Paris, France.
This romantic city had not yet been occupied by black people at this time, nor were there any protests demanding that the French leave Paris.
The Bir-Hakeim Bridge, one of Paris's two elevated bridges, connects the 15th and 16th arrondissements.
Based on its construction date, this year marks the bridge's 99th birthday, though it has undergone multiple repairs, renovations, and reinforcements.
It is one of Paris's tourist attractions; boats can pass under its arches, and the metro can run above it, but the best way to experience it is by walking across its middle.
"Last Tango in Paris" was filmed here, and today, it is also a filming location for "Inception."
MGM had secured a contract with the Paris Municipal Government three months in advance. Generally, countries and cities welcome well-funded, renowned film crews for location shooting.
Once a film is released, it can significantly boost local tourism and generate rental fees, making it a highly profitable venture.
For example, Zhangjiajie, a filming location for "Avatar," still carries that branding years later.
"Inception" perfectly met the standards of a large-scale production, featuring major stars and a big crew.
So, when they arrived in Paris, the local government was very cooperative, giving them the green light, and the police department specifically dispatched five police cars to cordon off and patrol the area.
Makeup artists applied makeup to the actors, stylists coordinated their looks, and Eric patrolled the entire set.
As the assistant director, Neill Blomkamp was very excited, running around much more actively than Eric.
If he successfully completed this film and performed well, he would be able to direct independently. He had already read the script for "chronicle."
Although it didn't seem to involve many large-scale scenes and differed somewhat from what he imagined a sci-fi film to be, its strength lay in its compelling story and excellent portrayal of conflict, which he really liked.
After adjusting the camera position and giving a few instructions to the cinematographer, Eric looked at Neill.
"You're too excited, young man. Reign it in a bit. Too much of a good thing, you know?"
"Okay, Director, I'll go get some water."
"Hmm, you've worked on three films with me. Those who stay by my side always progress the fastest. I think you've accumulated enough experience. Don't be nervous."
Neill rubbed his nose, "It's just my first time. I'll adjust my state immediately."
At 9:30 AM, all preparations were complete. Although the March weather had left the depths of winter, it was still breezy.
However, this was actually a good thing because thicker clothing allowed stylists more room for coordination. For instance, the effect presented before Eric now was excellent.
Christian Bale wore a casual suit and leather shoes, a relaxed everyday look, different from the stiff, upright style of batman.
Charlize Theron wore an off-white wool coat, with her curly hair draped over her shoulders. Her bangs shifted with the wind, alternately obscuring and revealing her eyes, giving her a mysterious and dangerous aura.
Nicole Kidman's styling was somewhat in contrast to Theron's. She also wore a wool coat, but hers was red.
The two goddesses were almost the same height, around 180cm, and their styling perfectly showcased their outstanding figures.
In contrast, Christian Bale, whose height is 183cm, didn't actually look much different. To appear taller, he needed to use elevator shoes and camera techniques.
The scene to be filmed revolved around these three.
After Cobb accepted Saito's mission, he decided to assemble a team. Due to Mal's presence, he could not take on the role of the Architect and had to seek help in Paris.
An old acquaintance recommended a powerful Architect to him—Ariadne, played by Nicole Kidman.
But to be safe, Cobb needed to test her abilities first. He wanted to know just how powerful this so-called powerful Architect truly was.
Ariadne was no longer the naive student played by Ellen Page in the original. She appeared as a top-tier expert, no weaker than Cobb, with an arrogant personality, naturally unwilling to submit to Cobb.
So, through their old acquaintance's mediation, the two began a contest. If Cobb could win, Ariadne would help him.
This contest used Arthur, played by Heath Ledger, as the Dreamer. Both simultaneously entered Arthur's dream as Architects to compete.
The scenes taking place on the Bir-Hakeim Bridge were one of the locations for their confrontation.
The most spectacular famous scene in the original came from here; the folding city shocked countless audiences at the time.
Although Eric had been working in the industry for several years and had some experience,
when he first watched this scene in the cinema, he was as thrilled and amazed as any ordinary audience member.
Later, when "Doctor Strange" was released, the battles between the sorcerers also used the folding city concept to display magnificent imagination, drawing inspiration from "Inception." Many people immediately felt a sense of familiarity when they watched it.
Eric planned to film this dream duel in a similar combat style to "Doctor Strange," upgrading it.
Dreams, after all, are inherently unrestrained. Theoretically, they are even more limitless and free than magic.
Moreover, the two were in Arthur's dream, not on an important mission. So, the duel between two powerful Architects should be dazzling and colorful, aiming to give this generation of viewers an early shock (shock).
