Cliffhanger
Italy - 1992
Cliffhanger was directed by Renny Harlin, Finland's most successful moviemaker in the history of Hollywood, Renny Harlin, still basking in the glow of Die Hard 2. Sylvester Stallone was the 'money', as they say in Tinseltown, cast as protagonist mountain rescue guru, Gabe, a man with a troubled past.
The film was based at Cinecitta Studios on the outskirts of Rome, a studio with an interesting history. Built on the orders of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1937, ostensibly to produce propaganda films, it subsequently became the home of Italian cinema most closely associated with Frederico Fellini (note: if you only ever see one Fellini movie try 'Amarcord').
Exterior locations were filmed in Cortina d'Ampezzo, a village of some 7000 inhabitants nestled high in the Dolomite Mountains just under 700Km from Rome. In its halcyon days of the 60s Cortina was a chic winter ski resort attracting the finest of Italy and Hollywood's glitterati to enjoy the on, and off piste fun. It remains a popular winter ski venue and if that's your sport there is no finer destination. Cortina offered perfect dramatic location scenery for Renny and his team to stage much of the high altitude mountain action. In addition to filming on the peak of the slopes, a false cliff-face was built so certain climbing sequences could be shot showing the spectacular Dolomite range in the background without mortally endangering Sly and the crew.
The EPK director (Electronic Press Kit), John Pattyson flew in from Los Angeles, the sound recordist, Sam Diamond and myself arrived from London. The following day unit publicist Pete who drove us up to the location greeted us. It's Monday May 11, 1992, day 26 of a 76-day shoot and on the way up Pete the Publicist remarked there was a really lovely cappuccino bar so we could have one before enduring the chill of the day. Sitting in the back of the 4x4, Sam and I glanced at each other both with a mirrored expression of 'think this may be a bad idea?' but we stopped, enjoyed our kick-start of caffeine and carried on. Access to the cliff top set was at first by the resort's ski lift, then completing the journey onwards and upwards by skidoo. A final few hundred meters hike and we arrived at the set top.
Despite the snow and altitude it was surprisingly warm, perhaps because spring was firmly knocking at the mountain's door, something that would come to trouble the shoot later. Brilliant cobalt skies contrasted with crisp white snow and craggy charcoal rock outlined the mountain profile. The altitude meant that UV was at a higher level than in the valley; so all the crew wore sunscreen. The Cinematographer, Alex Thompson, being the most seasoned crew member took no chances and went for a full face of zinc cream, a thick white paste giving him an eerie 'Kabuki' like appearance.
The first scene on the day's call sheet was the death of good guy 'Frank' played by Ralph Waite better known as Father of the Walton’s. A hail of bullets would rip through him aided by explosive squibs shrouded in blood bags. This was a 'one take' shot as to reset would take a long time. As we approached the filming area Renny spied us slinking up and began waving both hands frantically in the air, we all thought this was a warm greeting to the day, but as we arrived in earshot what we got was:
“Where the hell were you guys?”
“We did the shot five minutes ago!!!”
Not the best introduction to the shoot or the day. From then on I cringed if anyone suggested a coffee. Sam and I have always shared the view that it's always wise to get to the set, see what's going on THEN head for the refreshments. Later in the day the weather took a U-turn, the sky closed over and it began to snow. All films have contingency plans to accommodate the vagaries of weather (particularly shoots in Britain!) and the unit moved on for an alternative climbing shot with Sly. This was using the false cliff face but the shot was going to be a complex camera move combining a computer-controlled crane making a vertical move alongside Stallone ending with a top shot looking down the face of the mountain which, of course did not exist. The sheer drop below would be added in postproduction. I was amazed to see so much hi-tech kit shipped up a mountain, most being brought in by helicopter, all for a five-second shot.
SYLVESTER STALLONE
Sly was not called to set until all was tested and ready. This was the first time I had set eyes on him outside of the movies. He was smaller than I imagined but then most actors are (he' a bit taller than me and I'm 5' 8”) but his presence is undoubtedly Rocky/Rambo. His costume, a short sleeved T-shirt, no doubt designed to showoff his boxer biceps, offering little protection from the weather. He was 45 and looked at least 10 years younger. I offer height info not out of any personal obsession but the two questions I’m often asked is, “what are they like” and “how tall are they?” Which is understandable as most people don’t meet their screen idols. I can confirm most are much shorter than you think, often assisted by lifts in the heel of their shoes.
He greeted the crew with good humor despite the conditions and the great thing for me is he loves 'behind the scenes' so is happy to play to the camera to the point that he would even occasionally ask me to “roll video” so he could make a comment about the day – I love this guy.
Waiting for final checks, Sly would just sit in his chair in his T-shirt surrounded by three gas fires, the only apparent reprise from the cold (surely he could have put a coat on?) I never heard him grumble or make 'luvvie' demands, and of course he made the climb up the fibreglass cliff face look a breeze. A couple of takes later and we were done for the day.
On location in the Italian Alps
A general observation about Stallone, whether you like or dislike his films, discard all your prejudices because I can assure you Sly is a very intelligent, humorous, personable guy who does not play up the mega star status he had acquired. Remember this is the guy who wrote and directed RockyII so no fool. During filming a 6.1 magnitude earthquake woke Los Angeles and when the news reached the location in Italy we briefly stopped filming to watch CNN cover the story. I sat next to Sly as the images of the event played out. Sly just wryly commented, “Well, LA is the only town in America where your house can change zip codes?” which prompted a polite and deferential ripple of laughter. Looking at him sat next to me I could not help noticing he did have very good skin, not the sun battered handbag look you might associate with a man of his age and heritage, and certainly no signs of make-up or surgical intervention. I cheekily asked him how he managed this and he swiveled his eyes round to me and simply exclaimed, “Moisturiser!” This was well before the appearance of metrosexual man and the popularity and acceptance of male grooming and I was impressed with his honesty about his facial maintenance regime.
