The small soundstage was silent, the set arranged to resemble a hospital room. Margot Robbie, with her blonde hair disheveled, lay on the bed, half of her face obscured by her fallen locks. Her furrowed brow indicated that she was far from relaxed despite her appearance.
The door to the hospital room suddenly opened, and a tall nurse walked in, approached Robbie's bedside, and stared at her for a moment. Then, the nurse pulled down her face mask, revealing the eerie face of James Franco.
As if sensing his presence, Robbie awoke, her eyes filled with fury, as sharp as knives.
"Cut!"
Hearing Murphy call to halt, Robbie pushed her hair back and looked over at him, clearly realizing she had made a mistake.
"Margot," Murphy gestured for her to come over, "come here for a moment."
Robbie quickly jumped out of the bed, barefoot, and walked over to Murphy's director's chair.
"Sorry," she said, scratching her head, "I've messed up so many times."
This was one of the few long takes in the film, a crucial scene for Jay Rachel's character development. Murphy used long takes to build character depth. Despite outshining Henry Cavill earlier, Robbie struggled to match Franco's energy when he was at his best.
It seemed to affect Robbie's performance; the more she tried to deliver, the worse it got, especially her facial expressions, which looked forced on camera.
"You're trying too hard!"
Unlike previous times when Murphy let Robbie adjust herself, he directly pointed out the issue this time, seeing her efforts were in vain. "Anger is an emotion that comes from within. It's not just about widening your eyes."
Robbie's exaggerated expressions reminded Murphy of Leonardo DiCaprio, whose over-the-top expressions didn't always equate to good acting.
"I… am I?" Robbie seemed unsure after so many takes. "Did I make such a basic mistake?"
Murphy shook his head slightly, not answering her question directly. Instead, he told his assistant, "John, let the crew take a twenty-minute break."
"Margot," Murphy then addressed Robbie, "this long take is crucial for Jay Rachel's character shift. You need to understand Jay Rachel's psychology and background, not just make faces."
Seeing Robbie's confusion, Murphy decided to take this time to discuss the character in detail. He couldn't tell her exactly how to act, but he could help her understand Jay Rachel's subtle changes throughout "Dark City," which should help Robbie.
"Jay Rachel's transformation from New York's 'Knight of Light' to her dark side is painful but not accidental."
Murphy, who had thought deeply about this character, explained, "She vows to eradicate crime in New York but turns a blind eye to her congressman father's collaboration with Reina. Her 'zeal for justice' is only one side of her. The other side has always been there, always will be. The Magician's logic, 'when there's no choice, who wouldn't want to be righteous,' applies perfectly to her."
Listening to Murphy, Robbie recalled the script and her analysis of Jay Rachel's character.
The script depicted Jay Rachel as righteous and kind, but as Murphy said, she had another side. Jay Rachel wasn't pursuing "light" but realized she could gain influence by pursuing light.
Jay Rachel knew that her "zeal for justice" could earn her the support of New Yorkers and financial backing from Chris Dane—significant benefits.
This could have continued, but her beloved father's death upended her survival logic.
From this perspective, Jay Rachel and Chris Dane were fundamentally different. They only appeared similar on the surface but were fundamentally different in essence.
Inspired by Murphy's words, Robbie realized the difference: Chris Dane wasn't interested in influence. He sought justice and to protect New York, even if it meant people believed he had broken his code. He was willing to bear all that to bring light to New Yorkers. He wasn't a superficial hero but a real one.
"It's not the form that matters, it's the soul!" Murphy emphasized. "This is the common ground between the Magician and Chris Dane!"
Robbie nodded. "I understand now. It's the soul that matters!"
She smiled at Murphy and said, "I'll go to the dressing room to calm down for a bit."
Murphy waved her off. "Go ahead. I'll send someone to fetch you when it's time."
He took a sip from his water cup, using the break to gather his thoughts. It wasn't just the characters that needed soul, but the film as well!
Undoubtedly, the soul of "Dark City" wasn't Chris Dane, the protagonist, nor Jay Rachel, the female lead, nor the promoted Police Commissioner Lynch. It was James Franco's Magician!
There once were bandits who stole jewels only to discard them carelessly. They didn't care for the jewels; they did it simply because they found it amusing. They couldn't be bought, bullied, reasoned with, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.
The Magician was such a person. Stripping away everything else, the chaos he represented was the soul of "Dark City."
Every compelling movie has a soul!
In Murphy's decade-long Hollywood career, he encountered many self-recommended scripts, often lacking an emotional core, or "soul."
Murphy defined "soul" as the emotional impact a script has on the audience, touching their hearts. When writing a script, the core should be the theme or thought, not just the plot. This is the universal emotional experience that resonates with everyone. For example, losing a loved one—everyone in the world, from the largest cities to the smallest villages, understands the sorrow of losing someone they love. This is a universal emotion, a common human experience.
As humans, viewers experience the loss of loved ones in various forms, making it part of the collective consciousness. This universal emotional experience transcends cultural barriers, touching most people.
Studies show people consciously or unconsciously perceive things through watching movies. This is why TV shows and films endure—they can touch audiences.
People seek emotional experiences, whether joy, anger, sadness, or happiness…
Great screenwriters and directors know people often instinctively connect with emotions. This emotional impact from the story's theme makes the audience empathize. It's the emotional shock the story delivers to them through the experience of watching a film or TV show.
To find the center of your story, focus on shaping the main character. The story's center is usually the protagonist's growth or lack thereof.
Murphy defined growth as the internal changes a character undergoes during the narrative. It's the personal struggle the character faces, either overcoming or succumbing to it.
These can manifest in various forms, including emotional, intellectual, psychological, spiritual deficiencies, or internal wounds that need healing.
Think of the most impactful movies, the enduring ones, the films people revisit. They typically tell stories of humans overcoming or being defeated by their weaknesses. This is why classic characters are so captivating.
Their journey of struggle and eventual growth is what attracts and leaves a lasting impression on the audience.
Character growth can be a positive change like Chris Dane's, leading to an uplifting ending; or a negative transformation like Jay Rachel's, resulting in a tragic end.
Additionally, growth can be substantial or subtle. For example, Oskar Schindler's shift from a profit-driven war profiteer to someone risking his life to save thousands of Jews is a massive transformation.
Jay Rachel fits into this category.
Regardless of the scale of change, Murphy held onto a principle: character growth usually leads to the script's core. This well-known emotional adhesive is why audiences remember the story.
The twenty-minute break passed quickly. Before Murphy could call her, Robbie returned to the set. After a quick touch-up from the makeup artist, filming resumed.
Guided by Murphy, Robbie's performance improved significantly. Despite making two more mistakes, her confidence grew, and she finally succeeded on the third take.
With the soundstage filming wrapped up, Murphy prepared to move to New York for location shooting.
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