Rob's voice finally brought the on-site crew back to their senses. Everyone looked at each other, and then sparse applause slowly began to rise, a way to express their amazement at the performance just now. More and more people joined in the clapping, especially when they saw Hugo standing in the center, panting heavily and adjusting his breath a sense of emotion welled up spontaneously.
The Hugo in front of them was not the second-rate actor who delivered a terrible performance in Hudson Hawk. Everyone on set had witnessed his efforts, bit by bit, and today he stunned them with an absolutely brilliant performance. Even Jack Nicholson had a satisfied smile on his face. The expressions of both actors, filled with unrestrained satisfaction, vividly demonstrated the essence of acting, truly admirable!
From the moment Hugo joined the crew, he had been subjected to all kinds of scrutiny. No one believed a scandal-ridden Hugo could turn things around. But Hugo never tried to explain himself; instead, he used his actions to prove his worth. He diligently read the script, actively consulted legal books, seriously and meticulously discussed with actors and the director, and painstakingly studied how to portray the character… Until today, when Hugo delivered a top-tier performance that instantly silenced all doubts. All opposition voices vanished into thin air, and every detractor was left speechless. This powerful rebuttal was more effective and convincing than any other approach, leaving no room for argument!
In contrast to Hugo's stunning performance, Allerge, who had left the crew two days ago, looked more like a ridiculous clown. Originally, many crew members had sided with Allerge, wanting backstage staff to unite and defend their rights. The existence of the bet was a direct manifestation of this. But now, Hugo had proven with his outstanding strength a hard fact: Allerge was nothing but a madman, and all the filth he tried to sling was pure fabrication.
The result of the bet was already clear. Not only did Hugo not collapse under Jack's pressure, he instead delivered a stellar performance that stood on equal footing with Jack. The two of them together created dazzling sparks that elevated the essence of the scene to an entirely new level. Yet, this outcome wasn't even included in the betting options no one had expected Hugo to perform so magnificently. The metaphorical slap Hugo delivered to the face of the bet was clean and sharp!
Whether people liked Hugo or not, no one could deny the strength he just displayed in that performance. No one could still stand on Allerge's side spouting nonsense, nor could anyone support Allerge's accusations against Hugo. No one was willing to defend Allerge. As a person, everyone had the right to dislike or like Hugo hat was personal freedom. But as an actor, Hugo's absolute strength was hard to deny!
Worst Actor at the Razzies? If anyone had seen Hugo's performance in the scene just now, that trophy would be an utter joke. Scent of a Woman bound to flop? If anyone had witnessed everything Hugo had done in the crew, that remark would be absurd beyond belief.
"Hugo is rising through strength!" Suddenly someone recalled how newspapers like the Los Angeles Times and U.S. Weekly had mockingly made such a comment when Hugo joined both Scent of a Woman and A Few Good Men. But back then, people refused to believe it and only treated it as a joke. Now, though, it looked like it was becoming a reality.
Demi Moore's expression was hard to describe. Although saying Hugo once stole a role from her husband Bruce Willis might be a bit far-fetched, Demi had never had a positive view of Hugo. Ever since filming started, her attitude toward him had been lukewarm never hostile, but never friendly either just maintaining a purely professional working relationship.
But today, Hugo's performance truly shocked Demi, because this was the very kind of breakthrough she had dreamed of.
Demi hadn't placed a bet on the wager regarding Hugo's acting, but her agent had, believing Hugo wouldn't be able to handle the scene. Yet now, not only had Hugo managed the scene, he had delivered the best performance in a way that exceeded everyone's expectations, stunning everyone. No wonder there were about three full seconds of silence after the scene ended!
Disliking Hugo was one thing, but the pursuit of acting was another. Demi took on A Few Good Men precisely because she wanted to break free from the typecast roles after Ghost and achieve a breakthrough in acting or character portrayal. But such breakthroughs weren't easy to come by. Demi had never captured the spark maybe she lacked the talent, maybe she hadn't worked hard enough, or maybe she was going in the wrong direction. The fact remained: she had never found a new rhythm within the A Few Good Men crew.