"Director, wouldn't this scene be better with special effects?" Neill asked, pointing at the storyboard.
"Yes, first, we'll film the scenes that can be shot practically, then add special effects in the studio later."
"What about this scene then? Arthur's rotating combat with the enemies? Would special effects be easier to achieve?"
Eric made a final adjustment to the lens, ensuring it was correct.
"Neill, I know using special effects would be easier, but practical shooting has a more compelling reason than special effects."
"What?"
"It saves money!"
"Uh, I understand!"
Eric patted his shoulder, "When you truly become a director and a producer, you'll consider these things. Make the actors work a bit harder but save tens of millions of dollars, or make the actors more comfortable but spend a lot more money. How do you choose?"
"I choose to save money," Neill said without hesitation.
Although he didn't know the exact cost of "Inception," he could foresee that it would definitely be higher than "transformers."
When filming "transformers," MGM belonged to Eric himself, and he didn't take a single penny throughout the production.
Now that the company has relisted, it must clearly separate business from personal matters. Holding the three most important responsibilities of producer, screenwriter, and director, his remuneration will definitely not be less than 20 million US dollars, possibly with a share of the box office.
The actors' side was even more exaggerated. Chris Evans, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds' salaries were paltry back then. The entire cast combined could be dismissed with 2 million US dollars.
What about "Inception"?
Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman both commanded 10 million US dollars in salary, the standard for an Oscar Winner.
Christian Bale, though not an Oscar Winner, has undeniable acting skills and has received nominations for numerous international awards, with a base salary of 5 million US dollars.
Heath Ledger, as a rapidly rising Australian star in recent years, has considerable appeal among young people and has won several film festival awards, with a market rate salary of 4 million US dollars.
While the salaries of actors like Tom Hardy, Morris Chestnut, and Daniel Brühl were not high, they still amounted to several million US dollars in total.
Just for salaries, "Inception" would exceed 30 million US dollars, dozens of times that of "transformers."
This filming also lacked military support, meaning no free use of soldiers, and involved shooting in several countries, with various labor costs adding up to over ten million US dollars.
In addition, there were expenses for music, theme songs, mixing, editing, and other items.
After accounting for everything, and then adding the huge cost of special effects, if he were to spend over 100 million on special effects again like "transformers," Eric wouldn't be able to afford it.
Because MGM had too many projects this year, even though it made a lot of money last year, they couldn't spend lavishly; they still had to be frugal.
Furthermore, the props department employed hundreds of people, including many experienced veteran prop masters, with overall capabilities that were Hollywood's best, or more accurately, the world's best. It would be a waste not to use them.
"Inception, Scene 35, Take 1, action!"
As Eric gave the command, four cameras rapidly operated, capturing the scene from various angles.
From the front, Christian Bale jogged to the bridgehead, his face showing vigilance and caution, while he looked left and right and slowed his pace.
As Christian Bale advanced, the cameraman, carrying the camera, retreated step by step. Eric and Neill stood behind the cameraman, watching the recorded footage.
Out of frame, the sound engineer held up equipment, suspending the microphone above Christian Bale's head to capture his dialogue.
Upon reaching the first step, Christian Bale's raised foot paused in mid-air, then returned to its original position.
The scrutinizing look on his face intensified, as if intuition told him that this must be Ariadne's hiding place, and he was about to find her.
Behind the camera, Eric nodded. Good actors would interpret their roles themselves and add various details to enrich the character's personality and make them more realistic.
Eric's storyboard script was already very detailed, but it couldn't cover everything.
It could only be said that following his script would not lead to errors and could capture some of the essence.
However, many flashes of inspiration for famous scenes and lines still relied on on-the-spot improvisation. Christian Bale had clearly done his homework, adding more details to Cobb.
"You have excellent intuition. You are an excellent Architect. Why do you still need to find another Architect?"
Off-camera, Nicole Kidman's voice rang out, heard but not seen, though she was actually standing right next to Christian Bale.
Hearing the voice, Christian Bale began to feign searching, becoming even more cautious.
To pretend not to see someone right in front of you looks comical, but that's how movies are made.
This scene, when it reaches the big screen, will transform into an effect similar to 'thousand-mile sound transmission' in wuxia films: 'Though I am not here, my traces are all around.'
"Ariadne, you are indeed here. I'm going to catch you," Christian Bale said, looking around.
"No, I can leave anytime, but the game wouldn't be fun that way. Cobb, you haven't answered the question. Why do you need two Architects?"
"Cut! That's a take!"
After Eric spoke, Nicole Kidman left her spot and walked onto the bridge walkway to stand. The crew members repositioned themselves.