My next trip to Cortina was without the director (but with Sam) to cover a scene where the antagonist Qualan, played by John Lithgow, attacks Gabe (Stallone) with a helicopter! It's now June 28, 1992 and day 64 of a shoot now extended to 96 days.
The helicopter would chase Stallone along a rising plateau tilting its deadly rotor blades 45 degrees as it chased him up the slope. Well, naturally I thought this would all be done with special effects, or a stunt double, but to my shock surprise and secret delight Sly was going to do the shot himself. Rehearsals were done with a double supervised by stunt coordinator Joel Kramer. The helicopter was flown by veteran Mark Woolf, regarded as just about the finest helicopter pilot working in movies and it was his job to fly the helicopter at the required angle getting the blades as close to the surface while moving forward up the slope. The whole thing looked nuts and I still was in doubt Stallone would ever turn up for this one. Today, Health & Safety would have shut the whole thing down. Sure enough Sly turns up to watch the last technical rehearsal. Well, he turned to Renny at the end who just said: “Are you OK with that?”, then he turned to me and stared down the lens with a slight quizzical look of trepidation.
Three cameras were arranged towards the end of the run, all hugging the ground, each with a different focal length lens. This was presumably to make sure the shot could be captured in one take. I was permitted to shoot from behind the cameras taking in the entire scene. The helicopter circled in the sky poised for the signal to make the film run. Terry Miller, the 1st AD called for cameras to roll, the copter began its descent and tilt, heading for Sly who began his run, the blades could be see right behind him as the copter chased him up the slope, Sly ran right past me and the copter brushed over the top of all of us no fewer than a few meters. A body blow rush of downdraft washed over the site and it was over.
Sly, Renny and the camera crew rushed to watch the playback, it looked bloody amazing, Renny turned to me after the playback ended and uttered the words: “ Dangerous looking, but safe!”, and Sly who was obviously pumped up by what had just happened simply said to Renny: “let's do one more and go home” so the shot was set again and repeated. You can see the sequence as recorded on the DVD of Cliffhanger so I'm not making this stuff up!
Today that shot would have unlikely to ever have been tried, or a stunt double would have Sly's face pasted on him or the 2 shots done separately then mixed together. For me, it was some of the best access and coverage I have ever achieved, in no small part to Renny & Sly who were happy for me to record the event and a 1st AD who understood I needed to also be in the firing line. You can watch the sequence on the DVD extras of the Movie.
The final trip on Cliffhanger was back at Cinecitta in Rome where some sets had been built, we were also scheduled to do Sly's interview. I had not been to Rome before and to be in Cinecitta was a real bonus and privilege, I would spend the lunch break wandering round the corridors and backlot like a kid in a sweet shop.
The main set was an utterly unconvincing recreation of part of the exterior set in Cortina, a rope bridge across a water-laden cirque (bowl shaped depression). It was constructed as a set because Sly was to fall off the bridge, go through the frozen crust and into the ice water and it was just not practical to do it for real. Unfortunately it really did just look like a fibre glass set. You be the judge if you review the film.
We were given another stage to set up the interview which they had completed filming on. The only instruction I was given by the publicist was a request from Sly to set the light from the right. I have had requests like this before either because someone told them it's their 'best side' or habit or superstition? I set the camera and lights and we waited for Sly to become available. When he did arrive he took one scan of the set up and rolled his eyes up to the ceiling. You have to remember this guy has written and directed movies and knew exactly what was on offer here: “ No, No, it's light from the right and shoot from the right”, he exclaimed, I'd set it up in a conventional way for an interview. Of course I began to soil myself slightly thinking that was the end of the interview. However he calmly sat in place and asked me to turn the monitor to face him, then continued to instruct me how to rearrange all the equipment; which I dutifully did. After about fifteen minutes of a mad rejig he took a final look at the monitor, flexed his biceps for good luck then calmly suggested we begin. Of course soon as the camera rolled he delivered a tape full of classic promotional interview material.
The man is no fool when it comes to selling his movies I thought. I discovered later this apparent vanity setup request is regarding the mild lower left-sided paralysis of his face (apparently due to birth trauma). After the interview I cheekily thanked him for the lighting tips and thought, what the hell, it's the last day and we were finished now anyway so asked for a photo together. I looked forward to the day when I could get work on another of his movies however you now they say, “be careful what you wish for” - well it’s true as you will read later.
We packed up, returned to the hotel, and then went out to dinner in Rome courtesy of Publicist Pete. Great bonus of the job is you don't pay for this stuff, 'on the production'. Well, if you're going to eat Italian no better place than Rome, especially if someone else is paying? I even recall where we went for the evening, it was the Ristozante Ambasciata d’ Abruzzo and a perfect wrap to the work on this movie.
Production Budget: $70 million
Worldwide Box Office $255 million
I did get an opportunity to return to Rome in 1995, filming in the same studio working on Stallone’s next movie, ‘Daylight’. While Sly was as accommodating and affable as he was on Cliffhanger the vast majority of this movie was set inside the gloom of a road tunnel. A large section of the tunnel was built in Cinecitta studios and apart from the reprieve of some daylight during the lunch break it was all too depressing.
After enjoying the clear blue skies and crisp air of the Italian Dolomites the previous years I just could not work up enthusiasm to remain. So after the first trip out I declined to return when called to go back, pretending I was already booked on another job so couldn’t make it. As a self-employed cameraman I really should have just toughed it out, after all it’s just work in the end?