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While these scenes are legendary, they also completely flew over their directors' heads
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00:00From absolutely legendary one-liners, to the shocking deaths of certain big-screen icons,
00:06it didn't matter that these directors were all in charge of bringing each of these scenes to
00:11screen, they still didn't properly understand the following well-known movie moments.
00:15So I'm Gareth, this is WhatCulture, and here are 10 iconic movie moments the director didn't
00:21understand. 10. George Lucas' Tinkering Showed That He Did Not Grasp The Weight Of Darth Vader's
00:27Sacrifice Anakin Skywalker's rise as a Jedi Knight, fall and transformation into Darth Vader,
00:34and eventual redemption is one of cinema's greatest character arcs, and has served audiences with many
00:40of Star Wars' greatest emotional beats. The journey was capped off in 1983's Return of the Jedi,
00:46where we see a Force Ghost version of Anakin following his return to the side of the light
00:51and defiance of Emperor Palpatine. Unfortunately, George Lucas saw it fit to replace Sebastian Shaw
00:57with Hayden Christensen in the 2004 edition of the 3quel, to the ire of many, many, many fans.
01:04His justification was that his prequel-era visage was fitting for the scene,
01:08as that was the moment Anakin died and Darth Vader was born. Admittedly, the explanation somewhat
01:14makes sense, but only if one ignores Vader's sacrifice at the end of the Richard Marquand-directed
01:19trilogy closer. Seeing an older Anakin in his spectral form holds way more weight as it shows that the
01:25former Jedi Knight was indeed saved from the clutches of the Force's dark side, and died as a
01:31man far different from the ruthless Vader. Lucas' change undermines this redemptive moment, brief as
01:37it was, as well as Luke's efforts to bring his father back to the side of the light, which was in
01:42itself a weighty act given that the young Skywalker had nearly killed his father only moments before.
01:48Now I want to know really quickly, what is your favourite Star Wars moment of all time?
01:52Was it Hayden Christensen turning back up as a Force ghost or something else? You let me know in the
01:57comments section down below.
01:589. The Room's Final Confrontation Did Not Elicit The Reactions Tommy Wiseau Had Hopped For
02:04While the final argument between Johnny and Lisa was misunderstood by director, writer, lead actor
02:10Wiseau, just like the other entries here, it is for reasons far removed from the rest.
02:15Hilariously acted, awkwardly shot, and riddled with stilted dialogue,
02:19The scene is remembered more for Wiseau's delivery of
02:22You're tearing me apart, Lisa, more than anything else.
02:25Seeing that this scene was meant to serve as the narrative and emotional climax of the
02:292003 cult classic, it is clear that Wiseau intended for this dramatic scene to be taken
02:35seriously by audiences. This is especially true after it was revealed by Greg Sestero,
02:40who played Mark, in his book, that The Room was a semi-autobiographical account of the
02:45enigmatic director's life. Admittedly, audiences laughing at and mocking a retelling of a man's
02:50past woes is not something one would typically celebrate, but it seems that Wiseau has taken
02:56the reaction to his So Bad It's Good opus in his stride in the years since its debut.
03:018. Tony K's Original American History X Ending Showed He Missed The Point Of Danny's Death
03:07American History X is a brutal and unflinching exploration of racism, indoctrination, and
03:13redemption, and it features powerhouse performances from Edward Norton, Stacey Keech, and Edward Furlong.
03:20Despite its critical success, the 1998 drama all but ruined director Tony K's career, though,
03:26due to his infamous disowning of the feature and creative clashes with Norton and New Line Cinema.
03:31While K eventually came around to the feature years later, his alternate ending for the story
03:37was a crucial component of Derek Vinyard's arc, as well as that of the consequences of Danny Vinyard's
03:42actions. The proposed conclusion would have seen Derek turn back to his neo-Nazi ways after Danny's
03:48death at the hands of a black student, in an attempt to showcase the cyclical nature of hate and
03:54violence. However, this would not have worked within the context of everything that came before,
03:58most notably Derek's change in perspective as well as the events he went through to experience said
04:03change. Both endings are undeniably bleak, but K's ending would have taken the film into mean-spirited
04:09and regrettably short-sighted waters. 7. Stanley Kubrick was unaware of the meaning behind The
04:15Shining's most well-known moment
04:17The Shining needs little introduction, does it? Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of the famed Stephen
04:23King novel is deeply atmospheric, chilling, and is powered by Kubrick's direction. As deeply problematic
04:29as it was for Shelley Duvall, Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind's score, and gripping performances
04:34from Jack Nicholson and the aforementioned Duvall. As incredible as Nicholson was in the feature,
04:40his most seminal moments almost missed out on being in the movie due to Kubrick's lack of knowledge on
04:45what it referenced. The here's Johnny line was ad-libbed by Nicholson, who did it as a homage to
04:51Johnny Carson's then popular introduction to his talk show. Kubrick was unfamiliar with the talk show
04:56because he lived in England when Carson rose to prominence, and almost left it on the cutting
05:00room floor due to his notoriously meticulous nature as a filmmaker. While the line may not
05:05completely stand out to some younger viewers today, Nicholson's chillingly giddy delivery more
05:11than highlights Jack Torrance's increasingly feral threat to Wendy Torrance.
05:156. Bryan Singer was not amused by the jovial nature of The Usual Suspects' lineup scene
05:21There is no denying that The Usual Suspect is a well-written thriller that features committed
05:26performances from its cast, and its plot twist has justifiably become a cultural staple since the
05:311995 feature's release. One of its most endearing sequences is easily the line-up scene, where
05:37audiences are properly introduced to the main cast and their captivating dynamic. It is hilarious and
05:43establishes their personalities and tics without the need for unwieldy exposition. However, director Bryan
05:49Singer did not quite understand the shift in tone. The scene was originally written as a more serious
05:54affair, and because of this he was not impressed by the sudden and jocular mood on set. Despite this
06:00disconnect, he kept the scene as it was in the final cut, and the rest is history. Years after its
06:06release, scribe Christopher McQuarrie reinforced the idea that the change in tone helped the film better
06:11express its character dynamics and shared history. Cheers for stopping on by today, hit that subscribe
06:16button down below for more WhatCulture videos you hopefully understand on your screen.
