novellhall Chapter 377 Clown Staircase, Soul Dance 1
Chapter 377 Clown Staircase, Soul Dance 1
Chapter 376 The Clown Staircase, A Dance of the Soul
The most crucial turning point in the entire film officially began filming in the second week of production.
The filming location was chosen to be the lower level of the abandoned Bedford Park Avenue subway station in New York.
This place has been abandoned for nearly thirty years.
The walls were mottled, the tracks were overgrown with weeds, and the air was filled with a damp, musty smell, perfectly matching the dilapidated and oppressive atmosphere of Gotham City in the 70s as depicted in the script.
The art team started the renovation work two weeks in advance.
The abandoned subway cars were renovated and aged, the platform walls were covered with graffiti in the style of the 70s, the dim light bulbs flickered, and even the seats and handrails in the cars were aged to match the era.
Stepping into this place feels like stepping into the chaotic and oppressive Gotham City.
Cinematographer Lawrence Sher used top-of-the-line equipment: an ARRIAleaLF camera paired with a Hasselblad lens, specially tuned to achieve the grainy texture of 16mm film, resulting in images with a grainy feel that perfectly recreates the retro and oppressive atmosphere of the 70s.
The entire film was shot handheld, with numerous close-up shots of Chen Xun's face, using Arthur's subjective perspective to take the audience into his world.
The film's overall color scheme is fixed at yellow-green and gray-brown, with cold, hard colors concealing the characters' morbid psychology and repressive living environment.
An hour before filming began, Chen Xun walked into the subway car alone, huddled in the corner, and didn't speak to anyone.
His face was painted with clown makeup, his red nose was crooked from being hit, there were bruises around his eyes, and his clown costume was covered in mud. He was huddled in the shadows, like a stray dog abandoned by the whole world.
Todd stood in front of the monitor and whispered into the walkie-talkie, "Attention all departments, keep quiet and do not disturb him."
He clearly understood that Chen Xun was now completely immersing himself in Arthur's body, preparing for this scene that would determine the soul of the character.
With all departments ready, Todd took a deep breath, picked up the walkie-talkie, and shouted, "All departments, take your positions! Joker subway shooting scene, take one, get set!"
"Action!"
The moment the clapperboard fell, the play began.
Inside a subway car, three drunk men from Wall Street were harassing a young girl.
The girl ran away in fright.
The drunkard, with nowhere else to vent his frustration, immediately turned his gaze to Arthur, who was huddled in the corner.
They surrounded him, snatched the broken clown nose from his hand, tossed it around mocking him, imitated his maniacal laughter, and kicked him to the ground.
Chen Xun's character, Arthur, is curled up on the cold floor, trembling from being kicked. He can no longer control the maniacal laughter in his throat, which spills out one after another, filled with extreme pain and despair.
The echoes reverberated in the enclosed carriage, sending chills down one's spine.
Enraged by his laughter, the drunkards surrounded him, punching and kicking him, and calling him a madman and a freak.
At this moment, the camera gives a close-up of Chen Xun's hand.
His hand, curled up on the ground, slowly reached into his pocket and grasped the revolver his colleague had given him.
The next second, gunshots suddenly rang out.
The first shot hit the nearest drunkard precisely in the chest.
The deafening gunshots echoed through the enclosed train carriage.
The whole world fell silent instantly.
The three drunkards were stunned, and even the staff behind the camera held their breath.
Chen Xun, who plays Arthur, slowly got up from the ground.
His face showed no sign of panic, only an unprecedented calm.
It was as if he himself hadn't pulled the trigger just now.
He looked at the two remaining panicked drunkards, his cowardice vanished without a trace, leaving only a numb coldness.
The second drunkard tried to run away, but he raised his hand and fired another shot, the bullet hitting the man precisely in the back.
The third drunkard was so frightened that he scrambled out of the carriage and fell onto the platform.
The camera switched to a handheld follow shot, closely following Chen Xun from behind.
The audience seemed to be following Arthur, watching him step out of the carriage, onto the cold platform floor, and walk toward the drunkard cowering in the corner begging for mercy.
His steps were slow, each step felt like it was stepping on the hearts of the audience.
The drunkard cried and begged for mercy.
Arthur simply watched him silently, then raised his hand and pulled the trigger.
boom!
The last shot fell.
The carriage was completely silent.
Arthur stood on the platform, took a couple of breaths, but showed no sign of panic.
He slowly walked to the mirror on the platform, looked at his disheveled makeup in the mirror, raised his hand to straighten his crooked bow tie and smooth the wrinkled collar of his clown costume, his movements calm and elegant.
It was as if the killing just now was merely a matter of tidying up one's clothes.
He looked at himself in the mirror, and a faint, ambiguous smile slowly crept onto his lips.
At that very moment, Arthur Fleck, the humble and cowardly man who only wanted to bring joy to the world, died completely!
The Joker was born in Gotham City.
"Cut!!!"
Todd excitedly yelled "Cut!", his voice trembling uncontrollably.
He stood up from in front of the monitor and clapped loudly.
The entire set erupted in thunderous applause that lasted for a full minute.
Lawrence Sher put down his camera and yelled at Todd, "Todd! That's absolutely the best shot I've ever shot in my life!"
"Chen's performance was simply divine!"
"We are making history!"
The art director, with tears in his eyes, said, "I watched him walk over step by step, and I got goosebumps. I really thought I was seeing the real Joker."
