STUDIO MAGAZINE On the tracks of Scorsese Typed with love by Pat_ of Montreal! January, 2001:STUDIO MAGAZINE On the tracks of Scorsese Part 2 From an interview she gave to the Oggi magazine, I detected that she opens willingly about herself. I decided to get in touch with her. I managed to find her whereabouts. I phoned her and immediately reached her. She was not filming on that day, so she accepted to greet me. The taxi driver who took me to her place said she was quite a wealthy woman - moreover, she lives in an ultra protected area for millionaires only - and that in Italy, she was still very popular. He was very excited to escort me. Unfotunately for him, I had to leave in front of the gates where a young 25 year-old man was awaiting me: Allessandro Borghese, Barbara Bouchet’s oldest son. I went inside his red Ferrari and he drove me to their villa. In the living room meticulously decorated, she greeted me. In the backround we could hear an air of classical music. Charming and relaxed, Barbara Bouchet entered quite naturally into conversation. «When I learned that Scorsese was going to film here, I called the production and they told me to come for a testing as everyone else. I accepted straghtaway. After all, Brando has done one for THE GODFATHER! I went there without a trace of make-up and had asked my hairdresser to remove all light blonde color from my hair, so we all could see my roots. In other words, I really didn’t look glamorous. And I was chosen! The first day, when i went on the set, Mr Scorsese came to see me and told me: « Hi, Miss Bouchet, I just wanted to thank you for accepting to be in my film! » It was topsy-turvy! And then, he told me he had seen all my movies I did in America. » Barbara Bouchet highly praised the director’s work approach « He is a genius. He is so concentrated on his work, very prepared. Despite the tension that surrounds the movie set that is very heavy and complicated. I saw him coming near people to tell them jokes. Then, leaving laughing at his own stories. A very good way to break the ice. It has been said that Scorsese shouted at DiCaprio. It’s not true. What kind of actor’s director is he? Rather close or far to his actors? « Considering the complexity of the settings and the centrings, he is mostly behind his video monitor when we play the scene. Then, he reappears and says : « it was good, but now… I think…, finally… am sorry…, we will do it again. » And we redo it until he is completely satisfied. There are so many extras (I heard there are sometimes over 500) , so many details, that he doesn’t want to neglect. But you know, I don’t count the takes. I only know I must have gone up and down the very narrow stairs during the whole day of shooting with a very difficult dress to wear. By the way, the costumes are magnificient. Sandy Powell, the designer has already won an Oscar for her work in 'Shakespeare in Love'. There are a lot of people on the set. The closest person to the actors after Scorsese is certainly the dialect coach with whom we repeat our scenes to make sure the accents - Irish, German or Dutch - are not only good, but absolutely perfect. He is always there to rectify us.» Max, the actress’ youngest son who is about 10 years old irrupts in the room. He greets me in English… If the connection is easy between Barbara Bouchet and her screen daughter, Cameron Diaz, « a girl full of vitality, she is like sunshine », her contacts with Leonardo DiCaprio were more distant: «I have barely talked to him, he is rather calm and often recluse. I only asked him if he intended to do some tourism in Rome and he answered me : « I would like it ». The poor man, he can’t really go out because of the paparazzi. I don’t wish this kind of life to anyone. Since he doesn’t give interviews and the journalists are not allowed on the set, they make up stories that are all the more inacccurate… It was said for instance, that Scorsese shouted at him because of his lateness on the set (it was even said that he asked him to make excuses in front of everybody). This is completely untrue. » And the other actors, how are they? « There is Henry Thomas, the kid from E.T. He is another person now. There is also Daniel Day-Lewis who for the occasion, makes a return in front of the cameras after 4 years of absence. « He is so concentrated that he gives the impression he doesn’t get off his character. When I first came on the set, I didn’t recognize him. He has changed so much. » Daniel Day-Lewis who plays Bill the Butcher, a bloodthirsty WASP gangster took a couple of kilos, has grown a superb mustach and sideburns and went to train with a meat chopper at a butcher in the South of London. They also say that he asked a famous New York ophtalmologist to design him a contact lens on which is drawn the U.S symbol (an eagle and a red, white and blue banner). A very stylish glass eye! Just thinking about it gives me the chills », as I leave the blonde and elegant