After Jack Nicholson's little episode, the film crew's shooting got back on track.
Although Jack Nicholson was an old rogue, his acting was absolutely undeniable!
During the shoot, his scenes with Martin went the smoothest, and the two hardly ever had any NGs.
Leonardo, on the other hand, had some issues. Scorsese didn't like his repetitive little gestures and had to retake multiple times to correct them.
He was practically the NG king of the crew.
Even Matt Damon performed better than him!
Of course, the importance of the roles was also a factor.
...
On the side of the road stood an old phone booth.
Martin, looking a bit nervous, walked quickly inside. This scene was where Colin Sullivan and Frank Castello had a secret phone conversation. Martin portrayed the complicated emotion of Colin Sullivan, who wanted to escape but felt powerless, perfectly.
This monologue was performed so naturally by Martin, with full emotional tension.
Leonardo frowned as he watched.
Damn it, Martin is acting too well. If this goes on, am I going to be overshadowed as the real lead...
The next day.
Leonardo, looking furious, was swearing at people. His constant stream of "fucks" was like a machine gun, firing off rapidly.
Standing next to Scorsese, Martin asked in surprise, "This isn't the script I wrote, did this kid change the lines?!"
Scorsese replied, "Yes, but he did a good job. It was a smart choice, because his expressions and body language are weaker than yours and Jack's. So, Leo chose to express his emotions through the lines. Although there's more swearing than necessary, it works well here, doesn't it?"
When Leo finished his performance and didn't hear Scorsese shout "NG," he was immediately overjoyed.
He then proudly looked at Martin, raised his chin, and said, "Buddy, how's that modification?"
Martin didn't like others changing his script, but he had to admit, Leonardo's performance was indeed impressive.
"Damn it, you've stolen the 'most swearing' title in my film, but—very nice!!!"
"HAHAHA, I've found my groove! From now on, I'm the king of swearing in The Departed!!!" Leonardo laughed heartily.
...
After six weeks of shooting in Boston, the crew returned to New York to continue filming.
Yes, even though this film was set in Boston, most of the shots were filmed in New York.
This was because New York offered a 15% tax rebate, which was a substantial sum.
Martin had finally persuaded Scorsese!
When it came to persuasion, the succubus was definitely number one in the world!
"Cut! Little Martin, and Jack, you guys did great!"
Scorsese genuinely praised them loudly.
He then continued, "But I think you guys can do even better. Let's try it again, bring out all your emotions and states. I believe you can push even further from where we just were!"
It wasn't clear if the filming had been so smooth, or if the two lead actors (Martin and Leo) and one major supporting actor (Jack) had delivered such an impressive performance, but Scorsese's standards for the film kept rising as he sought perfection.
Scorsese felt this movie was coming together beautifully, reminding him of when he filmed Taxi Driver.
Returning to his strengths in "crime films" was clearly the right choice.
This also fueled Scorsese's growing expectations.
As he got older, he could clearly feel his inspiration dwindling, and his filmmaking methods becoming more formulaic.
This film seemed like a "final burst," and if it couldn't win the golden statue, he might never get another chance, and he would likely end his career with a "lifetime achievement award."
It was a final shot at glory!
So, his demands on the actors became even higher. Having found his groove, Leonardo began to NG again.
Unable to resist, he pulled Martin and Jack aside privately.
"How do we manage to handle our roles so naturally?" Martin said arrogantly, "Colin Sullivan is a simple character, just a two-faced man. You simulate two emotions and let them collide, and then Colin's struggles and wavering will naturally come through."
Leo stared at him, speechless. What was the difference between this answer and "it's just a gift"?
He then turned his hopeful gaze toward Jack.
Jack shrugged and said, "To be honest, Frank Castello is an easy character, there's no room for much performance, I just played it casually."
Damn it!
Leonardo cursed silently. Jack's answer was even worse than Martin's!
But Martin, ever so tactful, said, "Buddy, you've already performed great. Scorsese just wants to draw out your full potential, no need to undermine yourself."
"But why do you guys NG so little?"
"Well, that's because of talent!" Martin fell back into his usual routine.
Jack then spoke up, "Kid, don't compare yourself to us. There are some people in this world who don't need to try hard to surpass 99% of people — we call these people geniuses, like Martin, like me!"
This old bastard shamelessly categorized himself as a "genius."
Martin glanced at him without saying anything, but deep down, he had to admit, in terms of acting, Jack was indeed a genius.
Jack continued, "Leo, compared to other actors, your performance has been outstanding. When old Martin shot Mean Streets, Robert De Niro got far more scolding than you."
"Really? So, even though my talent doesn't match yours, I've surpassed Robert De Niro? Wow, I didn't expect that, I feel confident now! HAHAHA, I have more talent than Robert De Niro…"
Leo's spirits lifted again as he quickly walked toward Scorsese, "Director, I'm ready, let's do it again."
Scorsese glanced at Martin and Jack in confusion, wondering what kind of potion these two had given Leo.
But that was a good thing!
"Okay, let's do it again."
Jack, however, asked Martin with a confused expression, "Did I say his talent surpassed Robert De Niro?"
Martin replied, "Doesn't matter what you said, he understood it that way, and it worked well."
Jack dropped his confused look, stroked his chin, and said, "Well then, I guess I really do have a talent for persuasion!"