After filming a few sniper scenes, Matthew finally had a day off, and Clint Eastwood took the opportunity to move deeper into the small town serving as the set location, shooting some urban combat scenes.
Urban warfare is brutal, especially for Iraqis who harbor an extreme hatred for invaders. Driven by faith, they are fearless.
The extensive "people's war" waged by Iraqis, deeply scarred by the U.S. military, is formidable and ingenious.
Car bombs and suicide bombers are common tactics.
Matthew stood behind Clint Eastwood's director's chair, watching the filming process.
A squad of American soldiers moved cautiously through a ruined building, approaching a door that blocked their view. Scott Eastwood, leading the team, gestured with a tactical hand sign, prompting a soldier to move forward, kick down the wooden door, and allow two soldiers to sweep into the room with weapons aimed, the others on high alert. Their movements displayed top-level tactical skill.
Inside the room, the cries of women and children could be heard.
"Let me see your hands!" one soldier shouted in Arabic.
"All clear!" another soldier called out.
Scott Eastwood entered as the soldiers carefully searched the room, finding no weapons or dangerous items.
In the room were only women and children—an elderly woman with wrinkled skin like bark, a younger woman wearing a headscarf who shrank back in fear, and two children hiding behind them.
Seeing this, most soldiers relaxed their guard. But as they were about to leave, the young woman suddenly lowered her hands and pulled out a Russian-made grenade from beneath her black robe, right around her waist. Without hesitation, she pulled the pin, showing no concern for the two children behind her.
Gunfire erupted instantly, and Scott Eastwood leaped out of the doorway.
Director Clint Eastwood called for a cut, and the cast exited the room as the pyrotechnics team entered to prepare for the explosion. Ten minutes later, they resumed filming, and the room was engulfed in a massive blast, with fake American soldiers blown apart in gory fashion.
The set echoed with simulated screams of agony.
This scene didn't include Chris Kyle, so Matthew hadn't attended prior rehearsals or examined the set closely. Seeing this ambush meticulously designed by Clint Eastwood, he couldn't help but marvel that the "grenade-in-the-crotch" trick had made it to Iraq.
He never imagined he'd see this tactic appear in a Hollywood production.
On reflection, it made some sense.
Arab women often wear long robes that cover them from head to toe, often with loose pants underneath.
He hadn't researched Arab women's attire, so he could only guess. If the pants were loose enough, the waistband might be spacious enough to conceal a grenade. Even a vigilant person might not think to check such a place.
Of course, Chris Kyle's original memoir didn't mention this "secret weapon" trick, and Matthew hadn't suggested it either. It was entirely the brainchild of the production crew.
After all, even if American soldiers are notorious for their poor discipline, they can't just strip a woman's clothes on suspicion alone.
Hollywood's creativity truly knows no bounds.
Matthew could only marvel at this. It also reminded him of an online post he once read.
Supposedly, during World War II, his country had assembled a powerful Red Hero Alliance to win the war, with legendary figures capable of tearing enemies apart with their bare hands and intercepting armored trains by leaping into the air on bicycles. But these weren't enough to guarantee victory. To ensure a quick win, they sought the mythical ultimate weapon—the "Infinite Stash."
The grenade-in-the-crotch tactic spread like wildfire on that side of the world, widely known among the masses. It was said that one grenade could destroy an enemy bunker, but if one could hide six different grenades, they would gain ultimate explosive power. However, no one knew exactly how powerful it could be, because the Infinite Stash capable of holding six grenades was said to be lost to history.
The crew went on break, and Scott Eastwood came over to the director's monitor, but the old-school Clint Eastwood promptly rejected his request to view the footage.
"All these years…" Scott Eastwood watched his father walk away and turned to Matthew. "He's still as stubborn as ever."
Matthew replied coolly, "Sticking to tradition isn't always a bad thing."
Scott Eastwood just shook his head.
Matthew said nothing further; the relationship between Clint Eastwood and his son was generally good, though occasional disagreements were inevitable.
