"Cut!"
Filming was interrupted again.
"Sorry, director. Let's do it again."
The one who made the mistake wasn't the director, but one of the actors—specifically, Kate Winslet.
At first, when mistakes happened, actors would apologize to the crew, understanding that each mistake meant the entire team had to redo the scene, which affected many people.
But after one, two, three, four, five mistakes—by the time they reached the fourteenth take—apologies became pointless. Instead of insincerely apologizing and then making the same mistake again, it was more effective to fully concentrate on the performance. This way, they could end the ordeal quickly and improve efficiency, which was more useful than any apology.
Moreover, look at the time—it was already 11 PM, and the clock was inching toward midnight.
Generally speaking, Hollywood, like any typical 9-to-5 job, follows an eight-hour workday, five days a week, as per the union rules.
Similarly, like many other office jobs, overtime is common despite the rules, and working beyond regular hours is a frequent occurrence.
Putting overtime aside for now, the biggest difference between Hollywood and regular office work is that the work hours are flexible.
A typical 9-to-5 schedule could be shifted to night hours, and if a Friday lands on a holiday, shooting could be moved to the weekend. There's a lot of flexibility.
And that's exactly what was happening now.
The entire crew had been patiently waiting for nightfall to take advantage of the natural darkness for the scene, aiming to minimize post-production work and create an authentic atmosphere.
In the film industry, there's a term called "day for night," which means filming night scenes during the day; similarly, they might shoot winter scenes in summer or outdoor scenes in a studio. These techniques are part of the magic of filmmaking.
But "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" aimed to avoid such extra work wherever possible, striving for a more authentic feel. This not only helped the actors get into character but also gave the audience a more genuine experience.
So, as the night approached midnight, the night owls on set began feeling the fatigue. Yet, the shooting progress was still unsatisfactory.
Honestly, the entire crew was cramped in a small apartment, with the heat turned up, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere. As fatigue and warmth met in the dead of winter, drowsiness naturally crept in. Eyelids became heavy, and one by one, people discreetly pinched their thighs, trying to stay awake.
As a result, the mood on set became lazy and sluggish. Both the actors and the director could feel the invisible pressure mounting.
Kate didn't hide her frustration. She took a deep breath, turned around, and went back to the kitchen, waiting for the director's cue.
"Action!"
Clementine smiled, carrying two glasses of alcohol from the kitchen into the living room. "Two glasses of Blue Ruin."
She handed one to Joel and kept the other for herself. Standing in front of Joel, she moved a little closer, lowering her voice to say quietly, "Bottoms up, young man."
Joel glanced uncomfortably at the glass, eyeing the amount of alcohol.
Clementine noticed. "This way of seduction feels more natural."
Joel stiffened noticeably.
Clementine couldn't hold back and burst out laughing. "Haha, hahaha." She playfully slapped Joel's shoulder, laughing so hard she almost bent over. "I was just kidding."
But despite her words, a smile lingered at the corner of her mouth, and she continued to eye Joel. Her body leaned in slightly, occasionally brushing against him, giving off a sense of intimacy.
Joel joined in the laughter, his chuckles rumbling from his chest. Still, his eyes shifted awkwardly away.
In the next moment, Clementine shoved Joel by the chest, pushing him down onto the sofa with a sudden force.
Without pausing, she followed through, straddling Joel's lap, her free hand wrapping around his neck, gazing deeply into his eyes.
There was intimacy, flirtation, and a hint of aggression.
It looked like something was about to happen—
Joel glanced up at Clementine. "This doesn't feel right?"
Clementine exhaled a long breath and nodded. "No, it's off."
The tension dissolved instantly as they both dropped out of character. Anson and Kate turned to look at the camera.
"I think we need to go again."
"It still doesn't feel right," they both agreed, looking past the lens at Michel Gondry, the director.
The director looked at the two actors, took a deep breath, and let out a soft sigh of exasperation, rubbing his face hard as if he wanted to peel off his skin to reveal his true feelings. Finally, he looked at them in frustration.
"Can't we just try again?"
Anson shrugged lightly. "Sure, of course."
Kate nodded as well. "No problem."
Anson added, "But we can all feel that something's off, and you can sense it too. The whole scene just isn't working. There's no point in pushing forward like this."
Kate sighed deeply. "I know everyone's tired. One by one, everyone's barely keeping their eyes open. The best thing to do now is to finish the scene as quickly as possible so everyone can go home and rest."
Anson shook his head. "No, the best thing to do right now is to open a window and let some cold air in, or the room's going to be filled with carbon dioxide."
Kate wanted to argue but held her tongue. The temperature was supposed to create a sense of intimacy, but after thinking about it, Anson was right. She fell silent.
They both turned to Michel, who looked completely defeated. Finally, he gave up and said, "Cut."
Anson could feel Michel's frustration. It wasn't just the director; everyone on set was feeling it—himself, Kate, and the entire crew.
But acting is like that. If the rhythm and timing are off, there's nothing you can do.
If they were okay with just getting by, there wouldn't be a problem; they could finish the scene easily enough. But the key was that Michel didn't want that, and neither did Kate or Anson.
Despite Charlie Kaufman's powerful script, they still wanted to bring something more to the film.
They thought they had already nailed the script and characters, but clearly, acting doesn't work that way. Filmmaking is the same.
Even when everything seems right, each scene can still present new challenges, and each day brings different struggles.
Kate took a deep breath, looked at Anson, and began reviewing the scene again, trying to adjust some details. "I'll put my left hand on your chest first. If I feel your muscles with my palm, would that make you uncomfortable?"
"No, it wouldn't," Anson shook his head.
Kate continued, "Then I'll use my right shoulder to touch your left shoulder, trying to lean into your embrace. Do we need eye contact here?"
Anson replied, "Just let it happen naturally. I think Clementine's and Joel's rhythms are different here, so there's no need to force it. The awkwardness and mismatch might work better."
Kate nodded. "Okay, I'll try to be a bit more aggressive."
Then she looked at Michel. "Director, let's try one more time."