the dark world

January 21.

They had been shooting for five days, and everything was going perfectly. The people who started shooting, connected different ways of bringing the movie to life with different painters who portrayed each frame.

Billy took a breath; they had just shot the scene of a murder, by Gluttony, a man who was forced to eat until he died. Death becomes a sinful form; that's where Billy has to use all his brain cells. The shooting order was wrong, and they filmed everything in a non-linear way, unlike other films; they focused on all the recordings in the city. Yes! They recreated scenes in forgotten apartments, furnished them, and took the shot.

-In this scene, you have to be tough, - David commented, pinching his chin. - Try to create a fight scene; you want to be part of something, and you don't like being excluded. You have that, and you also have the air of a policeman. Now, I want a fight. Recreate the rebellion of David Mills, the one who fights for everything and against everyone, to follow his straight path of justice. -

-Yes, director. -

-Scene 24, take 1. -

Exterior urban street with row houses. - Night.

Billy walked down a sidewalk with a beer in hand, apparently transferred to Chicago, and on his first day on the streets, he encountered two car thieves. This rundown neighborhood lives in the shadow of a single, thick skyscraper. Mills walks and looks at broken refrigerators and pieces of garbage in the gutter. Further down the street, TWO YOUNG THIEVES struggle with a crowbar to get into the trunk of a parked car. Mills approaches. One thug looks up, doesn't think Mills is a problem, and continues to interfere. Mills stops, calm.

-Is that your car, man? - Billy/David Mills said.

-What the hell do you care? - the first thug retorts.

Mills pauses and switches his beer bottle to the other hand, shaking his head.

-Does this car belong to you? -

The thugs look at each other, assessing. They face Mills.

-Yeah, it's my car, okay? Screw off. -

-Are you telling me that's your car? -

The second thug takes the long way around the car.

-Well, for some strange reason, I don't believe you, - Mills laughs as if to say, 'You're not that dumb,' and looks away... he sees the first thug sliding the crowbar to use as a weapon.

-You can suck my... - the thug doesn't finish the sentence.

Mills quickly finishes that sentence by smashing his bottle against the first thug's head. He falls and staggers blindly. The second thug moves aside and pulls out a knife.

Mills dodges, swings, and hits the second thug's face with the side of his fist: CRACK. Broken nose.

The second thug steps back, drops the knife, and his nose starts bleeding.

Mills turns around, enraged, breathing heavily.

The first thug screams and tries to get up. Mills takes a step and hits the first thug's head. The crowbar clatters away noisily.

Mills is in the process of kicking a man when he's on the ground when the second thug grabs him from behind and pulls him back.

Mills grabs the thug's arm, trying to avoid a chokehold. They both spasmodically fight. The thug is winning.

Gasping, panting for air, Mills shifts his weight, kneels, and spins the thug, slamming him against the car. Mills lets go, grabs a handful of the second thug's hair, and holds the man's head against the car's side window. Mills's free hand hits the thug's face: once, twice; the third time is the charm, and the window shatters. The thug faints.

-Cut. -

-That was a great take, the best of the last three. We'll stick with this one. You have a car what to do; we'll turn on the sprinklers, - David commented. They're shooting at lightning speed.

They continue with the quick shoot in the car; now they have to shoot a fruit stand, change from a black to a dark deep blue tie, a white shirt, and a black jacket, with a great hunter's coat over their shoulders. They skip ten scenes and go back to the beginning, again, to shoot this time, details that complement the story, necessary for the final touch.

-Recording - begins with a ringtone, so as not to disrupt some people who are not from the industry; it will be recorded quickly.

Billy/Mills smiles at Gwyneth, in the same way that he sometimes smiles in some special moments, the blonde who plays Tracy only has to respond; she is a bit hesitant; she's acting, repeating herself. It came out very naturally!

They walk together while shopping in narrow aisles for fruits and vegetables.

-That was good. I mean... certainly better than yesterday. I think Somerset and I reached a little understanding, - Billy says, with his thumb and index finger notched approximately an inch apart.

-This big, - Mills says.

-That sounds interesting, - Tracy comments.

