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"Very good, this take is done!"
This scene, where Rose argues with her fiancé, was only repeated three times before Dunn Walker waved his hand, saying, "Take a 15-minute break, and prepare for the next shot!"
"Stop!"
However, as soon as Dunn Walker finished speaking, Cameron's furious voice followed, "Dunn Walker, what are you doing? Do you even know how to direct? That last take didn't meet the requirements—reshoot it!"
The atmosphere on set plunged into cold awkwardness once again.
Dunn Walker was furious. This wasn't the first time Cameron had interfered with his directing. Repeatedly meddling—who exactly was the director here, Cameron or him?
From Dunn Walker's perspective, he was well aware that Kate Winslet's expression in the last take was a bit stiff and her lines slightly tense. With her skills, she could have done better.
But was it necessary?
This wasn't a European art film; "Titanic" was fundamentally a Hollywood blockbuster, and its real selling points were the majestic ship and the heart-wrenching romance.
No one would care about a short scene that lasts only a few seconds!
Moreover, the crew was facing financial constraints, and Dunn Walker had promised the higher-ups at Fox Studios to make the summer release deadline. They simply couldn't afford to waste time and money on such trivial details.
Dunn Walker had inherited Cameron's professional abilities, but not his obsessive and stubborn personality. He replied bluntly, "Enough! James, this isn't your job!"
Cameron was relentless, glaring and shouting angrily, "You knew Kate's performance wasn't good enough, so why didn't you stop her? You'll ruin the whole movie!"
Kate Winslet, feeling a bit guilty, nervously whispered, "Mr. Director, should I... try again?"
Dunn Walker snapped, "Are you challenging me?"
Kate Winslet was only twenty-one years old, and she turned pale with fear, her body trembling slightly.
"I'll say it again: this take is done. Now go take a break!" Dunn Walker pointed to the rest area and coldly addressed Cameron, "Mr. Cameron, 'Titanic' isn't just your passion; it's everyone's hope! I don't need you to micromanage. Now, please step aside!"
The actors, including Kate Winslet and Billy Zane, were powerless in the face of such a confrontation between two titans. They didn't know whether to leave or stay, caught in a difficult situation.
Jon Landau, timely as ever, stepped forward, frowning. "Young Dunn Walker, you're still young and might not fully understand directing. It's beneficial to listen to advice from experienced people, to be humble and seek guidance—it'll help you in the long run!"
Well, this was clearly an attempt to pull rank and impose some moral obligation.
But Dunn Walker wasn't having any of it!
"And who the hell do you think you are? A lackey daring to boss me around? Who do you think you are? Get lost!"
Dunn Walker's string of expletives shocked everyone present, leaving them stunned.
Wasn't this a bit too aggressive?
Even more so than Cameron!
Cameron might yell at the actors a bit, but Jon Landau was one of the main producers!
This young director clearly wasn't as mild-mannered as he appeared; his temper was just as fiery as James Cameron's!
Jon Landau was dumbfounded, stuttering as he stepped back, pointing at Dunn Walker. "You... you... what did you say?"
"I said, get lost!"
Dunn Walker, furious beyond measure, had had enough of Cameron's constant interference and Jon Landau's scheming.
At this point, Grant Hill, the representative from Fox Studios, walked over with a frown. Cameron was the lead producer, so he couldn't be too harsh on him, but Jon Landau was a different story. "Jon, what are you trying to do? Dunn Walker is the director approved by the board. Are you questioning the board's decision?"
Jon Landau's face darkened, and after taking a deep breath, he lowered his stance, saying calmly, "No, I was just offering Director Walker some small suggestions. If I've offended him in any way, I hope Director Walker will forgive me."
This guy was quick on his feet, immediately deciding to sacrifice himself to protect Cameron. This way, he preserved Cameron's authority, earned his gratitude, and gave the impression that he was putting the bigger picture first.
Grant Hill nodded. Although he was only the third producer, he was the official representative of Fox Studios, and with Cameron having lost Bill Mechanic's favor, Grant's power in the crew had significantly increased.
"Alright, Director Walker said this take is done. Everyone, go take a break!"
