MovieChat Forums > Sorcerer (1977) Discussion > The bridge scene wouldn't work today

The bridge scene wouldn't work today

posted 10 years ago by Jimbo_BSD
9 replies | jump to latest

The bridge sequence in Sorcerer is fantastic. I still have no idea how they shot that. Watching the film last night I couldn't help but thinking that it wouldn't work in a modern film.

The reason I say that is because if it was shot today it would surely be CGI. The audience wouldn't be as invested in the drama because we'd all know in the back of our minds that we're just looking at pixels. We'd know that there is no truck and there is no bridge. They'd also probably ramp it up a bit and make it over the top. So the human drama of seeing an actual truck on an actual bridge over an actual river is gone. There would be no tension.

I'm not one of those people that hates CGI or hates Hollywood today. In fact I'm constantly amazed at the things they can do nowadays. However, when it comes to stunts. Sometimes the old way just works better.

[–] parknourie 10 years ago

It's an amazing sequence. I was clenching my fist throughout that scene.
They just don't make 'em like this anymore...

With obvious CG, no matter how good they are the CG is quite noticeable these days, the feeling of risk won't be there.
I was really believing that the actors were in danger during the scene.

Side note: Perhaps that's why I was thrilled with Cruise's own stunts with M:I 4 and M:I 5.

Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down and a Wagging Finger of Shame

[–] In_The_Year_8837 9 years ago

My thoughts exactly. While watching the bridge scene, I kept asking myself, how the heck did they do that?

An amazing scene of the likes we won't see again due to the fact that CGI would be used in similar situations, and it's usually not hard to spot that "CGI look."

[–] John-Wick 9 years ago

Yes, that scene is awesome and it has a great look to it. When I watched it I was thinking it would just be CGI if filmed today.

[–] moviechatterer (16326) 4 years ago

"The audience wouldn't be as invested in the drama because we'd all know in the back of our minds that we're just looking at pixels. "
Whereas in the 70s if the truck had fallen in the river and Roy schieder killed they'd just have changed the story to that.

I feel sorry for you CGI "victims" who cant suspend you're disbelief
- people whinging about the "cgi look" - nobody whinged about harryhausen stop motion , even though it was noticeable!
- people knowing its cgi becasue its impossible , and that somwhow ruins the film. this no superman in real life u know!

"that space ships not real , its cgi , oh i cant watch this"
newsflash - the millenium falcon aint real either.

[–] degray9 (1126) 4 years ago

Eh, I’d say what you’re talking about with stop motion and models is very different from performed stunts that are actually dangerous.

[–] moviechatterer (16326) 3 years ago

nah from my point of view its all the same , just different techniques to get the story across , and my mind remains on the story not how expensive/ cheap / difficult / dangerous / time consuming that was to get on film.

To put in another way: for me , the level of jeopardy the characters of a film are in is not dependent on the level of jeopardy the crew were in while making the film .

[–] Satan2016 (26197) 4 years ago

https://filmschoolrejects.com/how-they-shot-the-bridge-scene-in-sorcerer/

Long story short:
While the core of the bridge was made of steel and hydraulics instead of decayed wood and rope, ultimately: they drove a real truck, across a real bridge, over a real river.

[Full explanation]

[–] orangeflava (1925) 4 years ago

very cool insight into that sequence. I was wondering myself how they pulled it off. Terrific sequence. I though the 2nd truck was going down for sure!

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

Outstanding scene.

You're correct. You just won't see scenes shot like this in movies of today...perhaps even of tomorrow.