Purely speaking from the perspective of the character, Daniel is actually not a complicated role. He doesn't even have as rich a psychological activity as Colonel Jessep, played by Jack. Although Daniel is the protagonist of the film, in terms of acting space, it's still Colonel Jessep who has more room to perform.
Daniel has a father who is a lawyer with a reputation that overshadows everything. The reason why Daniel entered the military and became a lawyer can both be traced back to the shadow of his father. Likewise, the reason Daniel never dares to step into the courtroom is because, under the pressure of his father, it is hard for him to perform well.
The pressure of a "tiger father not having a dog son" made Daniel somewhat cynical. So, after he became a lawyer, he was better at negotiating, using the resources at his disposal to reach settlements, thereby allowing his clients to gain the greatest benefit. In fact, such a lawyer can be called outstanding and he indeed is. He is the lawyer in the headquarters who solves the most cases.
But such a lawyer is merely a silver-tongued negotiator. Law is merely a tool for him, and what he truly pursues is profit not a genuine upholder of justice or punisher of crime. Daniel's father was a real lawyer. He offended countless people in the name of justice. He even ran around advocating for a black girl to attend a white school despite opposition from the local schools. Such a father was like a towering mountain over Daniel's head. Deep down, Daniel also had a lawyer's dream, but he never dared to realize it. Because he was afraid that under the reputation of his father, all his actions would seem pale and powerless.
Under such circumstances, Daniel received the case of Dawson and Downey. This case was so special that it awakened Daniel's lingering dream of being a lawyer.
Dawson and Downey were two law-abiding soldiers, but they were accused of killing another soldier, Santiago. Since Santiago had previously bypassed ranks to report Dawson, it gave Dawson a motive for murder. But after investigation, Daniel found that Dawson and Downey were merely carrying out a "Code Red"—a form of corporal punishment carried out by fellow soldiers in private, with permission from a superior officer, when a team member falls behind or violates regulations. And the order for this Code Red actually came from Colonel Jessep. Dawson and Downey were just soldiers executing orders and completing their mission. Santiago's death was an accident.
But obviously, Colonel Jessep would not admit his mistake. He didn't even think he was wrong. On the contrary, he tried every means to obstruct the investigation and placed all the blame on Dawson and Downey, trying to make them scapegoats.
Daniel's inner desire for justice was gradually awakened. In the face of Colonel Jessep's dominance and cunning, he fought until the last moment, seizing the only sliver of hope and forcing Colonel Jessep to personally confess his crime.
This is the basic story of A Few Good Men, and also the complete setup for Daniel's character. In fact, from the main storyline, it's clear that Daniel's inner turmoil is only entangled with the reputation of his father. But the story provides very few scenes for Daniel to express this internal struggle. So the real challenge for Daniel is not the excavation of the character's inner world, but the explosive energy he shows when facing dilemmas in court relying on excellent negotiation skills and eloquence to fulfill his duty as a lawyer despite insufficient evidence.
In short, the greatest challenge of Daniel's character is how to bring out the role of a lawyer to the fullest and most importantly, in Hugo's way.
While reading the script, Hugo's mind was constantly at work. This was the biggest insight he gained after filming Scent of a Woman, from Al's advice: "Don't ponder the acting, ponder the character." Only by truly understanding the essence of the character and grasping the character's core can an actor accurately and effectively present the role.
During the filming of Scent of a Woman, Hugo once reached this level completely merging into the character of Charlie. But it was only once. Since then, he never had that feeling again. This time, with A Few Good Men, Hugo hoped he could once again enter that state and stay in it.
What is most important for a lawyer? Agile reaction, clear thinking, accurate speech, precise control, strong presence… All of these are, and none of these are. But one thing is certain: a lawyer must understand what he is doing and must know what he is going to say. Otherwise, standing in court, he will just seem like a fool.
The courtroom is a lawyer's stage. Standing on this stage, a lawyer uses his eloquence to conduct a performance against the opposing lawyer and the witnesses. So, lines are the first key. Hugo must understand the meaning of the lines what do the lines at this moment mean, why would Daniel say this, and what effect does he want to achieve by saying it? Second is the interaction with the opponent actor. The relationship between a lawyer and a witness is one of guidance and control. The lines are the bridge, presenting the truth of the matter in the way the lawyer envisions.
