The Ice Rink

Yes, death can be dangerous, Sarah.

Around the coffee table, a few crew members chat, drinking coffee in plastic cups.

The assistant dashes by, pours some orange juice for herself, downs it in one gulp.

An electrician

What are we waiting for?

The assistant (looking up in the air)

The double. I must be dreaming, we’re waiting for a double. The actress is ready, the lighting is done, the director is ready... and we’re waiting for the double.

She dashes off.

The sound engineer (eating a croissant)

I’m not saying anything... (Pause.) You know that joke... he doesn’t say anything, I don’t say anything. (He starts telling his joke: he doesn’t say anything, I don’t say anything).

While waiting for the double to arrive, the director agrees to give an interview for the TV reporter.

Lying on his back, his limbs in casts and covered with bandages, he answers questions on the relationship between literature and cinema, on his way of working, on his literary and cinematographic influences.

The director

Writing, writing books, for me, takes place over a long period of time, something regular, something heavy that is put in place, like a plough, something that advances and sometimes retreats, rather than something with jumps or paradoxes. Cinematographic technique is different from literary technique, not really easier or more difficult. I don't have the impression that I'm limited by the camera, I find the same liberty in film as in literature. But in film, the ideas are prepared more fully, it's longer, heavier...

During the entire length of the interview an attendant walks the director's rolling bed over the ice, back and forth, calmly.

The actress walks along at the director's bedside, holds his hand, soothes him.

The TV reporter skates slowly beside the rolling bed, filming from the shoulder, asking questions.

The director answers his questions

When the interview is done, the assistant comes over to the director.

The assistant

We're ready.

The director's rolling bed is brought next to the camera.

The cinematographer is installed on his back on the sled, wearing a helmet.

He holds the camera on his shoulder.

The director (looking at the cinematographer)

Maybe you should have a thingummy for your teeth.

The cinematographer

A thingummy?

The director

Yes, a thingummy for your teeth. When you film from the shoulder you have to protect your teeth...

The assistant goes to find an old plastic boxer's mouth guard for the cinematographer.

The cinematographer sticks it in his mouth.

The cinematographer (in a slightly deformed voice)

I’m ready.

Suddenly the door opens at the top of the ice rink and the actress's double appears.

He's a small stocky bald fellow dressed in a long red dress.

He has hairy legs, and he wears old basketball sneakers.

He has a blond wig in his hand.

The director

This is Maurice. (To the actress, aside) I know he's not as good-looking as you, but he's the only specialist in stunts on ice in the business. He's Sudden death. (To Maurice) So, you're going to stand in for Sarah.

The double (modest, referring to the actress)

Yes, we've met. In makeup.

The actress, (smiling)

Ah-hah, it's possible, I don't remember.

The actress and the double shake hands, each dressed in the same sumptuous red dress.

In her skates the actress is a whole head taller than Maurice.

An assistant comes with an open box where several guns are lying on a superb blue velvet cushion.

The director picks up the guns in turn, feels their weight, looks them over, aims at the actress, the assistant, the double, the ceiling, finally chooses a big one.

The director

Is it loaded? (He fires into the air. There follows a terrifying explosion. The baby's lullaby soother goes off.) Right, good, it's loaded. Leave us alone a moment. (To the actress) So, Sarah, you are going to die now. Pray. (He smiles.) (then seriously) You run over the ice and at my signal (he shows the gun) you are fatally hit in the back, and you collapse onto the ice, you slide slowly another few meters over the ice to come die in the arms of your lover. We'll do the last scene with Sylvester this afternoon.

The actress (going pale)

But how do you know that Sylvester has become my lover?

The director

I don't know anything, I've just got out of the hospital. I mean in the film. (Tired) Really? Sylvester has become your lover? (He looks at the gun, thoughtfully. He looks at the actress, the gun, the actress. He hesitates.) Anyhow, Maurice will be standing in for you in this scene.

The double

I'll be the one dying in the arms of your lover.

The double gets ready for a rehearsal.

At the director's signal, he launches forward, he runs on the ice, facing the camera.

When two bullets hit him in the back he collapses onto the ground, slides over the ice on his belly for a few metres.

At the end of the rehearsal, the double is asked to stay in his final position and not to move while measurements are taken.

His position is marked, the depth of field is measured with the camera tape measure.

The double is lying on the ice, in the sumptuous red dress, with his blond wig, his face less than a metre from the camera.

Discretely, the actress comes over and has a look through the camera's viewfinder.

She finds herself face to face with a tight close-up of Maurice.

The actress (to the director)

I'll do the scene myself.

At one of the extremities of the ice rink the actress, hands on her nose to help her concentrate, waits in her starting position facing the sled.

The double is busy beside her, script in hand.

The double (to the actress)

Right, so you see the scene's importance in the script. It's the end of the film, it's a sort of appeasement, we're fulfilled, we're at peace, we've made it to him. It's an accomplishment.

Irritated, the actress nods her head.

The actress (to the director)

Tell me, what am I feeling exactly in this scene?

The director (hesitant, with great consideration)

Oh, it doesn't really matter. (He thinks) Just run straight ahead. (Thinking again.) Tell me, Maurice, would you mind loaning Sarah your sweatsuit?

The double

Not at all, not at all. My pleasure. And the skidproof shoes as well?

The director

Yes. She should try them on.

The double takes off his filthy, skidproof sneakers, gives them to the director.

The director takes them unwillingly.

The double takes off his sweat pants from under the sumptuous dress, pulls off his kneepads and his shinpads.

The director (handing the snekers to the actress)

Here, Sarah, try them on. They should fit. You wear what size, Maurice?

The double

Thirty-nine.

The director

And you, Sarah?

The double (looking at the actress’s feet)

Oh, you’re much bigger than a thirty-nine, huh?

The director (irritated)

Listen, Maurice... (Pause) (sweet as honey) You don’t know how to talk to an actress.