06:225. Zack Snyder's rationale behind General Zod's death demonstrated his lack of understanding of its purpose
06:28Man of Steel is another film on this list that has a standout moment for reasons that were almost
06:34certainly not intended by the filmmakers. The 2013 Superman reboot was criticised for its joyless tone,
06:40passive titular character, and most notably its decision to have its hero kill General Zod.
06:46Director Zack Snyder has tried to defend the act, remarking that Clark's murder of the Kryptonian
06:51despot was necessary for him to establish his boundaries as a hero. Except the previous devastating
06:57bout between Superman and Zod did little to showcase the former's respect for life. In a previous scene,
07:03he even callously rebuffed Zod's desperate attempt to save the Genesis Chamber, holding various
07:09Kryptonian fetuses. What a lovely guy. Snyder's claim that Superman needed to learn the value of
07:14life would have held more weight if the hero was shown doing more to save lives in a proactive
07:19fashion, rather than recklessly responding to the threat Zod and his acolytes posed to Earth.
07:254. Sylvester Stallone regretting killing off Apollo Creed shows he did not fully understand its
07:30significance in Rocky 4. Apollo Creed's death at the hands of Ivan Drago in Rocky 4 is one of the
07:36franchise's most shocking and devastating moments. And with good reason. In addition to selling Drago
07:42as a physical challenge unlike anything seen up until that point, it also leaves Rocky with one
07:48less technical and emotional anchor to fall back on. In recent years, Sylvester Stallone has expressed
07:53his regrets in killing off the fan-favorite character. The action legend stated he would have preferred to
07:58keep Creed alive but wheelchair-bound. Additionally, the former heavyweight champion would have served as
08:04Rocky's trainer in the lead-up to his clash with Drago. While seeing more of their wonderful
08:08relationship would have obviously been welcomed, the Italian Stallion needed to take on this new
08:13threat alone to showcase how far he had come as a pugilist. Additionally, the trainer-trainee dynamic
08:19was already done in Rocky 3, and there would have been no need to tread old ground again.
08:24We'd already seen it.
08:263. Rick Deckard's unicorn dream in Blade Runner's final cut demonstrated Ridley Scott's misunderstanding of
08:32the sequence. One of the most storied cases of extended cuts, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner has
08:38the director's cut and the final cut to go along with the 1982 theatrical version. While some changes
08:44in both editions were welcomed by fans of the sci-fi classic, one sequence involving Rick Deckard showed
08:50that the legendary filmmaker did not understand its significance regarding the protagonist's true
08:55nature in the narrative. After confronting Rachel over her replicant nature, Deckard dozes off and
09:01dreams about a white unicorn galloping through a forest. The sequence takes on a new dimension
09:06towards the movie's close when the titular character comes across Gaff's unicorn origami.
09:11Many, Scott included, see this as confirmation of Deckard's status as a replicant, but its inclusion
09:16goes against the futuristic hunter's arc in all cuts of the picture. It undercuts Deckard's
09:22understanding of the numerous complexities of being human, as well as the layered and distinctly
09:27human nature of the replicants he was sent out to decommission without concern.
09:322. Spike Lee's handling of the main action set piece in Oldboy shows he misunderstood its thematic
09:38background. Spike Lee is an undoubtedly singular talent, but his 2013 remake of Park Chan-wook's
09:44haunting masterpiece does not live up to his own work or the 2003 thriller. Admittedly, there was some
09:51studio meddling in this film, especially the famed one-take action sequence, but its overall execution
09:56still demonstrates that Lee did not quite comprehend the importance of the beloved sequence. The South
10:02Korean version of Oldboy sees Oh Dae-soo go up against multiple thugs in a hallway that Park stated
10:08was a metaphor for the hurdles one faces in their life, as well as the irony in such challenging
10:13situations. This allegory largely feels absent in the American remake, with its changing levels and
10:19faster pace leaning into an action movie-esque excess the original did not convey. To be fair to the
10:25sequence, it is technically competent, and there is no need for a shot-for-shot remake of the seminal
10:30sequence. But Lee's depiction of the protagonist's struggle lacks a personal touch that was palpable in the
10:35original.
10:361. Christopher Nolan didn't understand the Dark Knight's most famous line
10:40Christopher Nolan is rightfully hailed as the vision behind the genre-defining Dark Knight trilogy,
10:46and the amount of work the British filmmaker put into reviving Batman's cinematic position
10:51cannot be understated. That said, he is not the sole reason behind the successful trio of movies,
10:57and one of the most legendary lines from the Dark Knight is proof of this. Brace yourselves, folks.
11:03In a Deadline article reflecting on the director's career, as well as that of frequent collaborator
11:08Cillian Murphy, Nolan revealed that Harvey Dent's famous line on the fickle nature of heroism and
11:13villainy, written by his brother Jonathan, initially did not make sense to him. Despite this, he did still
11:19choose to keep the line, and only after the movie's success, and in particular the line's impact on
11:24audiences, did he finally understand its significance. While he lightly lamented not writing it, he readily
11:30acknowledged its weight in addition to finally understanding it. This was fortunate, to be honest,
11:35as few lines in most movies, let alone comic book-inspired ones, capture their film's thematic
11:41content as succinctly as Dent's properly tragic Dying a Hero one-liner. Better late than never, eh, Chris?
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