Thinking this way, everything became clearer. Why did Rob choose him? That night's audition must have been the deciding factor.
In the confrontation with Brad, Hugo was calm yet imposing, sharp yet controlled. Hugo's thinking turned quickly. He could always catch the loopholes in Brad's speech and then cut in at the right time, interrupting Brad's momentum buildup, and then used a series of well-organized arguments to refute Brad, thereby suppressing him.
Daniel is a character who combines cynicism with a sense of justice. Brad naturally fits the cynical part better. Hugo could only be said to somewhat resemble it. As for the sense of justice, Hugo didn't portray it very fully either. That righteous aura between the brows Tom was the best at that.
But why did Rob ultimately choose Hugo? Because Hugo could concentrate the most crucial element of the lawyer role in himself. Maybe purely in terms of appearance and temperament, Hugo was not the most suitable, but his understanding of the role was the most thorough. So Rob chose Hugo, because he believed that even if Hugo's performance wasn't a natural fit, it could still be brilliant.
Choosing Hugo, giving up Tom, giving up Brad this was a huge gamble, with the entire film A Few Good Men as the stake. And Rob chose to make this gamble.
After figuring this out, Hugo's understanding of Daniel subtly began to deepen. But to truly grasp the essence of the character, it still seemed to need more time. After all, acting is not a simple task, because what Hugo was going to portray was a completely different life.
However, before Hugo could fully sort out his thoughts, half an hour had passed, and the entire crew returned to the conference room right on time.
Jack sat across from Hugo again. From the corner of his eye, he saw the densely marked lines and handwriting on Hugo's script. His eyes lit up slightly. Although it had only been thirty minutes, Hugo's workload clearly exceeded expectations. Jack could see that Hugo had made detailed notes on the script, marked key points of the lines, and briefly recorded his own thoughts which was extremely helpful for acting.
Hugo's seriousness and meticulousness surprised Jack, but it was also within expectations. Jack had already heard Bo Goodman praise Hugo highly, and later had exchanges with Al, confirming that Hugo was a talented and hardworking actor. That was why he took the initiative to recommend Hugo to the A Few Good Men crew.
In Jack's view, if Hugo performed poorly, he, as the person who recommended him, would bear half the responsibility. This would be fatal for the film. Hugo's lateness this morning made Jack very dissatisfied even disappointed. An actor regardless of how outstanding must have the most basic professional ethics. If an actor is arrogant and can't even be punctual, then no matter how good his acting is, he can't be called an excellent actor. To become an excellent actor, one must first be a qualified person. This order cannot be reversed.
That earlier outburst was partially intended to give Hugo a little buffer time; Jack also wanted to give him a wake-up call to see if he was still salvageable. If the result still disappointed him, Jack would probably go confront Bob and Al tonight.
But now, at least it seems Hugo isn't a careless actor he is willing to diligently study the script, which is a good start. That somewhat eased Jack's dissatisfaction.
"Hey, Hugo, do you remember that jacket you wore during the audition last time?" Before everyone sat down, Robert chatted with Hugo casually, smiling.
Hugo paused for a moment. "Of course, of course, it was that navy blue bomber jacket." That jacket was borrowed from Alex, so he naturally hadn't forgotten it. "The sleeves were leather, right?"
Robert nodded repeatedly. "Yes, that one. I think it really suits the character of Daniel. If possible, could you bring it to the set and wear it during filming?"
Hugo immediately recalled that in the film, Daniel was a baseball enthusiast, and baseball was mentioned several times. "That jacket belongs to my roommate, so I'll have to ask for his permission. I'll ask him when I get back." Hugo spoke truthfully, though he felt it shouldn't be an issue Alex was a generous person, otherwise he wouldn't have lent him the jacket that day. "But, Robert, was the reason you chose me that day related to the jacket?"
Robert smiled without replying he just gave Hugo a meaningful glance, then turned toward the conference room and raised his voice. "Script rehearsal is about to begin."
Hugo noticed Jack's probing gaze. He knew Jack definitely wanted to see how he would perform, which made the pressure on Hugo's shoulders increase dramatically. He gave Jack a smile, then lowered his head to focus on the script. Taking a deep breath, he silently told himself, "Hugo, being nervous won't help. Relax! You're ready you're already ready!"
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