Chapter 522: The Man Who Stepped Down from the Altar

In November, Los Angeles still sweltered under a scorching sun, but snow was already falling in Iceland. Howling, bitter winds carrying fine snow battered the Vatnajökull Glacier, turning the vast white world even whiter. Having lived in Los Angeles year-round, Duke wasn't used to this kind of environment. But just like every other obstacle he had faced, the plummeting temperature wouldn't be an excuse to slow his pace.

Leading the crew along a temporary road, he pressed forward until they reached a small glacial lake on the Vatnajökull Glacier, ready to start shooting the first scene.

The road had been built jointly by the production and the Icelandic Government, which had provided significant incentives. Under their agreement, Duke would also hire temporary local staff during the Icelandic shoot.

You only get what you give. It was the most basic rule in the world, and for the most part, Duke played by the rules.

Stepping out of the SUV, Duke and Anna Printz split up to organize the crew and oversee the basic prep work. Though the sky was overcast and drifting with snow, it was absolutely perfect for filming. The gloomy sky and muted palette formed a natural backdrop for Batman—they could even skip color grading entirely.

"John, extend camera cranes one and two directly over the glacial lake!" Duke shouted from a slightly elevated block of thick ice to the camera crew calibrating the equipment.

"Camera one, forty-five-degree overhead! Camera two, sixty-degree oblique!"

He then waved to the art direction team. When Hannah Serena hurried over, he gave her instructions.

"Go set up the location for the night scene. We should be able to finish this shot during the day."

Although Iceland's environment was relatively mild compared to the Himalayas, it still wasn't suited for a long-term shoot. Duke had laid out a tight schedule, aiming to leave Iceland as soon as possible. It was already mid-November. If they were delayed, the country would plunge deep into winter, and the freezing temperatures could cause many of their machines to malfunction.

The crew was highly efficient. Once the equipment and set were fully adjusted, Liam Neeson and Christian Bale, already in makeup, appeared on set.

Duke stood behind the director's monitor. He didn't walk over to say anything; this was an action scene, and blocking the actors fell to the stunt director, Jimmy Carter.

However, the moment Christian Bale and Liam Neeson stepped onto the glacial lake, Duke immediately called them back.

Duke walked to the edge of the lake and stomped his foot hard against the ice. A faint, continuous series of cracking sounds rang out.

"Is that the sound of the ice breaking?" he asked.

"I think so," Jimmy Carter said, repeating Duke's action.

The crisp cracking wasn't loud, but it was easily picked up by the human ear.

"It won't cave in, will it?" Jimmy added.

"What's going on here?" Duke demanded, aiming his question at the local Icelandic staff who were familiar with the environment.

The staff member explained calmly, "This is just a quirk of the Vatnajökull Glacier. A lot of the ice makes this sound when you step on it, but it absolutely will not crack open. You have my word on that!"

The liaison officer assigned by the Icelandic Government also walked over. After figuring out what was going on, he offered his own guarantee.

"This glacial lake regularly hosts tourists, and it's early winter right now. There's absolutely no danger."

Even though the Icelandic staff swore it was safe, Duke wasn't taking any chances. He had safety harnesses and ropes rigged for Liam Neeson, Christian Bale, and their stunt doubles. The wires could easily be erased in post-production, but if something happened to the actors, the crew would be in far deeper trouble.

Every action scene was broken down into countless fragmented shots, and Liam Neeson and Christian Bale's combat training scene was no exception. Plus, because of the howling wind and complex environment, Duke opted not to record live audio, which lowered the difficulty for the actors.

Liam Neeson and Christian Bale had just finished several months of rigorous training and were in peak physical condition. Although filming stopped and started frequently to swap the actors for their stunt doubles, progress on the first scene went quite smoothly.

What they didn't expect, however, was for the winds on the glacier to suddenly pick up right after lunch. Duke insisted on finishing the scene. By the time the crew packed up the equipment and prepared to evacuate, the measured wind speeds had reached 75 miles per hour. Some crew members were blown straight to the ground by the gale; without someone to pull them up, they simply couldn't get back on their feet.

The harsh conditions temporarily prevented the crew from leaving. Led by their guide, the convoy found a sheltered area on the leeward side to wait out the gale. They would head to the next location once the winds died down.

"Want a cup of hot coffee?"

Inside the spacious trailer, Tina Fey offered him a hot drink. Duke took it, cupping it with both hands. His palms, chilled to the bone by the wind, gradually began to regain their warmth.

"Thanks," he said.

"I asked the guide," Tina Fey said, pouring a cup for herself and sitting opposite him. "It's just a squall. It won't last too long."

