Did Sean Gullette actually trepan himself in Pi (1998)?
In the final scene of Pi, we see the character depicted by Sean Gullette put a drill directly to a tumorous bulge on his head. There's a noticeable blood splatter and the character doesn't flinch. In the director's commentary, Aronofsky states:
Sean [Gullette] is a full-on method actor. We had an ambulance waiting.
Is this true?
Best Answer
I've just watched the scene, and if you look closely (when you can see his face in the mirror) you'll see that there's a strange texture on his head right around where he is about to drill. That is probably some piece of prosthetics / make up so he could drill into that without drilling directly into his own head.
It's also possible that he angled the drill in a way that it doesn't go perpendicularly into his head or the drill bit was a bit loose in the chuck so it's actually going into the drill instead of into his head. Different tricks could have been used.
The ambulance would be necessary in case he drilled too far into the prosthetics and ended up hurting himself, so that was a real risk.
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Is Pi 1998 based on a true story?
The film, Life of Pi, is not based on a true story and is a fictional story that is based on Yann Martel's novel of the same name that released in 2001. However, director Ang Lee wanted the film to have depth and realism. Steven Callahan, a survivor of the shipwreck that Lee requested to act as the film's consultant.Why Pi 1998 is in black and white?
The film was shot on black and white reversal film stock; Aronofsky aimed for high-contrast shots to give Pi a more "technically raw and spontaneous" look.What was Pi 1998 shot on?
The movie Pi, released in 1998 and directed by Darren Aronofsky, was shot on film using Aaton XTR Prod Camera, Bolex H16 Camera and Angenieux Lenses, Canon Lenses with Matthew Libatique as cinematographer and editing by Oren Sarch.Why is Pi rated R?
It includes scary, loud noises, a bleeding nose, dripping blood, and nightmarish imagery, like brains. A gun is shown, and there's some fighting, arguing, and chasing. Language is strong, with uses of "f--k," "s--t," and other words.Pi Explained | Classic Explained Episode 13
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Answer 2
I'd have to believe Pi would have been his last film if that were the case. He's made dozens since then.
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