Life in the Bronx was riddled with challenges, and for a vagabond, it was even more fraught with peril.
Before deciding to experience life in the Bronx as a vagabond, Renly had actually considered other options.
One was to follow the setting of the male lead in "Detachment", using a school as the experiential setting. Renly wouldn't need to become a teacher; he could simply enter the school and observe the students as a bystander, which would be sufficient. Another option was to move to the Bronx for a period of time, not just the two weeks before shooting but for the entire duration of filming, truly immersing himself in the daily life of the area.
Considering that Henry was originally not a vagabond but a genuine teacher, both of these options were closer to the character and relatively safer. Most importantly, they were simpler.
However, this time was different.
Renly wasn't experiencing the life of the character, nor was he trying to interpret the character through Method or experiential acting techniques. What he needed was to observe as a bystander, to blend into the life of the Bronx as an ordinary person. From this perspective, he needed to detach from Henry's character itself, from the state of despair and suffering that character experienced, and feel the daily lives of the local residents more objectively and subjectively, vividly and closely, especially those of the teenagers.
That was one aspect of it. Besides this, there was something even more important to consider.
"Fast 5" was currently in full swing at the box office, still the best-performing film in the summer box office so far. The movie's posters were everywhere, and the movie theater next door even had Renly's solo poster hanging at its entrance. If he appeared as "Renly Hall" in his original appearance, it would inevitably attract some attention, or even cause a commotion. If that happened, it would deviate from his original intention and disrupt the rhythm of the residents' lives, causing unnecessary trouble.
Though Renly wasn't a top-tier megastar like Tom Cruise, he was no longer an unknown nobody.
After comprehensive consideration, Renly still chose the lifestyle of a vagabond. He knew the difficulties and challenges he was about to face, as well as the consequences and impact of his choice. But after the recent tumultuous times, bathed in the media spotlight, Renly's thirst for acting had been reignited. He vividly recalled all the experiences during the filming of "50/50", that hunger and thirst driving him to eagerly immerse himself in the preparations for "Detachment".
This excitement and anticipation, flowing in his veins, burned fiercely.
Even though he was mentally prepared, even though he was filled with boundless anticipation, the reality of life in the Bronx far exceeded his imagination and dealt Renly a heavy blow.
Five days ago, on a night when he successfully secured a spot at McDonald's, curled up on a sofa by the window, he fell into a deep slumber. In the middle of the night, he was awakened by a series of fragmented noises. Gazing out at the dark, desolate scenery outside the window, he groggily searched for the source of the sounds.
Then, he saw gunfire in the night, like a small, fleeting firework, unimpressive and no larger than a fist, disappearing in an instant.
The sound was unlike what he had heard in movies. It was dull, heavy, as if a massive stone had plunged into the sea, suppressing any ripples. It wasn't imposing or grand.
The sound rumbled for a moment and then fell silent, like a ship sailing on a calm sea in the dead of night. The waters were still, but everyone knew something had happened. Yet, the calm exterior revealed no signs of the turmoil within, leaving them all on edge.
One minute, five minutes, time seemed to lose its meaning. Then, two black figures rushed past in haste, their bodies drenched in blood, their faces, hands, and clothes covered in large patches of crimson. They resembled wounded dogs, fleeing frantically. Their figures swiftly passed by the entrance of McDonald's and vanished into the thick night as if they had never been there. But Renly knew he wasn't seeing things.
That night came to an end like that, somewhat anticlimactic. However, the next day, Renly saw the news: "Gang Clash Erupts in the Bronx, Seven Dead, Fourteen Injured." It was only at this moment that Renly truly grasped the essence of the Bronx.
In this area, seemingly unrelated to Manhattan, nobody cared about the future, nobody cared about dreams, nobody cared about freedom, and nobody cared about the meaning of life. Survival was their top priority. It wasn't just about the warmth of the night or the next meal; it was a matter of real life-threatening significance.
