are many things inside.

I also gained a lot of new insights into the analysis of the characters in the play. Let him stay for now. In case I have a further in-depth understanding of the characters in the play, I hope he will be there to reshoot the required scenes."

De Niro was talking to Levi, and Levi nodded; he knew that for good actors, the director often didn't need to tell them they didn't perform well, and they were right about their own performance. The requirements they place on themselves are very high.

Once you find that your understanding of the characters is not deep enough, you will be dissatisfied with the part of the previous filming and ask to start again. De Niro's seriousness and surprise in acting are commendable.

His requirements, Levi would naturally agree.

He is also very interested in something.

"Can you tell me what you have interpreted in this movie? You have worked with Scorsese so many times, and you also have your own opinions on the movie. Can you talk about it?"

Levi is still very interested in De Niro's interpretation perspective. As an actor who has worked with Martin Scorsese a lot, De Niro has a deep enough understanding of gangster movies. His views will definitely not be such a simple and vulgar conclusion that gangster movies are easy to win awards. Levi is also very Wondering what he thinks about this movie.

"Your movie is different from Martin's movie." Of course, De Niro knew what Levi wanted to ask, "At the beginning, I also thought that you wanted to shoot a gangster movie in New York; it has the meaning of paying tribute to Martin. However, while filming, I slowly discovered that your script is not a tribute to Martin at all — your script is too clean, and this is not Martin's style at all."

Clean, this is De Niro's biggest feeling after filming. Compared with reading a script, people are often influenced by information from various levels after arriving on the set. Vision, hearing, and touch all give people different feelings.

The set of this movie is really clean. Whether it is the scene's layout or the characters' dialogue, there is almost no ugliness that can be created, no deliberate tyranny, and they are all quite plain words and environments.

Compared with other gangster movies, the biggest difference in this movie is that the film does not rely on the dirtiness of the outside world, the tyranny of language, physical fights, and the pain of actors to create a sinful environment.

There are not too many abusive words in the script, there are not many fierce men with tattoos everywhere on the set, there is not too much fighting and torture in the action scenes, and the setting of the scenes tends to be cold rather than filthy. These things are different from the other gangster films and this one.

Compared with those external performances, Levi hopes to show evil through the inner language.

"You chose a completely different approach from Martin. Martin's movies like to use the ugly outside to get people an intuitive impression, but you didn't do that.

Your movie is like its name. 'Departed' in the plot, you use the characters' struggles to show the psychology of these characters, and through the struggles of people, you can outline a large social environment and even the consistency of mentality - these two, I can't say which one is better.

Martin's is more intuitive and appropriate to the theme of human struggle he wants to reflect on. If your technique is played well, it will make people more entangled. It is different for everyone you want to express. The theme of loneliness is more appropriate."

As a top actor, De Niro is not in the mood to slander another big director to please this film's director. Since he is asked to evaluate, he must compare the two more accurately.

Compared with Scorsese, Levi's films are obviously more elegant and quiet when shooting. When this style is applied to gangster films, the film also has a cold and chilling atmosphere throughout - these can be seen from the art design, which is probably why Levi chose New York.

The indifference in the metropolitan environment is in line with his theme.

Most of Martin Scorsese's themes reflect people's struggles. Therefore, he does not need to outline people's hearts in detail. He can perfectly interpret his film as long as he can shape people's pain and deepen the theme through simple and crude resistance.

But Levi hopes to use the outline of the human heart to outline the world, which is a different way in itself.

It's hard to say who's good and who's bad.

His words made Levi nod slightly and put on a smile: at least, De Niro did not think that what he shot had become a gangster literary film - De Niro had filmed enough movies, and his style and expression of the film all have deep insights, and Levi is very satisfied with his approval.

"However, you should also be careful. It's not easy to make such a movie well."

Most of today's gangster movies use fighting, cursing, simple and rude styles, intuitive characters, abandoned factories, dark alleys, and other highly intuitive external landscapes to express darkness; this way is simple, easy to learn, and easy to use.

In De Niro's many years of film experience, he has seen this kind of gangster environment that does not use violence but uses a gentle way to show a gangster environment. Probably only The Godfather has done the best.

And Levi's movie, in a sense, followed the same path as that movie.

This is a gangster movie that wants to win by lines, acting, and characterization. And such a movie has very high requirements for supporting roles, lines, scripts, actors, and directors.

Why do people always say The Godfather is the number-one movie in history? Isn't it because that movie is the best of all aspects?

But can this one really be shot so well? This is also the biggest question in De Niro's mind. Such expressions are also extremely difficult to control.

However, such a movie will be even better after it is shot - sometimes, an overly intuitive expression will reduce the movie's depth and make it not heavy enough.

It has to be said that the way Levi's films are shot is more prone to classics: outlining society through people's hearts; this approach itself is extremely wonderful.

Therefore, De Niro is not particularly worried: Martin has his way of expressing human anger. Levi also has his own way of expressing human loneliness.

Having his own consistent shooting techniques in movies of different themes, Levi's level is definitely not low. With such ability, why should he worry about bad film shooting?

This director is trustworthy.

*****

Thanks and kudos for my patreons

Cherif Doghri

Scott DePaepe

MMMCMXCIX, or 3,999

Britanna

Mandy G

Adam LV

The Main Man

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