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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.
00:16So I'm Gareth, this is WhatCulture, and here are 10 iconic movie moments the director didn't
00:21understand. Number 10, George Lucas' tinkering showed that he did not grasp the weight of
00:27Darth Vader's sacrifice. Anakin Skywalker's rise as a Jedi Knight, fall and transformation into
00:33Darth Vader, and eventual redemption is one of cinema's greatest character arcs, and has served
00:39audiences with many of Star Wars' greatest emotional beats. The journey was capped off in 1983's Return
00:45of the Jedi, where we see a Force Ghost version of Anakin following his return to the side of the
00:51light and defiance of Emperor Palpatine. Unfortunately, George Lucas saw it fit to
00:56replace Sebastian Shaw with Hayden Christensen in the 2004 edition of the threequel, to the ire of
01:02many, many, many fans. His 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 makes
01:14sense, but only if one ignores Vader's sacrifice at the end of the Richard Marquand-directed trilogy
01:20closer. Seeing an older Anakin in his spectral form holds way more weight, as it shows that the former
01:26Jedi Knight was indeed saved from the clutches of the Force's dark side, and died as a man far
01:32different from the ruthless Vader. Lucas' change undermines this redemptive moment, brief as it was,
01:38as well as Luke's efforts to bring his father back to the side of the light, which was in itself
01:43a
01:43weighty 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 Hope 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, the scene is remembered
02:20more for Wiseau's delivery of You'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 2003
02:30cult classic, it is clear that Wiseau intended for this dramatic scene to be taken seriously by
02:35audiences. This is especially true after it was revealed by Greg Sestero, who played Mark,
02:41in his book, that The Room was a semi-autobiographical account of the enigmatic director's life.
02:47Admittedly, audiences laughing at and mocking a retelling of a man's past woes is not something
02:52one would typically celebrate, but it seems that Wiseau has taken the reaction to his
02:57so-bad-it-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 Keach, and Edward
03:19Furlong. Despite its critical success, the 1998 drama all but ruined director Tony K's career,
03:25though, due to his infamous disowning of the feature and creative clashes with Norton and
03:30New Line Cinema. While Kay eventually came around to the feature years later, his alternate ending
03:35for the story showed he missed a crucial component of Derek Vineyard's arc, as well as that of the
03:41consequences of Danny Vineyard's actions. The proposed conclusion would have seen Derek turn
03:46back to his neo-Nazi ways after Danny's death at the hands of a black student, in an attempt to
03:51showcase the cyclical nature of hate and violence. However, this would not have worked within the
03:56context of everything that came before, most notably Derek's change in perspective, as well
04:01as the events he went through to experience said change. Both endings are undeniably bleak,
04:06but Kay's ending would have taken the film into mean-spirited and regrettably short-sighted waters.
04:127. Stanley Kubrick Was Unaware of the Meaning Behind The Shining's Most Well-Known Moment
04:17The Shining Needs Little Introduction, Does It? Stanley Kubrick's 1980 adaptation of the famed
04:22Stephen King novel is deeply atmospheric, chilling, and is powered by Kubrick's direction. As deeply
04:28problematic as it was for Shelley Duvall, Wendy Carlos and Rachel Elkind's score and gripping
04:34performances from Jack Nicholson and the aforementioned Duvall. As incredible as Nicholson was
04:39in the feature, his most seminal moments almost missed out on being in the movie due to Kubrick's
04:44lack of knowledge on what it referenced. The here's Johnny line was ad-libbed by Nicholson,
04:49who did it as a homage to Johnny Carson's then popular introduction to his talk show.
04:54Kubrick was unfamiliar with the talk show because he lived in England when Carson rose to prominence
04:59and almost left it on the cutting room floor due to his notoriously meticulous nature as a filmmaker.
05:04While the line may not completely stand out to some younger viewers today, Nicholson's chillingly
05:09giddy delivery more than 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 Suspects 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,
05:37where audiences are properly introduced to the main cast and their captivating dynamic.
05:42It is hilarious and establishes their personalities and tics without the need for unwieldy exposition.
05:48However, director Bryan Singer did not quite understand the shift in tone. The scene was
05:52originally written as a more serious affair, and because of this he was not impressed by the
05:57sudden and jocular mood on set. Despite this disconnect, he kept the scene as it was in the
06:02final cut, and the rest is history. Years after its release, scribe Christopher McQuarrie reinforced
06:08the idea that the change in tone helped the film better express its character dynamics and shared
06:13history. Cheers for stopping on by today, hit that subscribe button down below for more WhatCulture
06:18videos you hopefully understand on your screen.