-He is that. At least, - Mills said, tossing some oranges into the basket hanging from Tracy's arm. Seeing the carrots, Tracy looks up at the potatoes, and even at a strange man at the entrance, this man continues humming, swaying back and forth, with glassy eyes, and customers come and go without paying attention to him.

Bill/Mills notices Tracy, still buying carrots, but he gives her a side glance.

-Today, we're starting a big homicide case. I'll spare you the gruesome details, - Mills continues.

The strange man suddenly stops humming and looks into the store with a twisted smile. The atmosphere chills, in a weird, eerie way; all intentions are palpable.

-Do you name that tune? Does anyone name that tune? Name that tune... - the strange man says.

Gwyneth manages to put a disgusted look on her face.

-It's... it's like they emptied the asylums onto the streets. That's it. Like they just gave up and let everyone out, - Tracy comments.

Billy nods to her but turns away.

-There are a lot of creepy people in this city, - Tracy says, with deep fear.

He's doing a good job, thinks Billy; they practiced the scene together at the hotel for two hours, and the result is good.

-There are a lot of creepy people in the world, - Billy comments, totally serious. He imagines the workload of detectives and imposes a code that it must be their thing to lock up all the crazies.

Tracy/Gwyneth looks at the strange man again.

-Do you name that tune? Does anyone name that tune? - the Strange Man repeats.

-It seems worse than Philadelphia because everything is against you. In your face, - Tracy comments.

Mills listens, walks to the front of the store, and tries to be pleasant.

-Listen, honey. I don't want to fight tonight. Okay? Can we have one night without fighting over something? - Mills comments, but his words feel empty. Billy wants to freshen them up, but he can't fix, or feel anything.

They look at the apples.

-I'm not trying to start a fight. How do I try to start a fight? - Tracy comments, offended.

-We're here now. Okay. Are we supposed to pack it all up and go back? How are we going to do that? - Mills says.

-Do I have to act like I love this place? Is that what a 'good wife' would do? - Now they stop the air; another spark can be noticed.

Billy lowers his head and leans in a bit.

"There's a lot of pressure on me... I..."

"And there's a lot of pressure on me. I'm here with you," Tracy comments, somewhat lost.

-I know. I know... - Mills comments.

Mills moves towards the outdoor entrance. He's seeing something. The strange man's voice is still heard off-screen. Tracy moves to a high wooden shelf, trying to reach a bag of rice, back to Mills.

-I'm not going to close my eyes and block everything out, David. I'm not going to act like you've taken us to some kind of paradise. I can't... - Tracy says.

She grabs the rice and turns around. Mills isn't there. She sighs, annoyed, and looks around. She walks towards the entrance and sees him.

An old lady with a cane appears. In front of the stall, Mills has run to the street corner to help a very elderly woman with a cane. The old woman smiles at Mills and takes him by the arm as he helps her down from the curb and across the street. He talks to her as they go.

That gesture melts Tracy; she shakes her head, moved, amazed by her husband's simple boy scout behavior.

Mills deposits the old lady on the other side. She thanks him and pats him on the cheek. Mills returns to the fruit stand, proud of himself. A car screeches to a halt and narrowly avoids hitting him. The driver leans out the window and shouts at Mills. Mills kicks the side of the car.

-Go to hell. Screw you, asshole! I'm walking here, - Mills shouts.

Tracy rolls her eyes with amused disappointment. She sighs again.

-I'm sorry... I couldn't let that pass. I never had the chance to do that. But can we start the argument right where we left off? -

The fight is over now Mills melted Tracy, even Gwyneth, inside desires a more expressive, affectionate Billy, although they both have similarities, both are workaholics, both Billy Carson and David Mills, are more similar now that he identifies how they both act.

She can only look delighted at Mills/Billy.

-What? - David comments again.

Tracy wraps her arms around Mills from behind and kisses him. He holds her.

A voice is heard in the background.

-That was the theme from The Mod Squad television show. I'm surprised no one got that, - the strange man comments.

An old man tries to navigate the aisle where Tracy and Mills are kissing; the camera begins to pull away, dictating a large frame of the entire fruit shop.

"Cut."

-You were amazing, - Billy says.

-We have to redo it again, now from your angle. It's not pleasant, - Gwyneth says.

***

Billy at the movie