and especially the scene where they shoot the guy in the bowling alley toilet, where the camera lingers on all the concealed guns they're packing as much as the slow-motion shoot-out that follows.
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That scene in particular -- and many other scenes in Freebie and the Bean -- "track" with QTs ability to match violent brutality with laughs(like in Pulp Fiction when Travolta accidentally blows that guy's head off and "brain detail" clean-up is required.)
Even ON ITS OWN TERMS, Freebie and the Bean is unique.
In that bathroom scene , we get that "rambling shambling 70's movie feeling" (think Altman in Long Goodbye mode) AND:
Shot after shot of the cops producing handguns, loading them, checking them, stuffing them into their pants near their privates(yikes.)
A quick side conversation between two men coming out of the rest room:
Man 1: Condoms? What you need those for? She said she's on the pill.
Man2: That's what they all say.
A woman coming out of the ladies room and Arkin tries to "act natural" but he's too loud and nervous "Yeah..oh YEAH."
Then the two guys go into the men's room and there's a great silent bit where Caan rousts three men taking leaks at the urinals -- "stop right now and get out." One man balks, even goes to the sink to wash up, and HOW Caan throws him out is hilarious.
Then finally the confrontation with the hitman sititng in the stall . MAYBE he's reaching for his gun, but MAYBE not. No matter -- Freebie and the Bean open up on the stall door with more firepower than WWII -- and the audience laughs away.
CONT
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ecarle (14979)
3 years ago
Its a great violent comedy scene...all the DETAIL makes it better than most. I like how Freebie and the Bean are a little scared all through it...they brought all that firepower because their opponent is hitman after all -- they COULD get shot in return.
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I don't ever recall seeing such stylized scenes in a Hollywood cop movie before, or such ordinary realistic dialogue between 2 cops.
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It was badly reviewed (by "offended" critics -- yes, we had them back then, too) and widely loved. A big hit. My night at the movie theater with this (first run) was full house, laughs start to finish. And now it is a cult film.
Anyone else agree that Quentin probably loves this movie too?
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Other posts note that QT does love it, has introduced it at screenings, has shown it at his New Beverly movie theater in Hollywood. Yep.
And Stanley Kubrick called it "the best movie of 1974."
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