2018.02.07
Listen to advice from those around you and combine all your efforts
On the set of the movie, Ben never showed any pretense and honestly faced his own limitations and areas of ignorance. Regarding the intense action scenes he attempted in this film, he said, ``I've acted in action movies like this before, but I've never directed one.I was scared because I was so inexperienced, and it was a tremendous amount of pressure.'' ing. But fortunately, the people around him are professionals who know more about movies than Ben. Therefore, without hesitation, we sought their advice and sought the best direction. He never forgot to exchange words with everyone, foster friendships, and accurately convey his vision. As a result, everyone became ready to put all their efforts together for Ben's sake.
Of course, Ben in question moved around more energetically than anyone else on set. When he stands in front of the camera, he immerses himself in the story as the lead actor, and when directing, he cools down and looks at the situation objectively from the outside. At times, he continued to direct while wearing the skull mask he wore during filming. Ben Affleck was able to juggle these two roles, frequently treading the line, and achieving great results.
Local power brings reality that resembles a documentary
Continuing from ` `Gone Baby Gone ,'' Ben Affleck's most memorable feature is the cast of local people as extras. And it's not just one or two people. They exist in countless numbers and in every scene.
There are authentic local buildings and scenery, and the people who live there are also filled with a local reality. There is also a scene in which the camera is directed at a local ``meeting where people with addictions gather'' to hear the cries of people's hearts. It's also filled with locals, from people passing by unexpectedly to regulars at the bar. Furthermore, by casting local people in roles such as police officers in roles with lines of dialogue, they succeeded in adding more reality than would be possible if played by a professional actor.
By placing local people in the system, it is also possible to determine which area and class the person belongs to based on their language, clothing, and lifestyle. In this way, the relationships between people emerge from casual scenes in a three-dimensional way, and the town itself organically emerges as a full-blooded character. This is also a fearless directorial technique that only Ben Affleck could achieve.
Of course, ``The Town'' also boosted the local economy through filming. But more than that, I think Ben wanted them to develop a kind of "participant mentality." By doing so, this work will be shared with a sense of accomplishment as ``a movie that we were involved in,'' and ``a movie of our 'town,''' and its brilliance will increase. As Ben watched people from his hometown proudly point out scenes he appeared in and tell stories about filming, he must have realized the true significance of his work on this film. It's not hard to imagine that this movie would have become a kind of pride for the locals and a myth for the city.
Ben Affleck, who established this methodology with ``Gone Baby Gone'' and ``The Town,'' continues to pursue a realistic documentary touch in his next film `` Argo ,'' evolving to an even higher level. That's what I'm going to do.
Text: USHIZU ATSUNOBU
Born in Nagasaki in 1977. When he was 3 years old, he saw ``Superman II'' with his father and became fascinated with movies. After The Graduate from Meiji University, he worked for a movie broadcasting channel and then became a movie writer. Currently, in addition to writing for Eiga.com, EYESCREAM, Real Sound Movie Club, etc., he also contributes to media press and theater programs.
"The Town"
<Extended version> Blu-ray ¥2,381 + tax / DVD ¥1,429 + tax
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