MovieChat Forums > The Untouchables (1987) Discussion > Scene with Wallace on the bridge the wor...

Scene with Wallace on the bridge the worst in this movie?

posted 8 years ago by Jimothy3
7 replies | jump to latest

The scene with the apprehensive accountant-turned tough guy on the bridge is so cringey. He sees his partner get shot and tell him he's alright, then goes into indestructible hero mode and shoots up the truck like he can do no wrong, free with accompanying heroic music. And then the kicker; runs out of ammunition, still realising there's a man with a gun behind the truck, and runs at him shouting with the unloaded gun, with what intention exactly? That he's going to scare him into not being able to shoot properly? He's meant to be the smart one of the group.

There's more cheese in this scene than in Wallace and Gromit's house. But it's not just the cheese aspect, it's the completely unrealistic way in which Wallace can stand around without being in any danger. There are a couple of gangsters in a car that his partner just fired on, next to him, while he's spending 10 seconds turning around calling for Stone. What are those gangsters doing? LOL. He takes one of them out quickly as soon as he turns back. Then a full minute has gone by and he's seemingly in that same spot with some other gangsters further up the bridge.

Such a poorly done scene. Now I know why as a kid I used to like this film, and as an adult I don't. It's because it's like it was scripted by a kid.

[–] viceman-58012 8 years ago

The superb television show would never feature a stupid scene like that in this extremely overrated film.

[–] stones78 8 years ago

that little dude bugged me too

[–] ak47wong (485) 4 years ago

There's a few other things you missed:

The embarrassingly bad gangsters. "Look! Here they come! Mounties! Let's get out of here!" They sound like little kids playing cops and robbers. And then they shuffle along the bridge, half-running as if they're trying to get to the shops before they close.

The horrible shots of the mounties trotting leisurely towards the camera. I cringe every time I see this.

Costner holding his position while trying to stop a car until it literally rolls right over him. Idiotic.

[–] degree7 (821) 4 years ago

Everything you mentioned is what made that scene great. Lol.

[–] kwestmo (4288) 4 years ago

you, sir , are correct. Some people don't get this movie. It's a fantasy adventure, not a gangster movie

[–] spurtle467 (1520) 4 years ago

I know what you mean about the bridge with the mounties on it. It's poorly choreographed and edited. You've got mounties in a compact space and some of those in the background are shooting with mounties right in front of them. They could easily be shooting their own people. If you look closely in that scene one of the guys at the front is struggling with his horse too.

Another thing is the music playing during it and the general tone of the scene. It could have been made to be a very tense ambush with a good build up, but the constant heroic music playing once the Untouchables start riding their horses and other cheesiness means there is little to no tension, and you know they will come out of it unscathed and the victors. It's stuff like this that make me think the film could be remade by someone with a different approach. I'm not usually big on remakes only this film is now 33 years old and it's rather dated and cheesy.

[–] ATG6 (3000) 3 years ago

It was a great scene. The fact that you're writing about it proves it was memorable.

Sometimes everyday people become heroes under pressure. Adrenalin and the survival instinct can give anyone a boost.