Burton was going to film a scene of catching rape during "The Spring Festival Night". He really didn't have the courage to do it. The director originally didn't agree with him to ask for leave, but when he saw him crying, he had no choice but to ask him to go back early. He regarded George as himself. He couldn't bear seeing Taylor cheating. It really hurt his spirit to play the tragedy too much, and he didn't recover for a long time after filming this scene.
The following is the text translation:
Richard Burton always feels insecure. One night in early September, Richard casually asked Lehman if he could end the shooting early, which meant that he would not complete all the scheduled scenes for today. He explained that Elizabeth's sons were going to school the next day, and he wanted to spend more time with them tonight.
Lehman said he was sorry, but he couldn't allow it because they needed to complete the key scene between George and Sandy Dennis's role (female).
It was an exciting scene. The moment George's usual bluff suddenly broke down, he cried, which made Dennis look up at the window, her husband was having an affair with Martha.
Lehman refused his leave, and Burton didn't seem to resist. But soon after, he made the same request to Nichols.
Eventually the director discovered the real situation, "We are not in trouble," he told Lehman, "The man was in tears. The story that Elizabeth's son was leaving and had to go home was just a cover for him. He tried, and he did his best. It’s just that he feels that he can’t continue this scene. He has always been afraid of this scene... He has paid so much in the evening that he feels that he can’t hold on to the end.”
There was nothing they could do, they could not force him to continue shooting, and Nichols reluctantly announced that tonight is over. Burton said he was very sorry, and he promised that the first thing the next night would be to film the scene. In the end he did it, very skillfully.
Burton's George is the calm part of Elizabeth's Martha Storm. Her part is more gorgeous, but in many ways, the role of George is more difficult. He admits that his "natural self" wants to make this character more aggressive and powerful, but he has learned to accept Elizabeth's domination and leadership.
His respect for Nichols played a role. "I totally listen to him," Burton revealed. "For the first time in my life, I worked with a director like this-I do what he says."
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