The most terrifying scene of Denzel Washington’s career: “My faith was tested”
The understated machismo of Denzel Washington is a large part of his appeal. Of course, he is able to command the screen as few of his contemporaries can ever dream of doing. He embodies his characters without the need for enveloping himself in method acting and is generally considered one of the most esteemed performers of his generation, shielded by a tough exterior that provides a dark veil only broken by his glinting smile.
However, underneath it all, removing the bravado and the bravery, Washington is human like everybody else and during the filming of one scene in his 2006 movie DéJà Vu, the actor almost lost cool, even admitting “mu faith was tested”.
In Denzel Washington’s long and glittering career, DéJà Vu will likely not feature in many people’s Criterion Collection. The picture, directed by Tony Scott and starring Jim Caviezel, is a unique blend of action and science fiction that pitches Washington’s ATF agent, Doug Carlin, against Caviezel as the antagonist. Washington’s blend of brutish form and subtle humour carries a lot of the movie, and he was drawn to it for a variety of reasons.
Of course, the very notion of the sensation was a big pull: “I was swept up when I read DéJà Vu‘s uniquely time-shifting, backwards-moving structure and its provocative exploration of one of life’s most inexplicable experiences through the lens of a love story and a crime-solving thriller,” he told Emmanuel Levy. “I think we all have had the feeling that we have been somewhere before.”
“I was drawn not only to the thriller aspects of the story,” he continues, “But to a relationship unlike any other I had ever encountered, that between my character and Claire Kuchever (played by Paula Patton), who, in a bizarre twist typical of the film’s unexpected turns, appears to die before he gets to know her. I like that a big part of this movie is a love story in reverse.”
It remains a solid yet largely forgettable piece of cinema for an established performer like Washington and, it would have likely remained so if not for one scene which stoked a fear inside him that he was only just able to brush off. “I faced several moments of fear,” explained the usually nonchalant Washington.
The set for a particular scene was in a difficult-to-reach spot and posed significant risks. “There was this day when we were shooting under the Mississippi Bridge and just to get down to the set we had to climb over railings and shimmy on narrow planks while 350 feet in the air,” explained Washington. “I saw Tony Scott go over the side, but you know he has experience rock climbing. That is when ego comes into play.”
Naturally, with a command of himself as closely controlled as Washington seemingly possessed, he was able to overcome his fear and deliver the scene where it was required. However, he did confess: “My faith was tested, but it was cool, fun and exciting.”
