As a film enthusiast who has been fortunate enough to live through various stages of cinema and its evolution, I must say that my heart swells with admiration when I come across stories like the making of ‘Old’. The pandemic has undeniably cast a long shadow over our lives, but it seems it also managed to bring out the best in us.
M. Night Shyamalan’s movie, “Old”, tells the tale of individuals finding themselves trapped in a location where time seems to distort around them, causing them to contemplate profound, philosophical questions about life and their own existence. Given that many actors were confined at home during the pandemic, it’s no surprise that the script provided an intriguing read for them.
As a gamer, I could relate deeply to Vicky Krieps’ feelings when she spoke about the film upon its release. Being confined for weeks on end during lockdown, just like being trapped in an apartment game level, was downright terrifying. But reading this script wasn’t just scary; it was also incredibly moving and gave me a glimmer of hope.
Eliza Scanlen, who plays Kara, one of the film’s rapidly aging children, agreed.
“It asks the question “If you had to live the rest of your life in one day, how would you spend it, and what is important in your life?’ And I guess that’s probably some of the questions that have been running through many people’s heads at this time,” Scanlen said. “I think that’s why I’m drawn to it.”
Prior to the pandemic, M. Night Shyamalan was already intrigued by the project. The movie “Old” represents an uncommon occasion where the director known for films like “The Sixth Sense”, “Unbreakable”, and “Signs”, among others, decided to bring someone else’s work to life, in this case, the graphic novel “Sandcastle” by Pierre Oscar Lévy and Frederik Peeters. After receiving the book as a Father’s Day gift, Shyamalan immersed himself in its unique narrative realm, eventually shaping the story to suit his vision until it transformed into what he described as a “two-hour ‘Twilight Zone’ episode” during the film’s production process.
After finalizing the script, M. Night Shyamalan started gathering an international ensemble of talented actors, such as Krieps, Scanlen, Gael Garcia Bernal, Rufus Sewell, Thomasin McKenzie, Abbey Lee, and Alex Wolff. However, the challenging part followed: leaving his home state, Pennsylvania, to shoot the entire film on location in the Dominican Republic during a global pandemic, and dealing with a beach environment that wasn’t always compliant.
Scanlen stated that the shoot was difficult due to the environment we were working in, as it was toward the end of hurricane season. This meant our set faced constant threats from currents, tides, heavy rain, and scorching heat over 30 degrees Celsius. Moreover, every scene required high tension which made maintaining that intensity throughout the film quite demanding, especially given the challenging conditions. Therefore, I believe these factors significantly impacted my experience and increased the overall difficulty of the project.
The Mysteries of Old
In the cryptic previews of the movie, it’s revealed that the central setting is none other than the enigmatic beach in “Old.” This story follows a family of tourists who are lured to this secluded stretch of sand by staff from a picturesque resort. However, upon arrival, they discover that not only are they stranded, but also that they’re rapidly aging, with each hour equivalent to several years. The couple, Prisca and Guy (played by Bernal), witness their children Trent (Wolff) and Maddox (McKenzie) grow up at an alarming pace, dealing with the emotional tumult that comes with it. Meanwhile, they all grapple with unraveling the mystery of the beach and finding a means of escape.
In Shyamalan’s perspective, this required assembling a group of youthful actors to portray the swiftly maturing children. Consequently, for the cast, it implied accelerating their growth process dramatically.
According to Wolff, the night has an extraordinary ability to organize us in a sequential manner based on our abilities, without forcing us to bond or mimic each other’s behavior. It wasn’t a priority for him. Instead, he chose people who complemented one another well, and I found the casting to be impressively done. [Nolan Rivers, who portrays younger Trent] bears a striking resemblance to me.
More on Shyamalan:
1. Originally, the character portrayed by James McAvoy in Split was intended to be the villain from Unbreakable.
In his preparation to portray an aging character, Wolff delved into studies by child psychologists Bruno Bettelheim and Jean Piaget. He also mapped out the emotional age of his character for different scenes. However, when it came time to film, much of this planning was thrown aside.
