Matt Damon Talks Climactic Scene in The Martian, Ridley Scott's Unorthodox Direction
Matt Damon flourished in The Martian, providing a relatable and hilarious performance amidst the grim circumstances, enforcing on us a character that is so easily likable that the film triumphs almost solely on that basis.
Of course, it's not without its drama, and its circumstances create a compelling narrative (courtesy of Andy Weir, author of the novel). During a recent screening of the film at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Damon discussed Ridley Scott's strange yet effective tactics for drawing a response from his actor.
"The rest of the cast had already wrapped and it was just Ridley and I," Damon said. "He got the sound from their side of the scene and he piped it into my helmet, but didn't tell me he was going to do it. So suddenly I heard the voices of my friends and it struck me I hadn't heard another voice for years. I'd been communicating by email.
"These people were coming to save me, these people who had sacrificed a year of their lives for me. And I just wept. It wasn't planned or force, it was about him creating an environment."
It's a fascinating exploration of a method actor responding to a directors techniques, and it certainly sounds unique. Praise for both actor and director's performances indicates that there was success in these methods.
Source: Variety