Having gone through all this, Renly found the street girl he had seen earlier suddenly seemed much gentler. Hidden beneath the roughness and brutality was a cold, indifferent demeanor.
Renly couldn't fathom what it was like to live in such an environment, let alone grow up in it. Whenever hope began to rise, it was snuffed out, suppressed. Hope seemed as if it had never existed at all. These were children who couldn't even be called "men and women". They were adolescents who hadn't yet seen the full picture of the world, who lacked self-judgment, and whose naive souls wandered aimlessly.
In the United States, the crime rate among black people remained high. As a result, white middle-class individuals began to blame them for lacking education, discipline, and organization, which further exacerbated racial discrimination and even increased the likelihood of white police officers resorting to gunfire when handling the cases of black people.
In reality, this was a complex and serious social issue influenced by various factors, including economics, education, culture, and historical legacy. When society refused to offer more tolerance, the upbringing environment of these black youth remained unchanged, leading to a vicious cycle and persistent high crime rates. The Bronx was a typical representation of this.
Within this situation, the lack of education undoubtedly played a crucial role. The absence of family education, the negligence of school education, and the disregard for social education left young black people facing cycles of confusion and disorientation. It wasn't just African Americans; the regional disparities caused by income inequality affected Latinos, Italians, Asians, and others living in the Bronx in the same way.
In the script of "Detachment", the true thematic core was not about race. Tony and Carl enriched the tapestry of students' racial backgrounds, including Asian, Latinx, and African-American characters, yet they focused the spotlight on white individuals. The essence of the story resided in its narrative about the profound impact of socioeconomic disparities and educational shortcomings on the younger generation, as well as their far-reaching effects on society.
One could even interpret the school portrayed in the script and the messages conveyed by the characters as a revelation of the current state of American education.
Renly felt a sense of fortune in choosing to wander the streets as a homeless person. It allowed him to experience the genuine Bronx—a Bronx teetering on the edge of peril and uncertainty. The urgency and fear hanging over their heads, the cautious way of life they led, portrayed the most essential aspects of existence.
Casually bundling up his clothes, securely wrapping his camera within, and nonchalantly tossing it into the adjacent canvas bag, Renly stood up and walked toward the intersection. On the diagonally opposite street corner, two or three young girls began to appear intermittently.
The term "women" might not be entirely accurate; they were girls. They looked no older than twelve or thirteen, having just possibly graduated from elementary school.
However, at this moment, they were heavily made up, wearing colorful wigs, leopard prints, and checkered tank tops, paired with red or lemon-yellow shorts, and black fishnet stockings, all topped off with weathered studded ankle boots.
Their young faces were adorned with amateurish makeup, and they cheerfully criticized each other's poorly applied makeup, taking out makeup wipes to attempt a do-over.
Renly knew they were all juvenile prostitutes. Being underage, they couldn't seek clients at fixed establishments like bars or pool halls. Instead, they roamed the streets or took buses in search of potential clients or those interested in them. The price for a night's service was highly variable, ranging from fifty dollars to a sandwich or even a beating.
As he watched them, a twinge of compassion passed through Renly's eyes. He wasn't a saint or Jesus, but his moral compass burned hot in his gut.
"What about you? Interested?" a seductive voice whispered in his ear. Turning his head, he could see a young girl. She had tanned skin and cascading black hair, likely of Latinx descent, and appeared to be around fourteen, though her features were not entirely discernible beneath her heavy makeup.
Her suggestive gaze was enticing Renly, and if that wasn't clear enough, her right hand was subtly exploring Renly's arm, which was rather direct.
Renly couldn't help but find the situation utterly ludicrous. How desperate must she be to end up seeking something from a homeless man? Yet, Renly was well aware that many homeless individuals had some means tucked away, making an encounter with a prostitute not out of the question.
"Are you certain you've caked on enough foundation for your left eye?" Renly rasped, his voice rough and filled with disdain. Beneath that layer of foundation, a bruise lay hidden. Having uttered those words, Renly paid no further heed to the young girl, dragging his canvas bag as he crossed the zebra.