Out of his comfort zone

DiCaprio sounds more awed than bitter, more like an earnest drama student than a mollycoddled A-lister, recalling working on "Body of Lies" -- in fact, his second movie with Crowe. The two shot the 1995 western "The Quick and the Dead" together in Arizona when DiCaprio was much younger and a pre-"L.A. Confidential" Crowe was still largely unknown outside Australia. "We only had a few scenes together but we hung out a lot in Tucson," DiCaprio said.

Confounding his standard operating procedure even further, DiCaprio wrapped production on the '50s-set romantic drama "Revolutionary Road" just weeks before shooting commenced on "Body of Lies." The film adaptation of Richard Yates' award-winning novel, which arrives in theaters this holiday season, reteams DiCaprio with his "Titanic" costar Kate Winslet as a suburban couple facing the disintegration of their marriage. But "Revolutionary Road's" Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes' immersive method of prep couldn't have resembled Scott's run-and-gun technique any less.

"I had just come from 'Revolutionary Road' which was kind of like a Broadway play," DiCaprio said. "It was endless talking about the relationship of these two characters. Rehearsals to the utmost. Carefully planning out each shot, each moment, each mood. It was a delicate process, which is important for that kind of movie. A month later, I was slammed into this big-game hunter's way of shooting."

Um, big-game hunter's way of shooting?

"We're sitting there in the middle of the desert, choppers are flying above us, I've got to get my scene, the sun's going down and a jeep is waiting for us to get in," DiCaprio said. "I'm like, 'Ridley! Let's just stop for one second. How the hell is this supposed to work?' And he's like, 'Let's not worry about it. If it doesn't work, we'll shoot it again.'

"His favorite thing to say is, 'Let's shoot it.' He's unlike any other filmmaker I've worked with in that regard. It seems like chaos but he makes it look so easy."

Listening in, Scott seemed impatient with all the hullabaloo over his style but also proud. In his inimitably gruff way, the director set out to return the compliment.

"It's easy when you have people thinking on their feet," Scott said. "He's quick on his feet because he's been working since he was 9!"

"Thirteen," said DiCaprio, smirking.

"Well, you looked 9," Scott said with finality. "He's very experienced. This guy is comfortable at the dance."

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chris.lee@latimes.com