6 iconic movie scenes that caught on almost by accident

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Surely, in every film there are shots that are remembered the most by the viewer. Especially when it comes to pictures that have become real hits. It seems that in such film masterpieces, each scene is thought out in advance and rehearsed a thousand times. But in the collaboration of talented directors with equally talented actors, there is always a place for improvisation. And iconic movie scenes are sometimes the result of chance.

The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Probably one of the most famous scenes of this truly immortal film was the fragment in which Vito Corleone performed by Marlon Brando slowly strokes a cat, while giving the order to deal with the offender. The cat appeared in the frame quite by accident, and the actor mechanically took her in his arms. Francis Coppola, after watching several takes of this scene, came to the conclusion: the shots with the cat were the most successful. It was they who entered the film as a result.

The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick

Every viewer who has watched The Shining will surely remember the scene when Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, utters the legendary phrase: "Here's Johnny!", Bursting into the bathroom. In fact, there was nothing of the kind in the script, it was pure improvisation by an actor who remembered Johnny Carson's television show. It was with this phrase that the presenter greeted the audience every time.

Leon, directed by Luc Besson

In this case, the improvisation was planned. According to the director's idea, in the scene of Norman Stansfield's conversation with Matilda's father, the hero of Gary Oldman had to say something. The words had no meaning, the meaning was only in creating an extremely tense environment in which both the hero himself and the audience watching the film would be nervous. And the actor who played Norman Stansfield told different stories take after take. It seems that the scene turned out to be extremely successful.

Django Unchained, directed by Quentin Tarantino

If Leonardo DiCaprio hadn’t accidentally smashed a glass glass with his hand before filming this scene and had not experienced the intense pain that he had to endure, perhaps the footage would not have been so naturalistically emotional. Calvin Candy, learning that Dr. Schultz is trying to deceive him during the conclusion of the deal, grabs Brunhilda and, with furious cries, promises to kill her with a hammer if she is not ransomed this very second. In the script, the scene was much calmer, but Tarantino did not reshoot it, as DiCaprio's reaction turned out to be very bright and appropriate to the setting.

Reservoir Dogs, directed by Quentin Tarantino

In Quentin Tarantino's debut film, actor Michael Madsen warned the director in advance that he could not dance at all. But how could such a trifle force Tarantino to abandon his plan? When music started playing on the set while working on a torture scene with a police officer, Madsen began to move literally on a whim. The actor got used to the character so much that he spoke to the severed ear. Tarantino could not refuse the scene when editing the film, so Michael Madsen's improvisation seemed to him successful. However, the audience also appreciated it.

From Dusk Till Dawn, directed by Robert Rodriguez

One of the most impressive and striking scenes of the film is where Santaniko Pandemonium performed by Salma Hayek lays on the shoulder blades Seth Gekko, whose role was brilliantly played by George Clooney, and, putting his foot on his chest, vows to make Seth his slave. The actor, very opportunely recalling his unfortunate experience of family life, replies: "Thank you, but I was already married!" As a result, the director decided that Clooney's improvisation in this case was very useful.

It is known that Charlie Chaplin most often on the set did without such a boring thing as a script, most of his tricks were invented "on the fly." Today improvisation, as a special kind of acting, has not completely disappeared either, and sometimes real masterpieces are born in front of the camera, which would be very difficult to repeat.