Chapter 149: Sneer

"Attack with the Bangalore torpedoes! Clear the way!" On the beach, Tom Hanks's loud voice rang out. Lying among a group of soldiers, he shouted, "Attack with the Bangalore torpedoes!"

"Aim for the crater!"

The combat engineers' shouts echoed one after another, "Aim for the crater!"

The engineers continuously hurled Bangalore torpedoes into the craters behind the sandbank. Having rehearsed this several times, Tom Hanks and the others quickly flattened themselves against the ground, tightly covering their heads.

Not far behind them, Duke gave Joss William a nod. Joss pressed the wired detonator, setting off a relentless chain of explosions. The entire beach seemed to tremble as flying sand pelted the area around Duke. The sheer intensity of the blasts was staggering.

The take wasn't over yet. Covered in sand from head to toe, Laurent Coite—playing Sergeant Horvath—turned back and shouted, "We can push back! Go! Find cover on the other side of the crater!"

A group of American soldiers stood up with him, charging forward through the German artillery fire. Several cameramen followed right behind them with handheld cameras.

The shot finally wrapped up when Duke called cut.

Over the next few days, the crew focused on filming the scenes of the Allied Forces storming the beach. As the Christmas holiday approached, the massive landing battle sequences gradually neared completion. All that remained were a few large-scale, highly destructive explosion scenes.

The temporary fortifications built along the coast had to be dismantled eventually. To save money, Duke opted for a much easier method: simply blowing up some of the structures during the battle itself.

Most of these buildings were hollow shells anyway, so it didn't take much explosive power to complete the violent demolition.

"Joss, should we add more gasoline barrels?"

Standing in front of the largest bunker, Duke told Joss William, "The fire can't just burn inside the bunker. I've set the main camera on the beach; the flames need to burst out from the front firing slots. It'd be best if they shot into the sky, just like a real explosion."

Joss William immediately understood. This wasn't just a fire to burn the German soldiers—it needed to deliver a massive visual impact!

"I understand!" Joss William replied right away. "I'll make some adjustments. We'll definitely meet your requirements."

This was their third movie working together, and Duke trusted the professional capabilities of Joss's team. After a few more brief words, he walked around the bunker and returned to the beach.

"Is it really like the media says? Were you born when a comet struck Earth? Or are explosions simply woven into your DNA?"

The only person capable of making such a sarcastic remark was Sofia Coppola. Clutching a clipboard, she stood next to Duke and spoke in a flat, nasal tone. "Even in a film brimming with human compassion, you can't forget to show off your explosions!"

"Darling, anti-war reflections and human compassion don't bring in enough of an audience."

In truth, their philosophies on filmmaking were vastly different. Duke shrugged nonchalantly. "If a movie wants to become a recognized classic, it first needs a wide enough reach."

"Explosion maniac!" Sofia tossed out the insult, too lazy to argue further.

Duke's skin was thick enough to take it as a compliment. "Thank you!"

Rolling her eyes, Sofia simply shut her mouth. If he didn't show off his visual impact, would Duke even be Duke?

Word quickly came that the pyrotechnics team was ready. Duke confirmed the area was clear twice before having the assistant director notify all departments to prepare.

"Scene twelve, take fourteen, action!"

As soon as the assistant director called out, several cameras pointed at the German bunker facing the beach. Some used wide-angle lenses, some prepared for medium shots, and others focused on the Allied Forces on the sand.

Orange-red flames suddenly spewed from the bunker, shooting up more than ten feet in the air. A muffled explosion and waves of heat rolled over them, tinting half the sky ahead red. Several burning, humanoid figures tumbled out of the bunker's flames and onto the beach.

The Allied soldiers raised their rifles and aimed at the bunker. One of them turned back and yelled toward the main camera, "Don't shoot! Let 'em burn!"

"Cut!"

Duke waited a few seconds before calling cut. The firefighters, who had been on standby nearby, immediately rushed forward. They aimed their specialized extinguishers at the remaining flames and sprayed them down heavily, snuffing out any potential hazards.

"New setup!"

Duke gave the assistant director a quick instruction. The man immediately hollered at the top of his lungs, "Move to set five! Everyone, move to set five!"

Set five was behind the bunker, and they were still filming explosion scenes.

There wasn't anything difficult about this scene. Joss William's pyrotechnics team buried specially made explosive charges packed in paper shells and ash into the dirt mounds. Dozens of Irish soldiers playing American troops stood in as the background. Following a deafening roar, a spectacular explosion was fully captured on camera, sending dirt blasting hundreds of feet into the air.