Grant didn't want to directly embarrass Cameron, so he directed his words at the actors who were still standing awkwardly.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The intense argument had suddenly ended, but everyone knew that Director Walker had won again.
Kate Winslet looked back at Dunn Walker with a complex expression, feeling bitter inside. If even a director as powerful as Cameron had to back down in the face of Dunn Walker Walker's anger, how could she, just an actress, defy his authority?
She regretted her earlier actions!
…
Back in the lounge, Dunn Walker angrily waved his hand. "Cameron has gone too far!"
Grant Hill sighed with a wry smile. "James can be a bit rough, but he's a good person. He just wants the movie to be the best it can be."
"Hmph!"
Dunn Walker knew that Cameron wasn't targeting him personally; it was just a difference in opinions on how the movie should be filmed. Otherwise, he would have lashed out with harsher words long ago.
But Jon Landau…
"Grant, fire Jon Landau. He's seriously affecting our shooting schedule!"
"What?"
Grant Hill was taken aback. This Dunn Walker Walker was really narrow-minded! It was just an argument, and Jon had even apologized.
"It's not that easy. He's the second producer. We can't just fire someone important without a valid reason. He's contributed a lot during the film's pre-production."
Grant shook his head, clearly not agreeing with Dunn Walker's suggestion.
"A reason…"
Dunn Walker narrowed his eyes in thought, then called in his current assistant, George. "How's that thing I asked you to look into?"
George patted his chest confidently, "I found out. It's jealousy. Three of the set assistants teamed up to frame you."
Dunn Walker was dissatisfied. "That's it?"
"Uh…"
George was stunned, unsure of what else to say. That was the truth.
Dunn Walker said sternly, "I suspect that Jon Landau is behind this. Go investigate further!"
"What?"
George realized what Dunn Walker meant—he wanted to frame Jon Landau!
Grant Hill was also shocked. This Dunn Walker wasn't going to give up until he got what he wanted! He quickly intervened, looking at Dunn Walker with a sigh and a bitter smile. "You're relentless! Fine, since the Los Angeles scenes are almost done, the crew will be moving to Mexico to shoot the ship scenes. I'll send Jon to New York for the set design."
Dunn Walker finally smiled. "That's better."
…
Having witnessed Dunn Walker's dominance, Kate Winslet was anxiously talking on the phone with her agent.
"What should I do now? He turns into a devil when he's angry!" Kate's voice was trembling.
"Calm down, Kate, calm down!" Her agent reassured her, "Since he's the director, he'll be responsible for the whole movie. You're the leading actress; he won't make things too difficult for you."
"But…" Kate hesitated, feeling even more uneasy. "But in that last scene, I felt my performance wasn't good enough, but he just let it pass. Is he trying to make me look bad on purpose?"
"This happened?"
The agent on the other end of the phone sounded a bit surprised, "This is an investment of nearly 200 million dollars. Does he really dare to joke about something like this?"
Kate smiled bitterly, "Robert, you don't know. He just had a huge fight with Cameron and even gave Jon Landau a serious scolding... and it was really harsh!"
"This..." The agent was silent for a moment before speaking seriously, "Kate, no matter what, you must find a way to smooth things over with him. This could potentially affect your future career in the film industry."
"I just don't know how to smooth things over with him, which is why I'm asking you..."
"You're a girl, a very beautiful girl!" The agent emphasized.
Kate fell silent.
She certainly understood the meaning behind the agent's words, something all too common in Hollywood.
"But... I'm already engaged."
"That British director? Forget it! This is Hollywood, and Hollywood has its own rules! Kate, you have to understand that this movie is very important for you, far more important than that British director!"
The agent prioritized profits over principles. In fact, this was a common practice in Hollywood.
But Kate was British.
The British are more conservative than Americans—about marriage, emotions, friendships, and culture...
"But..."
"Kate, if you want to have a bigger career in Hollywood, you have to integrate into Hollywood. It's not just you, even Princess Kelly and Marilyn Monroe had to go through this."
Kate Winslet sighed, nodding blankly, "Alright, I'll think about it."
The agent spoke in a deep voice, "Kate, you're about to go to Mexico City soon. That's the key location for the entire movie. You must solve this problem as quickly as possible!"
Kate calmed down, "I understand."