"No conflict, no family," as the saying goes.
"Oh, by the way, Matthew." Scott Eastwood asked, "Chris Kyle once took down a target from over 1,900 meters away. Is he the best sniper?"
Matthew thought for a moment. "Probably… not."
Scott Eastwood was intrigued. "Who could be better?"
"I don't know," Matthew shrugged. "There are always stories. The legendary snipers in stories are always better than the real ones."
He certainly wouldn't tell Scott Eastwood about those legends claiming snipers could take out machine gunners from miles away.
In some stories, the true masters are always hidden among the common people.
For instance, the expert killed at nine, with a grandson who would avenge him.
The grenade-in-the-crotch tactic had taken out several American soldiers and even wounded Scott Eastwood's character. In the final cut, this would serve as one of the main motivators for Chris Kyle's return to Iraq from North America.
The next day, Matthew resumed filming. As he got deeper into the role, he increasingly understood the character's psychological state—or rather, the state that Clint Eastwood and the film wanted for the protagonist.
Matthew tried to maintain a calm, grounded portrayal, showing no excessive emotion or anguish in most scenes as he looked down the scope of his sniper rifle, his bearded face devoid of overt feeling.
Clint Eastwood kept communicating with him throughout filming.
"For a biographical film," the old cowboy told Matthew, "strict chronological order and quick, simple cuts to the four times the protagonist went to the Iraq war are the best ways to tell this story from a detached perspective. You need to give us a character that feels authentic and believable."
Some people questioned the truthfulness of Chris Kyle's memoir, criticizing it as a crude portrayal of Americans as the good guys and everyone else as the bad guys.
Of course, no one would naively believe that this memoir was entirely factual.
But that hardly impeded the film adaptation. How many Hollywood biopics could even claim to be 90% truthful?
In the movie, the protagonist's primary concern is survival—for himself and his comrades. As more comrades fall, his anger and grief simmer beneath the surface, leaving him caught between the era and his fate.
For Matthew's portrayal, each shot represents a life. By the time he's killed over a hundred people, all he cares about is his comrades' safety.
Only in this way could the protagonist become widely accepted by audiences.
He is a courageous defender, not an aggressor.
Yes, this depiction is bending the truth, but audiences know what America did in Iraq. Still, Matthew had done market research; viewers don't want to see soldiers as emotional wrecks struggling with suicidal thoughts but as heroic figures.
Knowing this, why would they deviate from a proven formula and risk failure?
Since most American audiences crave a hero, Matthew would continue delivering one.
As for reflection and remorse, let the artsy directors and actors handle that.
By mid-November, after shooting wrapped in the desert town, Chris Kyle and Taya Kyle visited the set, and Matthew continued discussing the character based on Chris Kyle's life.
Chris and Taya Kyle were very pleased with the character's portrayal; no one wants to look weak-willed on the big screen.
Although Margot Robbie wasn't involved in the shoot, she often visited the set. She had the chance to meet Taya Kyle this time and consulted her on how the couple interacted.
Chris Kyle was deeply affected by being attacked by someone he had helped, and his friend was killed right in front of him. Matthew could sense this impact during their conversations.
People are complex; Matthew himself is complex, and so is Chris Kyle.
On one hand, Chris Kyle wanted fame and wealth; on the other, he genuinely wished to help fellow veterans.
Considering their friendly rapport, Matthew advised him to let professionals handle professional matters. Healing psychological trauma was best left to mental health professionals. As a well-off former sniper, he could help in supporting roles.
After all, not every veteran has an easy life.
If he encountered another Eddie Rouse, who might resent his success and take a shot from behind, even the best sniper couldn't stop a bullet in his back.
The desert shoot continued until mid-November, after which Matthew left the crew and returned to Los Angeles to handle other projects. "Twilight" was set to release its fourth installment over Thanksgiving.
_________________________
[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!]
[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]
[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]