Upamanyu Biswas
‘Edge of Tomorrow‘ is a science fiction action film that features a catalog of visceral action sequences as a war between humanity and aliens breaks out on the beaches of Normandy. While the central focus of the Doug Liman directorial lies upon Tom Cruise’s character in the army, Major William Cage, the real show-stealing act comes from Emily Blunt, who plays Sergeant Rita Vrataski. Blunt looks incredibly musclebound and toned in her part as the Angel of Verdun, exuding a warrior aura that perfectly suits the character and her demeanor. Naturally, questions abound regarding the authenticity of her transformation and whether the actress put in the hard work to capture the look.
Emily Blunt Prepared For Her Role Through a Special Training Regime
As ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ relies heavily on explosive sequences that combine both practical and digital effects together, the actors had to be in shape to carry out the grueling fights, especially under the added luggage of the Jacket mech suits. For Emily Blunt, this meant a greater responsibility in portraying Rita Vrataski, who is a veteran fighter capable of mowing down 100 mimics. Her physical transformation was necessary to convey to the viewers that Rita is indeed a battle-hardened soldier with an extensive killing resume under her belt. In an interview, Blunt said, “I knew what was required of the character. I wanted her to look lethal, and so I was kind of willing to go all the way.”
The actress dedicated six days a week to training. Her regime included weight lifting, sprints, Pilates, dance-based workouts, and Krav Maga, an Israeli martial art. A blend of various routines helped her not only increase the size of her physical frame — a necessary element in building the intimidating look of her character — but also helped her improve her athleticism, endurance, and agility. The training lasted around three months, during which Tom Cruise was reportedly impressed by her transformation and said he had never seen anyone come to set as well prepared as Blunt. “I did lots of training. I trained for a few months in advance,” she said. “I was aware that it was going to be a very challenging shoot, and Tom (Cruise) had said this is the deep end of action.”
The Workout Was Tailored to Fit Her Specific Needs For the Role
Although Emily Blunt embraced the challenge of a workout regime, it was ultimately geared towards the particular requirements of her role. To that end, the actress worked with an LA-based personal trainer, Jason Walsh, who helped her streamline her goals. In an interview with Women’s Health Magazine, Walsh said, “The type of training that we did varied throughout. What I specialize in is figuring out where the weak points are. It’s like building the foundation of a house. You never, ever want to have any cracks because she would be carrying around a 50 to 60-pound exoskeleton for a lot of the film. So drawing up the game plan, number one was to make sure that she did not get hurt. It’s like training an athlete.”
Most of the action sequences have the characters wearing their exoskeleton suit, none more so than Rita Vrataski, who exhibits a sense of grace and urgency while fighting in them. A significant concern for Jason Walsh was preparing Blunt for those taxing situations when she had the actual suit on her throughout filming. “We worked to make sure she had mobility in her joints, and then flexibility and base strength,” he said. “Once her body was resilient and strong enough, and she had a lot of endurance, I took her out to the UCLA track to really condition her. She did tons and tons of sprints up stairs.”
Walsh added, “And then, towards the end, I started having her do all the stuff on the track with a weight vest. We worked from 10-pound weight vest to a 20-pound weight vest to a 30-pound weight vest.” Therefore, Emily Blunt’s explosive entrance into the world of action paid off due to her commitment to an intense regime. Adherence to fitness may be a lifestyle choice for many, but for Rita Vrataski, it is a matter of survival, where life and death can be determined by a tiny mistake on the battlefield. It is believably brought to the screen by an accomplished actress who took her training as seriously as any other element of the film.
Read More: Where Was Edge of Tomorrow Filmed?
