10 Times Movie Directors Went Too Far To Get A Scene

10. James Cameron - One Too Many Takes

By the late '80s, James Cameron had developed a reputation as something of a hard case, particularly after his tumultuous time on Aliens (1986). He maintained that reputation throughout the production of his next film, The Abyss (1989), even causing actress Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio to walk off set.

The shoot was difficult from the start. Much of the film's narrative took place beneath the ocean, and huge amounts of the filming schedule saw the cast submerged in an underwater set, in an abandoned nuclear power plant.

Shooting days would often stretch to 16 hours, with the cast and crew having to spend a significant amount of time in freezing cold and chlorine-filled water. Conscious of time delays, Cameron even insisted the cast take toilet breaks in their wetsuits. Add to that his tendency to be a ruthless perfectionist, and tensions ran high.

Towards the end of the film, Ed Harris' character attempts to revive his unconscious love interest, played by Mastrantonio. Eager to get things right, and hoping to drum up some real drama, Cameron insisted on doing numerous takes. Mastrantonio spent hours soaking wet, with Harris pounding on her chest.

After one particularly brilliant but emotional run, the cameraman informed everybody they'd ran out of tape and the moment had not been captured. Mastrantonio was so frustrated that she stormed off the set, yelling at Cameron to finish the scene without her.