Chapter 152: Bitches
"Looks like they've cleared out over there?" Standing on a slightly elevated dirt mound, Sean Connery gazed toward the Saving Private Ryan set and said to Mel Gibson, "It seems they've been forced to change their plans."
The old man stroked his full beard. A rare, hearty smile broke across his face—which had been gloomy for the past few years—shining brighter than the approaching midday sun. What could be more joyful than seeing a sworn enemy run into trouble?
"It's just a minor trick," Mel Gibson said, seemingly indifferent. "They'll adjust to it quickly enough."
Although it would cause some trouble for the young director he disliked, Mel Gibson understood that this was no big deal. The opposing crew would soon finish adjusting, and it was impossible for the Braveheart production to keep their horses pinned in this spot every day. According to the original plan, Braveheart would conclude all its filming after a week of shooting here. If everything went as smoothly as today, they might even finish in about four days.
He remembered the name Duke Rosenberg very clearly. In recent years, even the most ignorant person in Hollywood had heard of him. The man had risen too fast; in just a few short years, he had achieved commercial success that ninety-nine percent of Hollywood directors could never attain in a lifetime.
If Tom Cruise was the face of the "greenhorn clique" among actors, then Duke Rosenberg was absolutely its representative figure among directors.
Mel Gibson never hid his dislike for the man. It wasn't just because Duke had risen so fast—naturally making him unlikable to those who had struggled for a decade or more to find success—or the rivalry between their respective agencies, but also because of their clash at Cruise's party.
Conflict was a constant part of surviving in Hollywood, and Mel Gibson was more than happy to cause a little trouble for Duke Rosenberg.
Deep down, what he wanted most was to crush his rival on the screen. Now that both of them were directors, they ultimately had to let their work speak for them. If Braveheart could completely defeat Saving Private Ryan in both box office and critical acclaim, he would feel much more satisfied.