TV - Movies
Nicolas Cage Had An
Incredibly Difficult
Time Filming
This Butcher's Crossing Scene
By KIM BELL
The Nicolas Cage renaissance is still going strong and the veteran actor’s next big project has him playing a 19th-century grizzled and experienced buffalo hunter, named Miller. Given the inherent grit and complexity of the story, it's perhaps not surprising that Cage had some difficulty filming one of its more visceral scenes.
The 1800s saw the population of American Bison decrease sharply and in one particularly gruesome shot, Cage's Miller slaughters a number of these animals in a furious and seemingly unnecessary attack. Cage found the scene “disgusting,” but he added, "I'm glad I could put it on camera because I'm not afraid to be ugly and to show the darker side of our nature."
Though Cage insisted that the film was not, in his words, "a message movie," he did say, "It maybe holds a mirror and is reflecting what we're capable of.” The film is a sharp departure from the well-known pet lover's surprise 2021 hit "Pig," wherein his character has an unassailable bond with the titular animal.