Chapter 132: In Need of Polish

Under the scorching sun, Morocco in January was anything but cool, yet the filming of the movie, slated for release at the end of the year, continued without pause. The schedule had fallen behind, prompting Ridley Scott to rearrange the shooting plan. Overtime became the norm.

After makeup, Matthew, armed with a CAR-15 rifle and helmet, entered the set, his military uniform soaked through within the short walk.

Returning from the cooler Los Angeles, adapting was a challenge. He had spent New Year 2001 with Britney in the City of Angels, only to be called back to Morocco by the crew a week later.

Unwittingly, it was now 2001, marking his second year here...

Lost in thought, Matthew stepped onto the set, careful to avoid debris, making his way to the prop Black Hawk helicopter.

Naturally, the U.S. military wouldn't lend a real helicopter for a crash scene. This was a meticulously crafted prop.

Under the assistant director's direction, Matthew took his position among the actors portraying American soldiers near the downed helicopter.

The filming started with continuous gunfire and explosions.

The afternoon was spent shooting the American soldiers clashing with Somali militiamen. Unlike the pre-Christmas shoot, reducing the screen time of black extras made filming smoother, with most shots cleared in one take. By evening, the scene neared completion.

"Matthew! Matthew Horner!" Big-bearded Jack called out. "Come here, to the helicopter."

Handing off his water bottle to an assistant, Matthew hurried to Jack, who stood in front of the helicopter, surrounded by actors.

Upon Matthew's arrival, Jack instructed, "After throwing the prop grenade, run quickly. The pyrotechnics team has planted a larger charge than before. Got it?"

Matthew nodded in understanding.

His character, Sergeant Hoot, was to blow up the helicopter model. The usual pyrotechnics wouldn't suffice for the desired effect.

Once ready, the area was cleared, leaving only the actors involved. Matthew was closest to the helicopter.

"Action!" Ridley Scott called.

"Look out!" Matthew yelled, hurling the grenade before running, shouting warnings about the explosion.

Running like a soldier dodging bombs, he quickly outpaced the other actors.

Boom—the explosion sent flames skyward.

Feeling the heat wave, Matthew ducked and hurried even faster. Thankfully, the charge was designed more for show than destructive power.

"Cut!" Ridley halted the shoot, declaring, "That's a wrap for today."

After cleaning up and returning to the hotel, Matthew fell into bed, exhausted. The next day, he was on set by 6 a.m. for Orlando Bloom's final scene.

Orlando's character, Private Blackburn, falls during a fast rope descent, leading to a severe injury and a series of events.

The script embellished this scene.

In the book "Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War," Blackburn falls while fast roping due to carrying heavy ammunition and a higher-than-planned descent. The script invented a scene where the pilot drops him to avoid an RPG-7 rocket.

This was Matthew's speculative musing during the shoot.

The filming went smoothly, with Orlando successfully falling onto a mat from a height.

"Hey, Matthew," Orlando boasted as he passed by, "I'm finally free."

Matthew congratulated him, joking about his departure from "hell."

Orlando laughed, mentioning a complaint from Johnny Lee Miller about Matthew and advised caution.

"Thanks," Matthew acknowledged, confident in handling any conflict with Miller.

Orlando warned to be careful, especially since James and Ben had left.

Matthew appreciated Orlando's concern, admiring him as a warm and outgoing person.

"Alright," Orlando waved goodbye, planning to head to Los Angeles for cooler weather and beautiful girls.

The crew then moved to shoot military camp scenes, highlighting Matthew's weakness in dramatic roles, especially a crucial dialogue scene with Josh Hartnett's character.

This scene was pivotal to the film's theme, and Matthew struggled with his performance.

"Cut!" Ridley called out, pointing out Matthew's lack of worried expression.

After several takes, Matthew found the deep emotion needed for the role.

"I don't speak because they wouldn't understand. We fight for our brothers. That's it," Matthew delivered, capturing the depth of his character's motivation.

Finally, the take was successful.

Matthew went for a touch-up as Ridley reviewed the footage, pondering Matthew's acting potential but noting his need for further refinement.

By early February, Matthew had completed his scenes and returned to Los Angeles, soon flying to France for the premiere of "Band of Brothers." Meanwhile, Johnny Lee Miller, having finished his part, reached out to him.

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