MovieChat Forums > Dogfight (1991) Discussion > River running towards the Bay Bridge

River running towards the Bay Bridge

posted 18 years ago by mealex
8 replies | jump to latest

You can find this excerpt in River's biography by Barry Lawrence, "In Search Of River Phoenix". It's just warmed my heart:)

Near the end of Dogfight the viewer sees River Phoenix running down a very vacant Broadway street towards his ship, with the bay bridge in the background. That street is one of the busiest in San Fran. How does a director get a big city like that to close one of its most traveled streets?
--Barry

That shot of River running towards the Bay Bridge was done totally on the spot. We had just finished the last shot of the last shooting day of the movie. The cast and crew were all very weepy and hugging and kissing each other-- we were a tight group and it was all getting very emotional. Anyway, the technicians started wrapping up the equipment when Jim Grce, our gaffer, looked down the street (we'd just finished shooting the wide shot of Birdlace and Rose outside Citylights bookstore), and saw the beginning of what was going to be a most beautiful sunrise. He ran to our DP, Bobby Bukowski who ran to me and I yelled to my husband (& producer) who hollered to the asst director, Miller Tobin who announced to the crew that the shooting in fact was not over, we were gonna do one more shot.

The crew set up the camera with lightning speed, aimed it down the street and I told River to just start walking towards the bridge. I don't even remember that I had the time to be especially clear about what we were doing. But he was a terrific kid and always game to try something so he started walking. At some point, as I watched him receding, I just started yelling, "Run, River, run!" which was kind of funny since my words sounded like the lyrics to some folk song but it felt so right and looked so amazing and I just got the chills even remembering that moment.

Anyway, in answer to your question, we usually do work with the city's film office to shut down a major street like that. In this case, though, we never asked for permission since we hadn't planned to shoot that. As we say in the biz, we just 'stole' the shot.

[–] moonflower_878005 18 years ago

aww, that is nice.
Thanks for posting that,
I envy those people who got to know river phoenix.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Kingdom_For_A_Kiss 17 years ago

I love that scene and that made it a little more special.

"...I don't want to let you go, and I don't want to lose you slowly..."

[–] swami73 17 years ago

Father Buddha says:

"With Our thoughts We create the world. The Phoenix cannot fly until its wings are fully grown."

I love River.

[–] crakker_jakk 16 years ago

i love the bay bridge scene.. tho i was born in san francisco, so it was never unbelievable to me that they got that scene.. it seems like it would be, but unlike new york, san francisco is NOT a 24-hour city.. in fact there are only a handful of places to even get a cup of a coffee past 10pm (ok, 2am if you count the bars).. between 2am - 6am san francisco is like a post-apocalyptic ghost-town (yes, even on weekends).. it's a haunting feeling - there's not a sound, streetlights flash, and it's not at all uncommon to walk down the middle of market st., mission st., haight st., castro st., and/or broadway in the middle of the night and not spot a single person or car as far as the eye can see.. there would quite simply be no need to 'shut down' the city to get a shot like that..
i also love the dylan song they play over that scene.. i'm not usually the sappy type, but i get a little misty watching that scene now that river's gone.. the song now almost represents the loss of river himself..

It ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don't matter, anyhow
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If you don't know by now
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I'll be gone
You're the reason I'm trav'lin' on
Don't think twice, it's all right

It ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
That light I never knowed
An' it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
I'm on the dark side of the road
Still I wish there was somethin' you would do or say
To try and make me change my mind and stay
We never did too much talkin' anyway
So don't think twice, it's all right

It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Like you never did before
It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
I can't hear you any more
I'm a-thinkin' and a-wond'rin' all the way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I'm told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's all right

I'm walkin' down that long, lonesome road, babe
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
But goodbye's too good a word, gal
So I'll just say fare thee well
I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don't mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don't think twice, it's all right

[–] mark-1589 13 years ago

Like Crakker Jakk, I am also a native San Franciscan, and this is also my favorite shot of the film, since it evokes so much for me. It is such a beautiful view and they caught a perfect morning just before dawn. It's one of those pictures that paints SEVERAL thousand words.

[–] rvrjose 12 years ago

I'm a Native Oaklander but spent many times across the Bridge in San Francisco. that sceen were River is running down Broadway is a really cool one. mainly because Broadway used to be my Stomping grounds when i was younger. i know how Busy it gets down there especially at Night used to always get a Late Snack at Sams Burger. but i have been in that area at 5:00am in the morning and it is pretty dead so it wouldn't have been to hard to film that sceen at that hour.