06:225. Zack Snyder's Rationale Behind General Zod's Death Demonstrated His Lack Of Understanding
06:28Man of Steel is another film on this list that has a standout moment for reasons that were
06:33almost certainly not intended by the filmmakers. The 2013 Superman reboot was criticised for its
06:39joyless tone, passive titular character, and most notably its decision to have its hero kill
06:45General Zod. Director Zack Snyder has tried to defend the act, remarking that Clark's murder
06:50of the Kryptonian despot was necessary for him to establish his boundaries as a hero. Except the
06:56previous devastating bout between Superman and Zod did little to showcase the former's respect for
07:02life. In a previous scene, he even callously rebuffed Zod's desperate attempt to save the
07:07Genesis Chamber, holding various Kryptonian fetuses. What a lovely guy. Snyder's claim that Superman
07:13needed to learn the value of life would have held more weight if the hero was shown doing more to
07:17save lives in a proactive fashion, rather than recklessly responding to the threat Zod and his
07:23acolytes posed to Earth. 4. Sylvester Stallone regretting killing off Apollo Creed shows he did
07:29not fully understand its significance in Rocky IV. Apollo Creed's death at the hands of Ivan Drago in
07:35Rocky IV is one of the franchise's most shocking and devastating moments, and with good reason.
07:41In addition to selling Drago as a physical challenge unlike anything seen up until that point,
07:46it also leaves Rocky with one less technical and emotional anchor to fall back on.
07:50In recent years, Sylvester Stallone has expressed his regrets in killing off the fan favourite
07:55character. The action legend stated he would have preferred to keep Creed alive but wheelchair
08:00bound. Additionally, the former heavyweight champion would have served as Rocky's trainer in the lead
08:05up to his clash with Drago. While seeing more of their wonderful relationship would have obviously
08:10been welcomed, the Italian Stallion needed to take on this new threat alone to showcase how far he had
08:15come as a pugilist. Additionally, the trainer-trainee dynamic was already done in Rocky III, and there
08:21would have been no need to tread old ground again. We'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 the
08:38director's cut and the final cut to go along with the 1982 theatrical version. While some changes in
08:44both 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 towards the
09:06movie's clothes when the titular character comes across Gaff's unicorn origami. Many, Scott included,
09:12see this as confirmation of Deckard's status as a replicant, but its inclusion goes against the
09:17futuristic hunter's arc in all cuts of the picture. It undercuts Deckard's understanding of the numerous
09:23complexities of being human, as well as the layered and distinctly human nature of the replicants he
09:29was sent out to decommission without concern. 2. Spike Lee's handling of the main action set piece in
09:35Oldboy shows he misunderstood its thematic background. Spike Lee is an undoubtedly singular
09:41talent, but his 2013 remake of Park Chan-wook's haunting masterpiece does not live up to his own
09:47work or the 2003 thriller. Admittedly, there was some studio meddling in this film, especially the
09:53famed one-take action sequence, but its overall execution still demonstrates that Lee did not quite
09:59comprehend the importance of the beloved sequence. The South Korean version of Oldboy sees Oh Dae-soo go up
10:05against multiple thugs in a hallway, that Park stated was a metaphor for the hurdles one faces in
10:10their life, as well as the irony in such challenging situations. This allegory largely feels absent in the
10:16American remake, with its changing levels and faster pace leaning into an action movie-esque excess the
10:22original did not convey. To be fair to the sequence, it is technically competent, and there is no need for
10:28a
10:28shot-for-shot remake of the seminal sequence, but Lee's depiction of the protagonist's struggle lacks a
10:33personal touch that was palpable in the original. 1. Christopher Nolan didn't understand the Dark
10:39Knight'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 cannot be
10:52understated. 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.
11:01Brace yourselves, folks. In a Deadline article reflecting on the director's career,
11:06as well as that of frequent collaborator Cillian Murphy, Nolan revealed that Harvey Dent's famous
11:11line on the fickle nature of heroism and villainy, written by his brother Jonathan,
11:16initially did not make sense to him. Despite this, he did still choose to keep the line,
11:20and only after the movie's success, and in particular the line's impact on audiences,
11:24did he finally understand its significance. While he lightly lamented not writing it,
11:30he readily acknowledged its weight in addition to finally understanding it.
11:34This was fortunate, to be honest, as few lines in most movies, let alone comic book-inspired ones,
11:39capture their film's thematic content as succinctly as Dent's properly tragic dying-a-hero
11:45one-liner. Better late than never, eh, Chris?
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