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HULK WRITE
As Schamus explains it, the most grueling aspect of the project was finding a point of entry into the Hulk universe that would allow Lee to fully exploit the character's emotional and dramatic possibilities. "One of those points of entry was a specific plot element which we don't want to give away yet," Schamus says. "We spent a lot of time going through the various iterations of the Hulk story printed over the last 40 years and finding - especially in the early stages of the Hulk's life - some long-forgotten aspects of the story and his psyche, things about Bruce Banner's childhood, his relationship with his father and the question of where his rage comes from. It's a confluence of science, military and personal desire. All of those things started to take shape and generated a lot of excitement for Ang and myself."
The Incredible Hulk TV series, Schamus adds, was part of the "environment" as well, at least in terms of familiarity. "There are aspects of it that I admire, though we're not basing the film on anything from the show," he says. "It had a sense of existential melancholy that was effective, and it was something that was inspirational. I think to remain true to the comic book, you have to acknowledge that motion pictures are simply a different medium.
"We've attempted in a number of ways to maintain a spirit closer to the comic book by, in fact, removing ourselves from the usual 'long underwear' approach to the superhero in films. One is simply stylistic - that is to say that they're fine, and I think people will be surprised by the intensity of the way the relationship between graphic depiction and narrative in comic books is transformed into this film. We took very seriously the heart of the graphic novel, and at the same time, we knew we had to create a film that was simply not going to repeat key or beloved moments from 40 years of Hulk history but rather transform the world of the comic book into a fully realized motion picture."
Lee desires to use film - even one based on a comic book character - to offer commentary on the human condition. "That's important to me," he says. "Not just trees and rocks, but human nature and how everything fits in, and in this particular project, how science fits in. After all, entertainment art is an expression of how we feel, how we perceive this world, how we deal with it and each other. A movie is just a medium for that. I believe - or I made up my mind to believe - that the truth is hidden in the dark void, which is the Hulk. It's a truth for us. What we see is just a reflection; it's a cover of that. In reality, it's quite the opposite. That's how I take on the Hulk: I try to reach out to that ultimate fear, rage and freedom that you don't even know is hidden in your subconscious.
"That's my biggest hope, that when seeing this movie people will deal with their own inner Hulk. I won't call it demons because it's not all that bad. Instead, it's how you deal with hypertension, mystery, your own history - whether you like it or not - your own memory, your true self. The rage is the catalyst that brings out the other side of us. To me, that's more truthful - I hope the audience will get a taste of that in their own way. Not that I present a manual or an answer to tell anyone what it's like, but I hope the movie is provocation for them to deal with their own inner self."
Lee pauses for a moment, then lets out a laugh. "Such wishful thinking!" he says. "I hope that it comes true. I see the movie more as a provocation than a statement."
Schamus points out that it was his and Lee's ambition to embrace the difference between The Hulk and other superhero movies, particularly considering the notion that the Hulk is not a hero in the traditional sense.
"He's not a superhero in the way that other guys who suit up are," he says. "No matter how conflicted Silver Surfer, Daredevil or whoever may be, they're still capable of controlled, precise, intentional action. I don't think the Hulk necessarily has that. When you Hulk out, you don't say, 'How can I save all the people on a bus about to fall off a bridge?' Well, you can - if your instinct tells you that that's the sort of thing to do at the moment, but it's not part of the overall experience of Hulking out.
"Like a child who might think something was the right thing to do at a particular moment, there's an innocence to the Hulk. He's not bad; he's just not a guy who sits around and thinks about what good he can do. I think part of the discovery of the film is going to be the emotional and character development of the Hulk. He's not a static being or a single entity. Just like you develop, change, dream, think, respond, have emotions - the Hulk has all that, too."
Hulk producer Gale Anne Hurd, whose genre credits include The Terminator, Aliens, Armageddon and Clockstoppers, and who has been attached to this project for the past decade -- agrees with the notion that the Hulk is not a character "cursed" with superpowers who then decides to use those powers to fight evil.
"It's more complicated than that," she says. "It's a Jekyll-and-Hyde character conflict; it's as much man vs. himself as it is man vs. man ... or man vs. tank. That's what hooked Ang; that's why he was interested in making this film. There is a Jungian or Freudian complexity to the story. You can look at the Hulk as a Super id - The Hulk is not a typical comic book movie. We have the big canvas and fabulous action, but we also have compelling character issues to deal with. The Hulk has huge romp sequences, but with compelling characters - it's a hybrid. But the Hulk is not malevolent - he's a misunderstood character with an innocence about him."
Avi Arad, head of Marvel Studios and exec producer of each movie based on the company's characters, sees the Hulk as a creature that is extremely "absorbent." "It's like he's looking at the world for the first time," he says. "You have to look at the Hulk almost as a baby. Everything he's looking at is new and confusing to him."
"Anybody who's spent time around a 2-year-old has a pretty good idea of what the Hulk is like," Schamus adds.
Ok, Im out for a few hours, but when I get back on Ill post the next part...maybe even some new pics :o Later.