"Inception, Scene 35, Take 2, action!"
Christian Bale suddenly turned around, only to see Nicole Kidman standing not far away, as if appearing out of thin air.
He stepped onto the stairs with a grave expression, and the distance between them gradually closed.
They exchanged no words, both remaining silent.
A gust of wind blew across the river, stirring Nicole Kidman's hair.
Eric snapped his fingers, a signal to them that would be removed in post-production.
Hearing the snap, both of them moved their arms simultaneously, their eyes fixed on each other with sharp intensity, as if casting a spell.
Then Nicole Kidman leaned sideways against a bridge pillar, while Christian Bale retreated several steps, as if suddenly losing his balance and stumbling.
"OMG! If I had to do that, I'd be so embarrassed I'd want to crawl into the ground."
"It does look very funny, even funnier than before. If this part were released, people would definitely think two lunatics were having an episode."
"Hehehe, I just wonder what it will look like with special effects?"
"What if it's really cool? It feels like an anime."
"Mr. Ken Watanabe, I didn't realize you were so childlike."
Watching Nicole Kidman and Christian Bale's comical actions, Charlize Theron, Heath Ledger, Ken Watanabe, and others stood nearby, laughing and whispering.
"Cut! Let's do it again! Christian Bale, your movements are a bit stiff. Relax them."
Christian Bale nodded, "It's a bit inconvenient to move in a suit, Director. I'll take off my jacket; it should be much better."
"Okay, let's see the effect."
Saying this, he walked over to Nicole Kidman. During the previous take, he noticed her movements weren't beautiful enough to convey the image he had in his mind.
The action director also hurried over. The three discussed for a while and redesigned some movements.
The stunt double also followed along, cramming at the last minute. If Nicole Kidman couldn't perform well, the stunt double would step in when necessary.
Sometimes, using a stunt double doesn't mean the actor is unprofessional. When an actor genuinely cannot perform a certain action, to ensure visual appeal and avoid wasting too much filming time, using a stunt double is perfectly acceptable.
Of course, extensive use of stunt doubles is definitely unprofessional, especially for dramatic scenes.
Damn it, if they can't even move their hands, can't they at least move their mouths?
About ten minutes later, filming resumed. The two performed several more rounds of comical action scenes before Eric finally called, "Cut!"
"Inception, Scene 35, Take 3, action!"
Their contest ended in a draw.
The scene shifted. Nicole Kidman stood on a higher vantage point, looking at Christian Bale a few meters away.
"Cobb, I admit your abilities are outstanding, but that only makes me more curious: why do you need two Architects?"
Christian Bale blinked a few times. For the sake of the mission, he pondered for a few seconds, then seemed to decide to tell her. He took a deep breath, about to speak.
Boom!
Suddenly, an engine roared.
A Hummer suddenly sped toward Christian Bale, going very fast.
Through the windshield in the shot, it was visible that Charlize Theron was driving.
"Cut! That's a take! Change drivers!"
At Eric's command, Charlize Theron got out of the car, and a professional stunt driver took the wheel.
"Christian Bale, let's just use a stunt double," Neill Blomkamp advised.
Christian Bale, however, insisted, "I can do it. Don't worry, nothing will go wrong, and isn't there insurance?"
"Don't mention insurance; the more you mention it, the more likely accidents are to happen!"
This scene involved Mal suddenly appearing and hitting Cobb with the car. Even with a professional stunt driver, it's better to be safe than sorry, so Eric planned to use a stunt double.
But Christian Bale was very insistent on doing it himself. Eric couldn't argue with him and decided to give him one chance.
But only one chance. If it wasn't successful, he would have to be replaced immediately.
"Inception, Scene 35, Take 4, action!"
Boom!
The Hummer sped towards Christian Bale. Hearing the sound, he sharply turned to look.
Whoosh!
Just then, the harness attached to him was immediately pulled, and Christian Bale was sent flying backward, landing precisely on the predetermined spot, which had been padded with thick foam boards.
Seeing that no accident occurred, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Cut! Excellent!"
Eric walked over and helped Christian Bale up, "How are you? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"
Christian Bale smiled, "I'm great."
Eric laughed heartily, looking at everyone and saying, "See? Such an excellent actor. I'm confident he will definitely win an Oscar."
Everyone applauded and gave thumbs up.
Afterward, Charlize Theron swapped with the stunt driver and got back into the car.
"Inception, Scene 35, Take 5, action!"
In the shot, Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron exchanged glances, their eyes revealing unspoken information.
"It seems this is why you need two Architects!"