Listening to the howling outside, Duke's furrowed brows didn't relax.

"If we get a squall like this every day, it's still going to be a hassle," he noted.

Just as the guide had predicted, the fierce winds blew for less than an hour before gradually dying down. Although there was still a stiff breeze outside, it was no longer strong enough to stop the crew from moving out.

Piling back into the SUVs, Duke led the crew toward a rocky patch on the glacier.

The two locations weren't far apart. It took less than half an hour to reach their destination. However, when Duke stepped out of the car, he was greeted by a sighing Hannah Serena. The sets she and her team had laid out had all been blown over by the wind. Some of the lighter props had been swept away entirely, blown off to who knew where.

Taking a stroll around the rocky area near the edge of the ice, Duke turned to Serena.

"Hannah, don't worry about the set," he told her. "The crew will take a break for now. We'll resume shooting after it gets dark."

When Hollywood crews filmed movies, many scenes that looked like night were actually shot during the day and then swapped with nighttime backgrounds in post. Shooting at night was usually much more complicated, from the lighting to the environment itself.

As the sky dimmed, the temperature steadily dropped. Aside from setting up the cameras and calibrating the lights, Duke didn't plan on making any further adjustments to this temporary set. For the sake of the upcoming shoot, he herded the entire crew into several large trailers to warm up, intending to head back out only when it was completely dark.

"Working on a film with Duke usually means going on an incredible journey."

Inside one of the large resting trailers, the main cast and crew were gathered together, sipping hot coffee. Liam Neeson turned to his co-star and added, "Christian, could you imagine? At over fifty years old, my career has actually taken a massive step forward."

"That's because you work hard enough," Duke chimed in.

Christian Bale offered everyone a polite smile but didn't say anything.

Based on Duke's observations, Bale was a relatively quiet actor who didn't like to chat much. His professionalism was beyond question, but since joining the production, the two of them hadn't discussed the film or the role very often.

After they rested for half an hour, the sky outside turned completely dark. Duke stood up and clapped his hands.

"Alright guys, time to get to work!" he announced.

There was only one scene to shoot here: a dialogue between Henri Ducard and Bruce Wayne about anger, determination, and revenge.

A campfire was lit, its flames snapping wildly in the wind, casting a glowing light over the faces of Liam Neeson and Christian Bale.

Standing behind the main camera, Duke watched every movement and expression of the two actors. Unlike his previous commercial blockbusters, this trilogy demanded far more from its actors.

This was also a major reason why he had given Bale until the very last day to consider the offer. Compared to his other favored candidate, Ben Affleck, Christian Bale's acting skills were clearly a cut above.

"Rub your chest. Your hands will keep you warm," Liam Neeson said, tossing a dry branch into the fire as he spoke to the huddled Christian Bale. "You are stronger than your father."

Christian Bale looked up at him.

"You didn't know my father," he said.

"But I know the rage that drives you!"

This was the exact psychological state Bruce Wayne had been trapped in ever since his parents were brutally murdered.

"Your anger lets you temporarily forget the pain, until you can no longer bear the longing for your loved ones. One day, you will wish they never existed at all, just so your suffering will disappear."

Christian Bale shot him a slightly confused look.

Liam Neeson continued calmly, "I haven't always lived in these mountains. I had a wife once. She was the love of my life, and she was murdered. Like you, I learned that you cannot indulge wicked men. You can never show them mercy. Your anger gives you great power, but if you don't learn to control it, it will destroy you. Anger almost destroyed my entire life."

"How did you conquer your anger?" Christian Bale asked.

"Vengeance!"

"That's no use to me."

"Why not? Why wouldn't you avenge your parents, Bruce?"

These two lines highlighted the ideological divide between Bruce Wayne and Henri Ducard—and, by extension, the Shadow Warrior Alliance. It was a difference that guaranteed they would eventually part ways.

"Cut!"

Duke called cut, then waved the two actors over. He turned to Neeson first.

"Liam, your expression was a bit too much. You're not a villain. You are simply upholding your ideals and those of the Shadow Warrior Alliance. You believe that evil must be eradicated so a new order can be rebuilt from the ashes. In Ducard's mind, this is an incredibly righteous worldview, one he believes in without a shred of doubt."

Next, he turned to Bale.

"Christian, where is your acting? Where did your acting skills go? All I saw through the lens was a wooden, expressionless Bruce Wayne. I can't see the anger and fear hidden deep inside from your performance!"

"I'm sorry," Christian Bale said sincerely. "I haven't properly settled into the right headspace."

"You have ten minutes," Duke told him firmly. "Remember, Christian, you're not playing some expressionless god. You are playing a man who has stepped down from the altar!"