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From the quintessential lover boy inTitanicto the revenging frontiersman inThe Revenant,Leonardo DiCaprio has played the gamut of roles that have showcased his vast talent. In Quentin Tarantino’sDjango Unchained, the star played one of his most vile characters, the southern slave owner Calvin Candie, and made the world despise him with his fantastic performance.
Apart from immersing himself into his roles, DiCaprio is also known to get involved wholly in the process of filming.The Aviatorstar gave Tarantino some valuable inputs on the now debunked science of phrenology, which played a big part in understanding the hateful nature of his character in the film.
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Leonardo DiCaprio Made Quentin Tarantino Tweak The Script ofDjango Unchained
In a scene fromQuentin Tarantino’sDjango Unchained, slave owner Calvin Candie played by Leonardo DiCaprio, cuts open a skull and elaborates on the science of phrenology to explain how the African race mentally differ from white people. This preposterous theory was then used by the character to justify slavery, owing to the ‘submissiveness’ in their brain.
While this science is now been officially considered wrong and inconsequential, it was DiCaprio who insisted that Tarantino incorporate elements of phrenology into the script to further accentuate the reprehensible nature of the character. ThePulp Fictionfilmmaker laudedThe Revenantstar for his complete dedication and involvment to not just his role, but to the film as a whole. In an interview that appeared inYouTube(viaOutstanding Screenplays), Tarantino said,
”I don’t think he ever thinks in terms of ‘I’m playing the good guy, Im playing the bad guy’. He couldnt help but realize that the guy was a repellent gargoyle. At the same time, he wanted to get a sense of who Calvin Candie is. How could this way of life actually exist in this time period?. It was actually his idea to bring in the whole phrenology aspect. He sent me a bunch of materials to read.”
DiCaprio’s research into his character’s mind and his brief to Tarantino to bring in elements of phrenology to flesh out the nuances, elevated that particular scene as well as the film.
Also Read:“There goes my next few hours”: Leonardo DiCaprio is Utterly Devoted to One Martin Scorsese Film That Made Him Feel “Entranced”
Leonardo DiCaprio Ate Raw Liver InThe Revenant
It is common knowledge thatLeonardo DiCapriohas pushed his limits as an actor by giving his wholehearted commitment to any role he has played. For his Oscar-winning performance inThe Revenant, theTitanicstar went to great lengths to not just look the part physically, but to also make his character more organic and authentic on screen.
Apart from filming in extreme weather conditions, DiCaprio put his taste buds through a big challenge by eating raw liver for a scene. Speaking toTimeoutabout why he chose to do this instead of using fake liver, the actor explained his difficult decision and said,
“Because the fake liver they gave me didn’t look real. Arthur, the Native American actor I was working with, had been eating liver all day while I was sitting there eating a big piece of Play-Doh. I had to give it a shot.”
Although DiCaprio only tried the raw liver twice, the effort was worth it, as his disgust and repulsion which was as real as it could get, came through absolutely organically on screen.
Also Read:“He was just phenomenal”: Leonardo DiCaprio Only Considers One Actor to Be the Greatest Ever Despite Never Talking to Him While Filming Together
Sharanya Sankar
Senior Writer
Articles Published :1230
Sharanya Sankar, Writer for FandomwireHaving completed her Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Sharanya has a solid foundation in writing which is also one of her passions. She has worked previously with Book My show for a couple of years where she gained experience reviewing films and writing feature articles. Sharanya’s articles on film and pop culture have also been published on Film Companion, a popular film-based website. Apart from movies and pop culture, her interests include music and sports. She has contributed over 650 articles to Fandomwire so far.
