After Allerge was fired, the atmosphere on set became a bit strange. On the one hand, everyone was worried that Allerge's misfortune might happen to them no one wanted to lose their job. On the other hand, everyone understood that Allerge had brought it upon himself, and Hugo was now changing people's opinions of him with his actual performance.
Therefore, the crew's views of Hugo were rather mixed. Some chose to sympathize with Allerge, seeing Hugo in an even worse light although they didn't speak ill of him, their expressions made it clear that Hugo was now invisible to them. Others began to warm up to Hugo, whether for livelihood reasons or moved by his sincerity. Overall, their interactions with Hugo became much more harmonious. Some, however, kept their distance, just wanting to stay away from the center of this whirlpool of conflict.
Under such circumstances, A Few Good Men ushered in the film's most climactic scene the courtroom showdown between Daniel and Colonel Jessep. This scene was undoubtedly a huge test for both actors, and it would not be an exaggeration to say that half the film's success hinged on the effect this scene produced. If Hugo's portrayal of Daniel wasn't convincing enough, or if he were completely suppressed by Jack's Colonel Jessep, then the impact Rob hoped to achieve would be greatly compromised.
But recalling Hugo and Kiefer's warm-up showdown during script rehearsal and then Hugo's vivid performance during filming many began to have high expectations for today's scene.
Some crew members even started a private betting pool. The odds for "Hugo being able to handle this difficult task" were set at 3 to 1, while the odds for "Hugo being unable to handle the scene" were 1.5 to 1. There were even bets on "Hugo breaking down during the scene," with odds of 2 to 1.
This shows that, in truth, most of the crew didn't believe Hugo would deliver an excellent performance in this Scene after all, Jack Nicholson was no ordinary opponent. Whether these odds were influenced by the negativity of the Allerge incident was unknown. But over sixty percent of the crew participated in the betting, which showed just how much anticipation there was for this scene.
Hugo had put on his naval lieutenant uniform, carefully fastening the golden buttons, standing in the familiar courtroom set as he adjusted his breathing. Joseph stood to the side, watching Hugo. In uniform, Hugo looked sharp and imposing. His bangs had been trimmed before filming began, leaving only a length slightly longer than a buzz cut, now combed into a neat side part, exuding a strong 1930s vintage aristocratic vibe. It highlighted Hugo's chiseled features clearly at this moment, his dashing brows were fully relaxed, like two sword sheaths stretching to his temples, making him appear stern, upright, and handsome far more sharp-edged than his usual gentleness.
But Joseph still couldn't smooth the furrow from his brow. "Hugo…"
Hugo gave a small laugh. "Joseph, relax. I won't be affected by any of that. Acting is acting, life is life. If I can't separate the two, then I'd be unprofessional."
Hugo knew exactly what Joseph was going to say. Ever since learning about the betting pool yesterday, Joseph had been uneasy it was as if the whole crew was waiting to see Hugo fail. They thought firing Allerge would make things go smoothly, but now it seemed every part of the film industry had its own cliques. Clearly, it wasn't easy for actors and the behind-the-scenes team to truly bond.
"I'm already prepared for this scene. Too much worrying doesn't help, right?" Hugo reassured Joseph though, in truth, he was also reassuring himself. He had never handled such a situation before, so it was only natural to feel nervous. But seeing Joseph's concern made Hugo calm down instead. He forced himself to focus entirely on his performance—disciplining his mind to concentrate. That was the only thing Hugo could do.
Joseph looked at the composed Hugo, then around at the gathered crew. Clearly, nearly the entire team had assembled for today's scene. They all stood hidden from camera view, waiting for the show to begin.
Finally, Joseph patted Hugo's shoulder and said, "Good luck."
Hugo instead smiled radiantly. "Moments like this—I really do need a little luck." It reminded him of how he felt before stepping on stage at the Midi Rock Festival excited and nervous, thrilled and fearful all at once. But the positive emotions always won out, because the stage ahead was the one he had dreamed of. He would open his arms and embrace it with his fullest passion.
Joseph turned and walked away. The newly replaced stage manager stepped forward to check Hugo's makeup, then confirmed Jack's readiness and nodded toward Rob. This scene would begin with a wide shot. Hugo locked eyes on Jack—Jack's calm and confident gaze made Hugo suddenly uneasy. But right then, Rob's voice shouted, "Action!"