All the staff applauded Chen Xun vigorously, their eyes filled with shock and admiration.
This scene has no superfluous dialogue, yet it perfectly portrays Arthur's transformation from despair to liberation, from human to demon.
Even through the lens, it sends chills down your spine.
Amidst the applause, several attribute orbs fell from Chen Xun's body one after another:
[The transformative portrayal of the character from human to demon +40]
[Handheld camera subjective perspective performance fit +32]
[Micro-expression and body language control under extreme emotions +30]
[R-rated crime film character arc development ability +25]
[Ability to deeply explore the humanity of villainous characters adapted from comics +28]
"Absorb it all!"
His extensive acting experience was instantly integrated into his very being, and his understanding of method acting and his ability to empathize with the soul of his characters reached a whole new level.
Then, the text appeared:
The filming of the core plot twist scene in "Joker" has been completed, and the character portrayal has reached a hall-of-fame standard in film history.
[Reward Distribution: [Historical Record] Realm Progress +0.5%, Current Progress 61%]
The long staircase on Anderson Avenue in the Bronx was covered with withered sycamore leaves in the autumn wind of New York.
The filming location, which was later dubbed the "Clown Stairs" by movie fans worldwide, was sealed off by the production crew long ago.
The art team completed the scene setup a week in advance, clearing away the debris on the roadside, leaving only fallen leaves and mottled walls.
Cinematographer Lawrence Sher and his team set up six cameras to capture the long staircase in the shot from various angles, including overhead shots, tracking shots, and close-ups of faces.
This staircase dance is the soul of the entire film "Joker".
This is the pivotal moment when Arthur Fleck completely bids farewell to his past self and completes his transformation from a human to the Joker.
The script only stated "Arthur dances on the stairs," without any specific action design.
Todd Phillips specially invited top Hollywood choreographers and prepared three different dance plans. He even arranged a rehearsal with Chen Xun a week in advance, but Chen Xun politely declined with a smile.
No need to queue in advance!
Chen Xun was looking at the script at the time: "Arthur's dance was not rehearsed. It was an emotion that he had suppressed all his life, which was completely released at this moment. When he got to the set, he just danced it out when the feeling was right."
19
Upon hearing this, the entire crew held their breath.
The choreographer found it even more unbelievable.
This scene is the most important part of the whole film, a scene that will be recorded in film history, and it actually had to be improvised on the spot?
If the performance is a disaster, it will not only waste a lot of preparation time, but also ruin the most crucial arc of the character's transformation.
Only Todd Phillips had an almost blind trust in Chen Xun.
From a one-take shot in the subway shooting scene to textbook-level micro-expression performances in everyday breakdown scenes.
Chen Xun has proven his mastery of the role through countless perfect performances, which has long surpassed the level of script and acting skills.
He is Arthur Fleck himself.
On the day filming began, the weather in New York was exceptionally cooperative.
At ten o'clock in the morning, the sunlight slanted down onto the stairs, half falling on the steps and half hidden in the shadow of the building, much like Arthur's heart at that moment, half in light and half in darkness.
Chen Xun changed into that classic bright red suit, dyed his hair his signature green, and wore full clown makeup. The red smile lines at the corners of his mouth extended all the way to his cheeks, but the previous cowardice and brokenness were gone from his eyes, leaving only an almost manic calm.
He stood at the top of the stairs, eyes closed, listening to the drumbeats of "Rock & Roll Part 2" playing live.
Her body swayed gently to the rhythm, and she was completely immersed in Arthur's world, as if in a meditative state.
The surrounding staff held their breath, afraid to make a sound for fear of disturbing him. Todd stood in front of the monitor and whispered into the walkie-talkie, "All departments, take your positions. Silence."
"Joker staircase dance scene, take one, get ready!"
"Action!"
The moment the clapperboard fell, the drumbeats of the music suddenly exploded.
Chen Xun opened his eyes.
He didn't follow any of the choreographer's plans; instead, he took a small step down in time with the drumbeats.
The very first action made everyone in front of the monitor hold their breath.
His steps carried the lightness and grace characteristic of ballet. The moment his toes touched the ground, his body spun gently like a feather, his arms outstretched and gliding through the air, as elegant as a ballerina on stage.
But the next move, with a gentle sway of the waist and hips, carries the languidness and allure unique to striptease, seemingly casual yet possessing a fatal attraction.
His shoulders twitched occasionally, and his eyes flashed with a manic light.
He looked like a mental patient.
He perfectly blended three completely contradictory dance styles together without the slightest sense of incongruity.
His every step was precisely on the beat of the drum. He walked downhill, twirled, and leaped, the fallen leaves beneath his feet being lifted up by his movements and swirling in the air. The sunlight fell on his red suit, dazzlingly bright.
The first half of his movements still carried a hint of restraint and tentativeness, like Arthur, who spent his whole life trying to please the world but was always abandoned.
As the drumbeats grew stronger, his movements became more and more fluid, and all his grievances and despair were completely released in this dance.
The music reached its climax.
He stopped halfway down the stairs, faced the camera, slowly raised his hands, made a shooting gesture, pressed them against his temples, and a manic yet relieved smile appeared on his lips.
At that moment, Arthur Fleck, who only wanted to bring joy to the world, died completely at the top of the stairs.
Standing in the sunlight is Gotham City's crime prince.
The Joker forever!
>