SET REPORT - THE OXFORD MURDERS
HARROW, LONDON,
13/14 FEBRUARY 2007
*note from Losillë: Alis not a paid reporter or news service, she is a fan. Elijah would want you to give her the credit she deserves. So... If you take the photos for your website please have the courtesy to leave her name on the photo.
Photos and story by: Alis
The Oxford Murders is a film directed by Alex de la Iglesia, starring Elijah Wood and John Hurt. Filming is taking place in London and Oxford, January to March 2007, and the film is due for release at the end of the year.
This is Alex de la Iglesia’s first English language work, following a series of acclaimed films in his native Spain. He’s done comedy and horror, and now he’s doing a good old-fashioned murder mystery - with added mathematics. The action is set in the early ‘90s, but the production design seems to be firmly rooted in an Agatha Christie version of England. Elijah Wood plays an American post-grad maths student at Oxford, and John Hurt is the Professor of Logic. A murder brings the two together, and when someone starts leaving mathematical clues, it’s up to them to try to solve the case.
Elijah in costume
Four hundred extras were needed
for a scene in a lecture theatre, and students from four London colleges
were bussed in. Added to this were many more fans of the actors, who had
heard about the production on the internet. The location was the Speech Room
of Harrow School, a beautiful old building in a suburb of London. We arrived
at the crack of 8.00 a.m., for breakfast and instructions from our extras
wrangler, Assistant Director Chris. No disturbing the actors as they are
working, no cameras on set, put your hand up if you want to go to the loo,
keep your appearance the same all day for continuity - no jacket on/jacket
off! Then we were off, walking up a steep hill to the Speech Room.
Once the extras were all seated, Alex the director asked us to applaud the actors coming on set. Elijah came first, dressed in jeans, a leather jacket and a hoodie, followed by John in a casual brown suit. John took a bow, and Elijah stood back and joined the applause. Elijah always treated John as the star, and behaved as if he himself was just another actor.
Watching these two actors work was a revelation. Elijah was sitting among the extras, then had to challenge something the professor had said in his lecture. As the director said ’rolling’ to start each take, Elijah would stand with his feet firmly planted, and go into his character as the idealistic student. His speech was word-perfect every time, always with the same inflections and timing. Even after repeating it 20 times, it sounded fresh.
A smoke machine was used on the stage.
John’s speech was technically difficult, with props, movement, changes of mood and pace, and mathematical concepts. His performance was stunning! He was that brilliant, arrogant, sarcastic professor. I’m sure Alex has loads of footage showing extras just staring at John in wonder, or smiling with the pleasure of seeing this close up. Then the next day, John couldn’t even say his lines properly for the first five takes. Alex has spoken in his blog (highly recommended) of the ways he has to trick, coax and coerce Mr. Hurt into giving a performance. Alex compares Elijah to a Ferrari, where you can just turn the key and drive off at high speed, and John to a juggernaut, with complex controls, but able to demolish walls when he gets going.
There were overhead shots, steady cam shots, shots from below and close-ups of John. Then we had audience reaction shots, with Alex conducting us in laughing, looking and muttering. We were rubbish at muttering! Then there were takes for sound, with Elijah standing in his spot saying his first line five different ways so we could do five different laughs.
Fifty of us came back the next day, for Elijah’s close-ups and a short second scene. The lighting had been changed, to a ‘natural’ light from two huge lamps shining into the windows from the road outside. When Elijah was lit, Alex said he looked like Jesus Christ, and he did look quite ethereal. He did his close-up in one take. The two actors constantly supported each other, always in position while the other did their hero shots, even though they were not on camera. No stand-ins! When John was asked to pretend to see Elijah through a crowd in the second scene, Elijah was right there in position so John could really see him.
In between takes, Elijah would sit quietly in the audience, doing crosswords and reading a magazine. He has a way of focusing that discourages interruption, even when surrounded by fans. The fans did get their autographs and photos though, in breaks. John would chat to the extras close to him while waiting for shots to be set up, and was charming. He did an autograph session at the end of the first day, and was mobbed.
The acting, camera work and attention to detail by Alex and his crew will make this a beautiful film to watch. Alex is a team person, taking sole responsibility for disasters, and giving thanks to all when things go right. He has the total respect of the British/Spanish crew. This made for a happy set, and we were treated very well, even if we were just human scenery! I can’t wait to see this film.
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