buildings or other structures of unimaginable height and diving
across them, often leaping from rooftops. Bay loved the idea and
the character known as "4" or "the Skywalker" (in a clear nod to
Star Wars) was born. Now the writers had to figure out what to
do with him.
They decided that "4" would monitor the Florence chase from
the roof of the 600-year-old il Duomo Cathedral and, at a critical
moment, would run, then slide, down the outside of the dome as
a helicopter circled above.
"That beat within the sequence, locking down il Duomo, was the
most difficult for me," said Latella. Sometimes the sheer scale of
the shots and needs of the sequence made getting permissions
nearly impossible. "It was not uncommon for us to be finalizing
scenes and locations the day before we were set to shoot there,"
Latella recalled.
Ultimately, it took almost three months to secure the necessary
permissions to pull off the sequence at il Duomo. Bay would be
the first director allowed to shoot there and, once the approval
came, prep began almost immediately. "To protect the historical
surfaces and to rig all the safety equipment took some time,"
recalled Latella. Engineers, stunt riggers, a camera crew and
even the Storror parkour team (who were eventually brought
onto the film) were all involved in prep.
The company was ultimately given just a two-hour shooting
window from 6 to 8 a.m. while the museum was closed. The
crew finished rigging the day before the shoot, making its way
up through dark, narrow corridors to a spiral staircase rising 600
steps to the top.
"Not to sound cavalier," said Bryce, "but when you work with
directors like Mike who really push for the visuals … when he
has the idea to put an actor and his double on top of the dome …
nothing really surprises me. He asks for the best and he pushes
everyone, including himself to respond accordingly. Hopefully,
that's evident on screen."
The sequence at il Duomo required not just access to the historic
structure, but also clearing the streets below for the helicopter
and drone to make their approach. Tourists arriving the morning
of the shoot were diverted to a nearby holding area. "We had to
control everything from Piazza S. Annunziata to il Duomo and
all of Piazza Del Duomo which is a huge area!" said Latella. "We
also had to lock off four bridges, including (tourist Mecca) Ponte
Vecchio during the aerial work.
"On the day," said Bryce, "our pilot Fred North was probably
inside 60 feet from the top of the dome."
The Chase Continues: "David" and the Gallery
As the chase continues, there's a moment when two cars are
launched into the air in the middle of a piazza, smashing down on
either side of a 400-year-old statue in Siena. "That's all practical,"
said Bryce. "Those are real cars, driven by stunt drivers that hit
those ramps. Everyone was anxious about that statue because
we obviously didn't want to touch it. Happily, we didn't."
Photo courtesy of Netflix
