MovieChat Forums > The Untouchables (1987) Discussion > DeNiro's face actually cut by barber?

DeNiro's face actually cut by barber?

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

At the start when Capone is giving his speech the barber moves the razor to his face while DeNiro is still speaking and performing, causing Mr. D to bump into the razor with his cheek! You can see red at the contact point. DeNiro says to the barber "Nah, keep going". Question: was this part of the script or did DeNiro actually get cut and the "keep going" remark was to everybody demanding he finish the scene (which was a loooooong speech on the verge of ending when this all happened!)? Capone was exploding at his cronies for their questions, implying he was in a hot mood...would the same pent-up Capone casually tell the guy with the razor 's ok for slashing his face (which should have brought back memories of his scars) or would he get further outraged and at least yell at the guy?

[–] milfraga 12 years ago

You really think they gonna hold a straight razor to an actors face in a movie?
Really?

Ofcourse it was scripted and intentional.

[–] rasheed_node 12 years ago

diddymuck ,
Don't only watch movies, diddymuck , try also to listen to the films. At the precise point of the razor cut scene, what you have missed hearing is the discussion about 'violence'. The cut scene is specially placed there to enhance the effect, it was not an accident.
Common sense also tells me that sharp razors are not used while filming such scenes for movies.

[–] diddymuck 12 years ago

true, but depalma is famous for suprising his actors with authenticity when he thinks its needed. also a live razor is not such a hard thing to wind up in a props closet. It looks too real to be an accident and DeNiro's remark was way to mellow for the character.

[–] rasheed_node 12 years ago

diddymuck ,

I'm an Indian national and I have watched almost all the movies of Brian Dipalma and in my opinion, Dipalma would have made a great director in the so called Bollywood. His very direct and highly melodramatic style of movie making suits more in Bollywood. For example ( In the Untouchables) face to face meeting of Deniro and Costner in a hotel lobby and subsequent skirmish between them whereas we know for sure that both of these characters never faced each other in their real lives.

In the case of last gun battle between Al Pacino and his foes in the film Scarface. The unreal fighting performance in this scenes made Pacino almost a demi-god as most of the Bollywood heroes are depicted as.
Distinctly Bollywoodish! One can also add the Nitti's murder by Costner by throwing him from a building terrace.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] rasheed_node 11 years ago

*beep* OFF, EUNUCH!

[–] rasheed_node 11 years ago

I said *beep* off, eunuch!

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] baheidstu-351-733122 12 years ago

Movies is magic!

[–] 1shado1 10 years ago

"DeNiro's remark was way too mellow for the character".

My thinking is that the reason Capone was so mellow about the incident was because there was a bunch of reporters witnessing it. If he had been alone with the barber, then he would have been his usual tough guy self.

Now if that bastard so much as twitches, I'm gonna blow him right to Mars.

[–] realart 12 years ago

Actually what he said was "It's all right", not "keep going". so no hidden message was there.

This was scripted and if you look at the whole scene, it is referencing the reporters asking Capone about why he isn't Mayor and if he uses violence. In the film, Capone sees this as a chance to support his saying, just after the razor cut, "There is violence in Chicago but not by me or not by anyone I employ...".

[–] smoko 11 years ago

@diddymuck At the start when Capone is giving his speech the barber moves the razor to his face while DeNiro is still speaking..
Capone wasn't speaking at the time, he was listening to a reporter's question.

You can see red at the contact point.
I don't see it - not until after the camera had cut away from Capone's face. I'm sure it was a makeup effect.

DeNiro says to the barber "Nah, keep going".
He says, "It's all right."

...would the same pent-up Capone casually tell the guy with the razor 's ok for slashing his face...?
Throughout the movie, Capone shows a friendly face in the presence of the press. It's when they're gone that you see the real Capone.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] 10 years ago

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[–] howjon99 9 years ago

He would have just cursed the guy out. As long as it wasn't intentional. Killing civilians is not good for business and public relations.

[–] dahoss65 9 years ago

"DeNiro says to the barber "Nah, keep going"

Not sure which movie you watched, but it wasn't The Untouchables.