Barbara Bouchet. By chance, I meet someone who happens to have an access on the set! While I was in the city I took the opportunity to meet a Roman friend of mine. She invited me to join her for dinner with a couple of her friends. The conversation was about cinema. With an incredible coincidence, there was a man among the people who had access on the set of Gangs of New York! The chance smiles to the optimistics. Even if for not having to transgress Scorsese’ silence orders, - under the condition of course that I respect his anonymity, - he gave me very few informations. «The shooting is exhausting says my informant, because some days you can reach 16 hours of work. Recently they also shot during the nights. » Everything is going well? « Yes, except that the bad weather had caused delays in the planning. » I asked certain details about the atmosphere on the set. Silence. The man hesitated. « The violence contained in the movie worries Scorsese enormously. » Not surprising. In a interview given to the American TV, one year ago, the director himself had evoked that concern: «It’s a very difficult movie, because there is much violence. And how can we treat violence today in movies? Especially when someone like me who did Casino, where at the end, Joe Pesci and his brother are beaten to death by their best friends with baseball bats! When you have done this, it’s difficult to go any further. For Gangs of New York, I must be careful. I must find the way to convert the violence differently, without having to aseptisize it.» My speaker specified that « suddenly , Scorsese goes over his script daily, again and again. » One says that he is at his 18th version. In 1975, already, he had written a first scenario with Jay Cocks (with whom he wrote The Age of Innocence). In 1993, both of them had completely taken their work from the Herbert Asbury’s book. Then, Scorsese the perfectionnist has transmitted the flame to Steven Zaillian, The List of Schindler’s scriptwriter (and, recently Hannibal). But the story of New York gangsters, even if written by one of Hollywood’s favorite « pens », still remains tough and bloody. « Scorsese cares about it and at the same time he is ready to struggle against Miramax to establish his vision. But assassinations, obnoxious crimes, and orgies are all scenes that could decide Miramax to forbid the movie for people under the age of 17», said my observant. Part 3 Scorsese wanted to build a cathedral. During his stay in Rome, Tom Cruise encouraged him to do it. And the boss at Miramax, Harvey Weinstein keeps a watchfull eye too by coming frequently to Rome. Especially since the $100 million budget for Gangs of New York makes it the most expensive movie ever produced by the studio. This won’t keep Weinstein from playing the big chief, and according to the newspaper 'Variety', he won’t soon forget the visit of his friends Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman on stage no 5. He confided to the American paper: « Tom Cruise backed up Marty on the fact that we needed to build an extra set - a cathedral, and nothing less! I was opposed to it, hoping we could turn over an existing setting. Finally we have built one and it is called St-Thomas cathedral in honor of Cruise! » Or would it rather be St-Patrick’s replica, the first cathedral in New York built by Catholic emigrants and which has fascinated Scorsese for so long? From the cab that takes me back to my hotel, I can see dozens of spotlights over Cinecittà. The night team of Gangs of New York is at work. Artificial rain sprinkles the set. I can imagine Five Points main district lit up by gas lamps, gangsters on the alert, and « Satana’s Circus », the brothel that never empties… As expected, the first thing I do the following morning is to give a phone call to the communication manager at Cinecittà and meet him at his office. He is proud to have Scorsese and his team on the spot. He will not, of course, break the silence rules surrounding Gangs of New York, but tells me a few details about the opulent times of the most famous Italian studio. I store information for a prospective article on the fabulous story of that district of Rome. It was once so active and prestigious that it was called « Hollywood-on-Tiber ». Since Fellini’s death however, it has become the headquarters of telefilms and reality shows. As I leave his office located just at the studio entrance, I naturally decide to venture through the streets and buildings of Cinecittà. Studio 5 can easily be found since it is the most imposing. A strange mood surrounds the set. A few people give orders through their walky-talkies. There are many extras, men and women, wearing faded and thicky costumes, entering a building from which I can’t see anyone coming out. No one seems to pay the least attention to me, but I have the odd feeling that if I move any further, someone will suddenly stop me. |
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