But now, Hugo had emerged powerfully and achieved a breakthrough in the most decisive manner. You could already imagine the flood of praise Hugo would receive when the movie was released. Demi couldn't deny it she was jealous.
The applause, starting with Rob's first clap, gradually gathered on set. Those who supported Hugo in the wager clapped without hesitation, their hands pounding in praise of his brilliant performance. Those who bet against Hugo, though unwilling, still joined in half-heartedly under the amused or astonished stares of their colleagues Hugo's performance was simply convincing.
As for those who bet Hugo would collapse, they stood there dumbfounded. The more they anticipated a downfall, the harder the shock hit. Watching Hugo smile and thank everyone from the middle of the set, most of these people drooped their shoulders and refused to clap, but they also couldn't say a word. Even muttering "maybe it was just a lucky shot" felt hollow no one would believe that, not even themselves. And to insist on that now would only make themselves look foolish.
Demi froze briefly, looked at the excited Rob, the satisfied Jack, and the smiling Kevin, and finally started clapping too, joining in with everyone's celebration.
Nearly two weeks after joining the A Few Good Men crew, Hugo had finally proven himself. With his actions, he earned the respect of everyone on set. The shadow of the Allerge incident completely vanished, and doubts about Hugo replacing Tom as the lead were utterly shattered. No one questioned Hugo anymore. Through relentless effort, Hugo had earned the respect he deserved!
In fact, the applause only lasted less than ten seconds. After all, this wasn't a public performance. The crew just wanted to express admiration and appreciation through applause. It quickly quieted down and faded away. But Hugo could clearly feel that the eyes cast upon him were subtly warming at this moment, Hugo's heart was filled with uncontrollable excitement.
Not only because he earned the crew's respect, but also because he had reached this point through his own effort. It proved that Hugo's path was right and his understanding of acting was correct! Most importantly, ever since Scent of a Woman, Hugo had been searching for an epiphany in acting and today, he finally had a breakthrough.
In his mind, the vivid feelings of portraying Daniel were still reverberating, repeating over and over. He had to engrave this feeling like opening up his meridians deeply into his memory. Perhaps he hadn't yet mastered it, just found the first key to the door. But Hugo believed that as long as he persisted, he had the ability to become a top-tier actor like Jack Nicholson, like Al Pacino!
"Hugo, that was an excellent performance just now." Rob came over and once again offered verbal praise, making Hugo feel a bit embarrassed. Applause and cheers it was almost too much for him. "Still need to keep working hard!" Hugo said modestly.
Rob chuckled and nodded, "Yes, go with the same feeling as before, and let's finish shooting this scene." Then, Rob started explaining the next part they were about to film.
Filming a scene is not that simple. Unless the director chooses to record everything faithfully with a long take, a scene needs to be shot from different angles and perspectives. Then, based on the director's vision, these shots are edited together to create the image he has in his mind.
Simply put, even a simple action like walking through a door can be filmed in many ways. Sometimes with a wide shot to show the person walking in, sometimes with a close-up of the doorknob to capture the key slowly turning, sometimes with a shot through the door crack showing shadows cast by the light to create atmosphere, sometimes following the footsteps as the door is opened, or even contrasting the reactions inside and outside the door through a series of split shots… So, the director has a decisive influence on the final effect of a movie.
The script is certainly important, but different directors will interpret the same script in vastly different ways, and the final presentation naturally varies. This is the charm of cinema.
After getting back into the shoot, Hugo was indeed fully immersed in the role. He carefully studied every facet of Daniel's character and then presented them in meticulous detail during the shoot. Several close-up shots made Rob click his tongue in satisfaction. It was clear that ever since deciding to cast Hugo as the male lead, this had been Rob's most relaxed moment—because he also saw the great potential for the film's success.
Shooting "A Few Good Men" was an enjoyable process for Hugo. He enjoyed every moment acting opposite Jack, enjoyed the feeling of flowing freely after breaking through in his acting, and even more so enjoyed portraying Daniel's life in front of the camera with exhilaration.
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