Studio 2 at Disney Studios had already been transformed. The area near the left side of the entrance became a 17th-century coastal town, featuring various interior and exterior sets of buildings. The right side was an even more spacious area, set up as the island cave for the final battle in the script. Since the scenes here weren't being filmed yet, the cave had neither water nor glittering gold and jewels.
Inside a semi-enclosed, old-fashioned blacksmith shop set on the left side of the studio, Gore Verbinski stood at the somewhat dilapidated doorway and called over Matthew and Johnny Depp, who were ready.
Johnny Depp, with his heavy smoky eye makeup, walked with a mincing gait even when not filming. That feminine and alluring charm seemed to radiate from his very bones.
Matthew only had a thin layer of foundation to highlight the texture of his facial features. His specially grown long, dark brown hair was permed into large curls and cascaded behind his head. His perfectly fitted costume outlined his physique, emphasizing a powerful, wild beauty.
As early as mid-July, the crew had informed him that Will Turner's styling, scenes, and action design would be adjusted appropriately to better align the character with his personal temperament, making him more like a blacksmith who both forges iron and practices sword fighting!
Perhaps there are effeminate blacksmiths in this world, but in the perception of most people, blacksmiths are rough, bold, and full of strength.
All the looks the crew designed for Matthew highlighted a masculine sex appeal that could never be embodied by a clean-cut, slender, pretty boy.
"Matthew, this scene starts when you enter!" Gore Verbinski, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, stood by the slightly worn wooden door, pointing to the basin near the entrance. "It's a hot season, and the formal attire you're wearing is thick. Take off your clothes to wash your face and wipe away sweat. Remember! Your gentlemanly side is only for Elizabeth Swann."
"Understood," Matthew replied.
Gore Verbinski continued, "When you wash your face and wipe your upper body, make sure the water touches the muscles of your chest!"
Matthew understood that a wet upper body sometimes makes the muscles look better on camera.
"As you're washing, you notice something unusual and go to investigate..." Gore Verbinski then turned to Johnny Depp.
"When Matthew approaches, you emerge from your hiding place, point your knife at him, and then you two begin the action scene."
Johnny Depp said nothing.
Gore Verbinski glanced at him, confirmed he had heard him, then left and returned behind the director's monitor.
Filming began immediately.
Keira Knightley, who had already filmed some scenes and temporarily finished, did not leave. She stood with her assistant behind the camera, in a place that wouldn't affect the filming, observing.
On set, Matthew pushed open the wooden door and entered, shedding his gentlemanly facade from outside. He took off his heavily layered formal attire, hung it on a rack by the door, and went to the basin. He splashed water on his face, then grabbed a towel, soaked it in the basin, wrung it out, and wiped the sweat from his body.
On the camera side, the cameraman controlled the lens, focusing on his exposed upper body, capturing full-frame close-ups. Drops of water from the towel rolled down Matthew's body, fully showcasing the wildness of his muscles.
Matthew seemed to notice something amiss. He glanced inside the blacksmith shop; some of the arrangements had clearly been moved. The donkey had moved, and the hammer had also moved, while the old blacksmith was still sleeping off his drunken stupor. He immediately looked around, first checking the donkey, then going to the anvil to look at the sledgehammer. Suddenly, a figure darted out; Johnny Depp emerged from behind a wooden pillar, his pirate cutlass aimed at Matthew's bare chest... The cameraman immediately adjusted the lens.
The camera alternated between the sword in Johnny Depp's hand and Matthew's muscular chest.
Johnny Depp moved forward, Matthew slowly retreated, and the two appeared in the same frame for the first time.
"The pirate captain is effeminate and mincing, the blacksmith is strong and masculine!" Gore Verbinski stared at the real-time footage on the monitor. "The contrast is so stark! Perfect!"
"Pirate!" Matthew looked at Johnny Depp, his British accent loud and rough.
"You look familiar," Johnny Depp said, in stark contrast to Matthew, with a rather effeminate voice. "Have I threatened you before?"
Matthew's face gradually hardened. "No! I just don't want to be associated with pirates!"
Before Johnny Depp could speak, Matthew suddenly took a swift, agile step to the right, then reached out and grabbed a saber hanging on a pillar, pointing it at Johnny Depp.
"is that wise?" Johnny Depp seemed to only just react. "To think of dueling a pirate."
Matthew's face showed no hesitation. "You once tried to harm Miss Swann!"
"Just a little bit."
