Director playing cruel game on Kim

I would guess it's probably true. It's important to consider that, while they are professional actors, he is also a professional director. It may be their job to act out effectively what he wants, but it's also his job to get them to do that. If they do it right based on his instructions, fine. If not, like if they aren't bringing the right emotions to the forefront, then he might find it necessary to encourage them in certain ways. I'd be surprised if directors didn't do this more often than not.

I've read of other directors doing alot worse than that.

Wow, had no idea about this. I understand wanting to get the maximum performance from an actor but I think this guy might've gone too far.

I don't find that too off the wall, actually. My old boss (a very savvy litigator) once told me a story about an "old timer" lawyer he used to practice with. My old boss was an old timer, so this guy was really "old time." That is, back in the day of "chalk board" presentations. In any event, the guy was a master "southern country lawyer." (Except he wasn't a country lawyer; he was extremely wealthy, and a big shot city lawyer, etc). But, apparently, he used to make sure he had a "chalk board presentation" at every trial for "closing argument." But he would always purposely wear dark suits. Why? Because the first thing he would do is smear "white chalk" on his suit. This made him seem "vulnerable" and "connect" to the jury as a "country lawyer." Total manipulation. But, it worked.

Lawyers do it all the time. Everyone has their tactics. I had opposing counsel once bring an inhaler to closing argument in a toxic tort case (lung issues) and apologize to the jury as her "asthma" was acting up. It was a dirty trick and at that point you have to decide whether you want to look like a jerk and object or let it go, etc. I won't tell you what happened. But, it's tough, you accuse opposing counsel of a dirty trick and risk looking bad to the jury, get a side bar and demand medical records, which she may have brought, then the jury still knows there was a sidebar, etc., let it go and work around it, etc. Pretty impressive stunt, I'll give her that. LOL.

They even have rules where you have to stand behind the podium to deliver closing argument because lawyers like to go lean on the jury box and "get to know the jury" so to speak. (talk to them like a friend, up and close and "connect"). I've known lawyers to bring empty DVDs to meetings with the insinuation that they have caught the other party on camera doing things contrary to injuries. No words spoken, just a DVD, etc., and the mental job done can be amazing. No misrep there. Just a DVD, letting the other side wonder what is on the DVD (did they get them on tape running, with a back injury, etc?) Mind games galore....

Manipulation is rampant to try to garner a certain emotional response in lawsuits. Why not film?

I think I would actually be "surprised" if the Directors DIDN'T do this to their actors. It makes sense to me. Kind of brilliant actually.


Lena

WOW! He pulled a Hitchcock minus the becoming obsessed with the blond actress though.

This is the first that I heard of this. It's a little surprising.

Volker Flenske: (While torturing David) I don't know why you're doing this to yourself!

Apparently the same thing happened to Shelley Duvall in the Shining. The director & members of the crew played mind games on Duvall so she would be more convincing in her role as the tortured, emotionally fragile, wife. Throughout the course of the movie when you see her running scared, jumpy and increasingly becoming emotionally unhinged, it wasn't an act. She was actually feeling all those emotions due to the director and crew's mistreatment of her off screen. Apparently, the director wasn't satisfied with Duvall's acting and so resorted to group bullying to illicit Duvall's terror for real.

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