For this opening battle sequence, Duke's approach differed slightly from the original director's vision. Beyond expressing the cruelty and realism of war, he added a few well-placed scenes packed with visual impact, ensuring that the audience would be utterly hooked.

At the same time, these scenes had to be carefully restrained. They were absolutely nothing like the earth-shattering explosions in Independence Day, avoiding any risk of visual fatigue or ruining the documentary-style realism of the opening.

Right before the Christmas holidays began, Duke finally wrapped up the filming of the opening landing battle. The final demolition work would be handled by a dedicated team. After discussing the post-Christmas shooting schedule, the crew officially went on vacation. The cast and crew from North America boarded flights back home one after another to spend Christmas with their families and friends.

Duke didn't return to North America. Instead, he went straight to London. Mrs. Leah was currently staying in London, so there was no need for him to go back to Los Angeles. Since they were temporarily living in a hotel, celebrating Christmas like they would at home was impossible anyway.

"How should we spend Christmas, Mom?"

In the living room of their suite at the Hilton Grand Hotel, Duke asked his mother for her opinion. "This is London. Should we do it the British way?"

Mrs. Leah sat on the sofa, flipping through some documents. Without even looking up, she said, "Do the British have a special way of doing things?"

"As far as I know..." Duke didn't actually understand the British; everything he said was based on hearsay. "The British like to go to football matches on Christmas, or they head to the West End of London to watch theatrical plays."

"Soccer?" Mrs. Leah shook her head bluntly. "I have no interest in that."

Hearing his mother's response, Duke asked, "What about theater? Or we could throw a party here."

"Duke." His mother finally looked up and asked, "Do you have any friends here?"

"No."

Tidying up her documents, Mrs. Leah stood up and placed them on the nearby bookshelf. "What plays are on in the West End theaters tonight?"

"I'll go ask right now."

Walking over to the phone, Duke dialed the hotel's front desk. After asking a few questions, he covered the mouthpiece and said to his mother, "The musical 42nd Street, and the stage play Famous Scenes."

"42nd Street. Book the tickets."

Seeing that his mother was interested, Duke instructed the front desk to book them VIP box tickets so they could head straight to the West End theater after dinner.

Much like Broadway in New York, the West End of London was one of the two world-renowned theatrical hubs and synonymous with the British theater scene. In terms of sheer fame, the West End might pale slightly in comparison to Broadway, but historically speaking, its traditions ran far deeper.

42nd Street was a traditional musical staple of both the West End and Broadway. It had run continuously for decades without losing its charm, even setting a glorious record of 3,486 consecutive performances on Broadway.

After dinner, Duke and his mother took a car rented from the hotel and arrived at the Shaftesbury District. Stepping out, they crossed the busy street and walked straight into the theater.

Delayed by traffic on the way, they arrived a bit late. The curtain was just about to rise for the performance. Fortunately, Duke had booked tickets for a box on the second floor, so their arrival wouldn't disturb anyone else.

Entering the box, Duke ordered coffee and the snacks his mother occasionally enjoyed. He settled into his seat to comfortably watch the play with her.

"The first time I watched this play,"

During the intermission, Mrs. Leah spoke to Duke. "I was younger than you are now. Decades have passed, and the adaptations of the play have grown increasingly dazzling, but I always feel like something is missing."

Duke only smiled, choosing not to say anything.

Even the most classic musicals had to constantly update and change to keep up with the times. But people were always nostalgic, especially the older crowd—like the bunch of old men who held the voting power for the Oscar awards.

As a director, Duke had studied quite a few theatrical pieces, and a classic like 42nd Street was definitely no exception. It was the oldest of old Broadway underdog stories, and the tap dancing within it was arguably one of its most brilliant highlights.

However, none of this particularly appealed to Duke. That was because, among the main female cast, he spotted a familiar figure.

Pinching his chin, Duke watched the woman tap dancing on the stage below. After a moment of recollection, he was certain he wasn't mistaken. Professionally trained in musicals, performing stage plays in the West End of London...

It was just a bit too early. His next project was at least a year away. An actress with enough acting chops and above-average singing and dancing skills wasn't exactly easy to find.

Taking advantage of a set change while his mother went to the restroom, Duke waved over a VIP box waiter.

"Is 42nd Street going to keep running for a while?" Duke asked.

"Yes, sir," the waiter replied very politely. "Six shows a week. It will run through the entire season."

"What about tomorrow?"

"Yes!"

Having gotten his confirmation, Duke waved his hand, and the waiter stepped out.

Tonight was about accompanying his mother to the musical. Duke obviously couldn't just run backstage to look for an actress. He planned to come back another time if his schedule allowed. Even if he didn't have the time, he could always have Nancy or someone else reach out to her.