The scene Daniel Day-Lewis needed to nail on the first take: “We’d have been absolutely shagged”
If you’re looking for the quintessential ‘actor’s actor’, one that all of their colleagues and peers look up to and aspire to be, then you’re probably looking for Daniel Day-Lewis.
The Englishman is intensely devoted to his craft, immersing himself deeply into every single part he’s ever played. His penchant for method acting might not be to everybody’s tastes, but you simply cannot argue with the results. You don’t win three ‘Best Actor’ Oscars without being very, very good at what you do.
Across his lengthy and gilded career, Day-Lewis has taken part in some truly extraordinary cinematic moments. His portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in Steven Spielberg’s biopic yielded many incredible speeches, as the thespian matched the great orator in terms of public speaking. While playing real-life disabled artist Christy Brown in My Left Foot, he delivers a tour de force in emotion upon discovering that his beloved is engaged to another man. Oh, and who could possibly forget the iconic delivery of “I drink your milkshake” in There Will Be Blood?
Another great scene to come from Paul Thomas Anderson’s oil-based drama is the destruction of the giant oil derrick that forms a key part of the narrative. Upon striking so-called ‘black gold’, Plainview’s rig catches fire and later explodes. It’s a stunning visual and a key element in the mogul’s downfall, but it turns out that the cast and crew were actually quite hesitant to film this pivotal moment.
“We knew that we’d feel the absence of that beautiful thing when it was gone, but more than that, it was a big risk,” Day-Lewis told Chicago Movie. “This was a big story to tell, the schedule was 60 days which is not nothing but it’s not a long shoot either to tell that story. So, it was relentless and there was so much to do every day”.
“There was no going back if we’d got the burning of the derrick wrong – we’d have been absolutely shagged.”
Daniel Day-Lewis
As well as praising production designer Jack Fisk for his work in bringing the rig to life, Day-Lewis also had kind words for special effects supervisor Steve Cremin. Described by the star as “strangely an ex-tennis pro,” Cremin is a long-tenured SFX and stunt man who has worked on a number of major projects, ranging from The Hunger Games to The Social Network.
In Day-Lewis’ own words, “He really just did everything right, thank God” on the explosion scene.
Considering how badly wrong this scene could have gone, it’s a minor miracle that they managed to pull it off so seamlessly and without anyone getting hurt. If only that were true of the entire production. Day-Lewis admitted he broke a rib during filming, after he fell over while shooting in a mine shaft. A crew member was on hand to offer him a banana at this crucial time.
As the injured star said at an event at Pinewood Studios, “I’m not quite sure what medicinal effect he expected that to have.”
The explosion scene in There Will Be Blood is a truly spectacular bit of ‘big’ cinema. Considering how much potential it had to become great, it’s no wonder everyone was so frightened to actually do it.