As Johnny Depp finished speaking, he lunged with his knife. Matthew, following the choreographed sequence, brought his sword down and then up. His swordsmanship was skilled, his movements agile, and he anticipated the attack. As soon as Johnny Depp's knife came out, it was parried by Matthew's sword, and Johnny Depp's pirate cutlass flew out of his hand.
"Cut!" Gore Verbinski called a halt to the filming.
Johnny Depp helplessly threw his hands up at Matthew, even making a mournful grimace.
Matthew also spread his hands helplessly. "I only used half my strength." He leaned in and asked in a low voice, "Tell me, Depp, what mischief were you up to last night?"
"Nothing much," Johnny Depp's words were hard to discern as true or false. "Just spent a night with five or six beautiful women."
"Pfft!" Matthew didn't believe him at all.
Gore Verbinski's voice came again, "Reshoot the action scene, everything else is OK."
Johnny Depp raised his hand and said, "I demand a stunt double." He looked at Matthew. "Dueling with this guy is terrifying; he's a devil."
After saying that, he made another face at Matthew and walked off set, shaking his hand.
Johnny Depp's stunt double, already in full makeup, had been waiting outside the set, ready to step in at any moment. Unlike Matthew, who only had a thin layer of foundation, Johnny Depp's pirate makeup was very heavy. The equally heavily made-up stunt double looked about 90% similar to Johnny Depp.
If it were a static, non-action scene, the difference would be easily discernible, but in action scenes with a lot of movement and few direct frontal shots, it could completely pass for the real thing.
In fact, most of the crew, not just Matthew, knew that Johnny Depp had been physically drained by his extravagant lifestyle in recent years. A stunt double had been prepared early on, and except for essential situations, action scenes would generally be filmed by the double.
With a more professional stunt double, filming the action scenes would be easier for Matthew. Otherwise, if he didn't put in any effort, his movements would look limp and weak on camera. What kind of fight would that be? Might as well call it a dance-off.
As before, Matthew preferred action scenes over dramatic ones. Although the previous dramatic scene seemed easy, it didn't require much acting from him; it was mainly about showcasing his physique, temperament, and muscles.
Matthew was very serious about the action scenes. He knew he would inevitably be overshadowed by Johnny Depp in terms of acting, so to make his character shine, he had to excel in areas opposite to Captain Jack Sparrow.
While Johnny Depp would crush him with acting, Matthew aimed to overwhelm Johnny Depp with his sculpted physique and agile, dazzling moves.
After Gore Verbinski joined the crew, he had individual conversations with all the main actors. Matthew also discussed his ideas for the character with him, and Gore Verbinski was in agreement.
Two characters with complementary strengths, shining in different aspects, was also a result he, as the director, was happy to see.
The filming of the action scenes was completely different. There were no long takes; everything was filmed in fragmented shots, then pieced together in post-editing. The longest action shot would not exceed five seconds.
Matthew, shirtless, fought and paused with Johnny Depp's double. In one morning, they filmed over twenty action shots.
During a break in filming, Matthew went to the Rest area (rest area). Mila Wang, his assistant, immediately draped a blanket over his bare back and handed him a cup with a straw.
Matthew took two sips of water. The makeup artist, specifically for him, came over to touch up his makeup. After a short ten-minute break, filming resumed, and the metallic clash of swords and knives echoed on set once again.
Over the next two days, director Gore Verbinski continued to film the scenes of Will Turner dueling Captain Jack Sparrow. Due to Matthew's involvement, the crew had very high expectations for the action scenes. The repeated filming was also to capture the most outstanding shots.
Matthew was not fatigued by the high-intensity action scenes. Both his mental and physical states were getting better and better. By the third day of filming, Gore Verbinski saw that Matthew's condition had reached a peak, and he simply re-shot many of the previously filmed takes.
In three days, for just this one action scene, the crew filmed over a hundred shots.
Subsequently, Matthew entered a short rest and adjustment phase, while Gore Verbinski began filming various chaotic shots depicting medieval commoner life on an adjacent set.
In these shots, everything, whether people or other elements, looked dirty.
In fact, most of the characters appearing in the film had very few clean-cut moments. For example, Captain Jack Sparrow's appearance, needless to say, was so disheveled that he was barely better than a beggar.
Compared to Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner's appearance was cleaner, but still a hundred thousand miles away from a clean-faced pretty boy.
And the extras, even more so.
To achieve the dirty visual effect in the shots, Gore Verbinski even resorted to a special trick, which made the temporary actors complain bitterly.