MovieChat Forums > Giù la testa (1972) Discussion > One of the greatest scenes in the histor...

One of the greatest scenes in the history of cinema

posted 16 years ago by sheywhat
12 replies | jump to latest

When Coburn and Steiger mow down the army regiment and it culminates in the explosion of the bridge those who survived the onslaught of bullets were hiding under. 2 men, a couple of machine guns, and one massively brilliant explosion eliminated the threat of a tank and a couple thousand soldiers in about two minutes. And that explosion... they don't make them like that anymore. You could practically feel the dust in your throat.

A one-of-a-kind scene in an all-around brilliant film.

"You've got me? Who's got you?"

[–] Hancock_the_Superb 16 years ago

I don't like that scene until the explosion, although I enjoy Juan's haphazard attempts to fire the Maxim gun.

One of the hallmarks of my style is subtext... and mise-en-SEEN!

[–] sheywhat 16 years ago

Yeah, I've wondered several times about that moment in the film and whether it has a particular significance. Was Leone trying to tell us something about Juan's inadequacy with military matters or was it for a moment of lightheartedness or for a moment of tension?

Anyhow, I loved the whole movie, that scene included, but the explosion in particular was amazing. I've wondered if there is a better explosion in cinema and as luck would have it I stumbled across a thread this afternoon where someone was touting an explosion in a film I don't care to see called Cutthroat Island(?) and the poster said they thought it was the best explosion they've ever seen in a movie. That led to the entire thread where people started discussing explosions in film and as irony would have it someone mentioned the bridge explosion from A Fistful of Dynamite. So there I was with a listing of rivals for this scene.

"You've got me? Who's got you?"

[–] Hancock_the_Superb 15 years ago

Cutthroat Island... yes, the biggest box office flop in history. I've heard of it, never seen it myself.

I can think of a few explosions I would put in the same league - the end of Bridge on the River Kwai comes to mind immediately - but DYS is certainly on the short list.

"If you can’t say something good about someone, sit right here by me."

[–] Samoan Bob 9 years ago

I think Juan accidentally firing the Maxim gun is a reference to a similar scene in THE WILD BUNCH.

http://www.facebook.com/scarletworm

http://facebook.com/davidlambertart

[–] hapsh 16 years ago

When you compare the explosions in DYS to modern movies it is amazing. All of them throughout the film look real with rocks and debris flying everywhere. Not one crappy fireball explosion. You can tell they must have been quite powerful due to the amount of dust lifted off the ground all around the explosion. It must have been quite dangerous to film.

[–] sheywhat 16 years ago

I believe they actually blew up that bridge and the difference from CGI is stunning. For instance, they should have actually set off a nuclear explosion for last year's installment in the Indiana Jones series (jk, but even that couldn't have saved that dreck of a film.)

Michael Phelps for President in 2012

[–] elmparkstick 16 years ago

Great scene, I can't remember explosions from other films but I always remember this, the aftershock of the explosion hitting them was a nice touch as well.

[–] McStallen 15 years ago

It was a cool looking scene, but it is absurd- Coburn is firing an iconic WWII German machine gun about 30 years before it was put into service- any scene that plays that fast and loose with the details is not something to consider "One of the greatest scenes in the history of cinema."

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Crotchsplitter 10 years ago

But why didn't they blow up the bridge first and then mow down any survivors?

[–] TheHestinator 10 years ago

But why didn't they blow up the bridge first and then mow down any survivors?

I think they wanted to get all the soldiers to take cover under the bridge and then blow all of them up. Could be wrong, though.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]