Hugo closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then Jack began his first line. Hugo quickly steadied himself and responded with his first line. The most important scene of the whole film officially began.
"Colonel, did you give Captain Kendrick an order at the meeting?" Hugo or rather, Daniel spoke with a slightly strained voice, but he managed to keep his pace steady, calmly opening the scene.
"I told Kendrick to tell his men not to touch Santiago," Colonel Jessep's voice was low, even slower than Daniel's, steady and forceful, carrying the poise of someone in power.
"Did you also give Lieutenant Colonel Markinson an order?" Daniel steadied his emotions and kept his rhythm.
Colonel Jessep still maintained his speaking style. "I ordered Markinson to transfer Santiago off the base immediately." The unhurried pace made the audience feel a subtle oppression, especially when contrasted with Daniel's tempo.
"Why?"
"I was afraid if the contents of the complaint letter leaked, he might be in danger."
"Mortal danger?" Daniel's voice seemed suppressed, slightly muffled, but he maintained his original pacing.
"What else would it be?" Colonel Jessep deliberately slowed down his speech by another quarter beat, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. His eyebrows even twitched slightly he clearly didn't take Daniel seriously.
Facing Jessep's provocation, Daniel remained unfazed. He took a document from his assistant. "Colonel, this is the transfer order co-signed by you and Markinson, directing Santiago to take the 6 a.m. flight the next day to leave Guantanamo Bay. Was that the earliest flight?" Daniel's pace seemed to speed up slightly, though not noticeably.
Colonel Jessep replied quickly, as if to prove there was no trickery involved or perhaps to suppress Daniel. "Six o'clock is the earliest flight leaving the base."
However, upon hearing Jessep's answer, Daniel stood still and curled his lips slightly in contemplation, as if expressing doubt. But immediately after, he stepped forward toward Colonel Jessep, who sat on the witness stand, and shifted the topic. "You flew into Washington this morning, correct?" Daniel began talking to Colonel Jessep in a casual, almost conversational tone.
Under Daniel's guidance, the two started discussing seemingly trivial matters, such as what Colonel Jessep packed in his luggage, what preparations he made for coming to Washington, and who he called before departing. These questions appeared completely irrelevant to the case, pertaining only to Colonel Jessep's personal schedule. The prosecution continuously objected, and the judge repeatedly pressed Daniel to clarify the relevance of his questioning. Surprisingly, Daniel persisted, insisting these questions had to be answered. And Colonel Jessep didn't mind at all, responding truthfully and in full detail.
But once Jessep had finished answering all the questions, Daniel took another document from his assistant, then raised his voice slightly, speaking at a quicker pace. "Your Honor, this is the phone log for September 6th from Guantanamo, and this is a collection of the fourteen letters Santiago wrote over the past nine months requesting in fact, begging for a transfer. Upon learning he was finally allowed to leave, Santiago was ecstatic. Do you know how many people he called?"
Daniel delivered this statement with great precision not necessarily rapid speech, but very smooth transitions. The slight pressure Jessep had previously exerted on him had completely vanished. Daniel had fully seized control of the moment, using a rhythmically modulated tone to draw everyone's focus to himself.
"Zero! Not a single one!" Daniel suddenly slowed down and emphasized each word heavily, planting doubt in everyone's hearts. "Not one phone call to tell his parents he was coming home, not one to tell a friend, 'Can you pick me up at the airport?' He fell asleep that night, and according to you," Daniel looked toward Colonel Jessep, who still sat composedly in the chair, "he was supposed to board a plane six hours later. Yet all his belongings were neatly hung in the closet, and neatly packed in his footlocker."
"You were only gone for one day, yet you packed your bags and made three phone calls," Daniel continued to stare at Colonel Jessep. And all that seemingly useless chit-chat earlier had silently dug a massive trap just waiting for Jessep to fall into it. With Daniel's alternation between fast and slow delivery, the suspense in everyone's hearts had reached its peak. "But Santiago, who would never return again after leaving, didn't make a single phone call. He didn't pack a single thing." After saying this, Daniel looked at Colonel Jessep with a faint smile, his bright eyes sharp as blades stabbing directly at his opponent. "Can you explain that?"
...
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