Ben Affleck not only starred in the 2016 crime drama ‘Live by Night’, but also directed, produced, and wrote the play. A hairy film around a temporary bootlegger and a prisoner who forms a major criminal empire in Ybor City. The movie is a star-studded work with Elle Fanning, Chris Messina, and Zoe Saldana appearing next to Affleck. Although the film, unfortunately, received a warm welcome from critics and viewers, it still played a role in the fans of Affleck’s work. Since the movie was set at some point in history (1926), you may want to know if the storyline is tied to reality. If so, let’s take a snapshot of it.
Is Live by Night Movie a Real Story?
‘Live by Night’ is not based on a completely real story. Ben Affleck directed the movie from his screenplay, composing it from Dennis Lehane’s most entertaining novel with the same name. The events of this movie are often followed by a book. Lehane initially thought the movie would fail to comment on the deception, shame, and modesty that shaped Joe Coughlin’s character. However, the test has removed his doubts, as he sees Affleck doing a commendable job by bringing out the peace of the original.
However, the book contained 401 pages, so Affleck was relieved. The book retains a three-dimensional structure – it chronicles the life of Joe Coughlin during his years in prison in Boston, and Ybor City, finally Cuba. By comparison, the movie almost followed his time in Ybor City. However, with Affleck defending David Fincher’s gig ‘Gone Girl,’ production was actually delayed. The movie took almost two years to make, making it one of the longest-running projects directed by Affleck.
Making a movie was very difficult for Affleck for many reasons. First, Warner Bros. would not allow him to make a three-hour film, and they needed some change. This puts a damper on the freedom of art that he can take. On the other hand, the actor, director, and screenwriter reportedly had much to do with his private life. You may find it interesting to note that Affleck viewed Leonardo DiCaprio as a leading role, but DiCaprio chose to replace him as a producer. Adam Driver and Jon Bernthal were both watched, but Affleck decided to excel in his career.
In addition, there are many other features of the film that are far from real, including the fall. Apparently, it was added over time by the CGI, and people seem to be aware of the real touch – how the ice settles and melts afterward. According to Affleck, the previous edits were not the most developed, but the results team began to capture the situation during post-production. In addition, the movie has gone through a lot of digital cleansing, with a few touches here and there. The porch structure outside the dance hall was filmed using CGI.
Affleck had his epiphany time as they filmed a scene involving Klan members wearing their uniformed hats and flaming arrows. This was when he realized what the real thing must have been like. Back nationally marred by racism, the Ku Klux Klan was a reality. Like a book, the movie spends a lot of time giving viewers a full account of the hateful group. If you look at all of these factors, it would be good for the movie to remain for strong reasons, even though its narrative is false.
Related- Is Destination Wedding Based on A Real Story or Interpretation?
