10 Actors Who Received Super Specific Training For Movie Roles
1. The Cast Were Put Through A 19th Century Boot Camp - The Village
M. Night Shyamalan's The Village purports to take place in a 19th-century Pennsylvania village, and though - spoiler! - it actually takes place in the present day, to help create an air of authenticity Shyamalan put the film's entire ensemble cast through their paces.
Before shooting started, the filmmaker had the cast take part in a "19th century boot camp," where for three weeks they reportedly gave up hot running water, mobile phones, and computers, while also learning how to plough fields and even camp out in the woods.
Joaquin Phoenix spoke highly of the experience while also noting its rigours:
"It was really just an opportunity for us to just really focus on the film. It enabled us to get to know each other and to develop our relationships in character, which I think is important. There are some actors that really embrace a huge part… and then there are others on their cell phones all the time.
We ploughed the fields. That's some work. I mean, no joke. That's like every muscle in your body, and that I didn't enjoy at all. I also had trouble starting the fire - I was there for 24 hours rubbing sticks together. Everyone else had gone to dinner and I'm still there. Finally I just took out my lighter."
While it's probably fair to assume that some of the more senior A-list cast members like Sigourney Weaver and William Hurt might've elected to skip the more strenuous tasks, it's still an impressive commitment to creating an illusion on Shyamalan's part - divisive though the big reveal ultimately is.