Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One forced Ethan Hunt to face the demons of his past. The film also forced him into a tiny alley with two henchmen. And it did all of that at the same time with dual fights in Venice. That sequence was one of the movie’s best. It was also one of the most challenging to put together. How did the filmmakers combine two encounters—each filmed with different techniques and different actors—and make it feel like one coherent scene? Writer-director Christopher McQuarrie and editor Eddie Hamilton explain how in this exclusive look at a bonus feature from Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One‘s home release.
The alley fight between Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt and the team of Pom Klementieff’s Paris and another Entity henchman would have been a standout moment in a stand out movie all by itself. It was both beautiful and brutal. The same is true of the bridge duel between Haley Atwell’s Grace and Esai Morales. But by splicing them together the film heightened the intensity of both while also highlighting just how dangerous the Entity really is.
In this bonus feature with commentary from McQuarrie and Hamilton, we learn what went into making both halves work as one cohesive moment. The key turned out to be a simultaneous start to sync the two very different kinds of fights. From there, music cues, pacing, camera work, and the actors’ commitment came together to make movie magic.
Well, it’s magical so long as we don’t think about what happened after these two fights. (Though we’re hopeful Ilsa is actually just fine and enjoying this bonus feature right now.)
From Paramount Home Entertainment, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One One will be available to purchase on Digital 10/10. All bonus features will be available with a digital purchase. The blockbuster hit will debut on 4K Ultra HD SteelBook, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on October 31st.