In simpler terms, Wolff stated that after reading a Bruno Bettelheim book about fairy tales, he realized he had absorbed much from it. However, on the first day, he emphasized the importance of letting go of all that accumulated knowledge and starting fresh. He suggested imagining oneself in a new setting, such as a beach with characters like Thomasin, Vicky, and Night, while leaving behind everything learned before. This process is for inheriting, swallowing, and digesting the information, but not for continuing to consume it once the production begins on day one.
As a gamer, I found myself drawn to Scanlen’s character in an eerie and profound way. The trailers hinted at her pregnancy unfolding in an instant within the film, which stirred a primal fear of sorts – a fear that echoed my own existential dread. This dread stemmed from the thought-provoking question: Could I have gone through my childhood without truly living or experiencing any pivotal moments?
She shared, “At that moment, I was reflecting on my life and realizing how numerous events have molded me into who I am today. The idea of missing out on those character-building experiences seems unbearably tragic to me.” She further explained, “I believe these experiences, whether they bring pain or joy, are what truly give meaning to our lives. In essence, they’re the reason we live, so their absence would be profoundly sad.”
The Pandemic’s Impact on Old
Dissecting the challenging predicaments that the characters in the movie “Old” encounter on the haunting beach might reveal too much about M. Night Shyamalan’s plot, but the haunting queries the film poses continue to resonate with its stars long after production wrapped up. Due to pandemic-related constraints, the cast and crew essentially lived together during filming, resulting in intriguing discussions off set.
Krieps reminisced that during that time, there was a profound sense of awareness and introspection among us all. We were discussing life, its purpose, and our identities in this world. Given the circumstances – filming during lockdown on an isolated island, uncertain about the future, separated from my children for nearly two months, and immersed in a movie that explored themes of life, death, and human existence – it was quite an introspective period.
“Wolff mentioned about his fellow actors, ‘It feels strange to attend this press event without them as this film was… we were like one entity. Each of us played a crucial role. It’s difficult to discuss it separately, it feels more like we are a family. I felt that we truly became a family because we had to. And so, people grew tired of me. I was the energetic, troublesome youngster and we’d have fun and go swimming. They practically took on parental roles for me during the film, while Thomasin felt like my sister. Consequently, we didn’t spend much time isolating in our trailers; instead, we spent most of it together in a tent.'”
The movie “Old” showcases M. Night Shyamalan’s skill in crafting intricate plots and maintaining controlled chaos within each scene, as characters portray genuine reactions to a baffling, uncontrollable situation. This is all staged, but for the cast, it was a reality. Filming took place over two months in autumn 2020, during a time when filmmaking was largely impossible due to the virus, and they had to contend with harsh weather conditions while conveying a mix of intense emotions on camera. This unique experience, they believe, will be evident in the final product on the big screen.
“When I had the script, I recall a moment where Prisca says, ‘I see life now in broader strokes.’ It struck me in a way I couldn’t comprehend. Following a prolonged stay in Europe during summer, with COVID easing somewhat, we were able to venture out. This period was particularly intense for me as I struggled with depression during the lockdown. However, I found solace by the ocean – I remember my first swim there. It revitalized me. I kept Prisca’s phrase in mind throughout this time, and it provided me comfort.”
Upon arriving at the film set, I found myself already grappling with this phrase. I had already undergone a transformation. During the filming process, I transformed even more through conversations with Gael about life and death, as well as interactions with other cast members. By the time the movie was completed, I felt like a completely different person. I truly felt reborn. Additionally, I felt as though I had endured the making of this film. Although we were not in actual danger, it was an incredibly intense experience on both a personal and psychological level. Not only did I survive it, but I gave it my all. I truly believe I grew from the experience.
Read More
- BODEN PREDICTION. BODEN cryptocurrency
- GHST PREDICTION. GHST cryptocurrency
- BETA PREDICTION. BETA cryptocurrency
- STRD PREDICTION. STRD cryptocurrency
- Mango Markets Exploiter Found Guilty Of Fraud And Manipulation
- GBP EUR PREDICTION
- MATIC PREDICTION. MATIC cryptocurrency
- LOOKS PREDICTION. LOOKS cryptocurrency
- BRN/USD
- TNSR PREDICTION. TNSR cryptocurrency
2024-08-26 18:02