Deconstructing ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One’ | Unveiling an Intriguing Scene

“I am Christopher McQuarrie, director, writer, and producer of ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One.’” [MUSIC PLAYING] “What are we doing?” “Finding us a new car.” “The inspiration for this sequence actually came to me during the shooting of ‘Mission: Impossible Fallout’ when I was scouting locations for the chase scene in Paris. I stumbled upon a little Fiat 500 parked along the Seine River, and the idea of watching Ethan Hunt and Tom Cruise driving in a car like that struck me. When I pitched this idea to Tom, he immediately embraced the concept of a car chase with a touch of humor, something we hadn’t explored before. What’s intriguing in this scene is the chemistry between Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell. We captured their performances in two-shots, without any editorial control. It’s about showcasing their best moments simultaneously and building a connection between their characters. The action is secondary to the development of their reluctant bond, as they are forced together during the car chase, gradually turning into a team. Shooting in Rome is challenging, particularly with a Fiat, let alone on cobblestone streets that add an unpredictable element to Tom’s driving. The car feels like a character in the scene, along with Hayley’s flowing hair. We shot this part of the sequence on the Spanish Steps, where we were allowed to film as long as we didn’t physically touch them. To achieve this, we constructed three sections of the steps on a backlot, enabling us to drive cars down. The performance by Tom and Hayley here was extremely demanding, with jarring rides down the steps due to the car’s suspension. The moment when the cars roll over was shot in three stages: Tom drove down the steps, then we rolled an empty car, and finally, we built a padded interior for the actors to roll down the steps with the cameras rolling.”