viewer discretion advised: excessive language used in below still from 'The Usual Suspects' (1995)
Actors and Directors often struggle hard to get the perfect shot. At times, hundreds of takes are necessary to hit the right mood, catch crystal clear context and play believable expressions. And it may still very well leave audience generally unimpressed.
And then, there comes this crazy scene. That too from one of the most critically acclaimed thrillers of all time- 'The Usual Suspects' (1995), starring acting powerhouses Kevin Spacy, Benicio Del Toro, Harvey Kietel and others.
Director Bryan Singer (X-Men series, Bohemian Rhapsody fame) was visibly frustrated of his so called talented actors, behaving over such a simple scene as if a bunch of school kids defying the headmaster (director Singer in this case). They were supposed to just be serious and read out a vulgar line each as part of this police lineup intro shot. The actors were, however, unable to restrain their laughter and it made matters worse when Benicio Del Toro intentionally kept farting during the filming. The angry voice shouting "English please!" in background, is of Bryan Singer himself.
Eventually Bryan gave up and retained this crazy sequence itself in the final cut. And guess what, it went amazingly well with the audience. It showed a bonding blossoming among the characters in opening moments- a mischievous bunch defying the authority of police. It appeared quite realistic and lifelike, because it was played in that true spirit. It made the audience develop an affinity towards the characters and served the mysterious plot of the story immensely.
This 'Police lineup' shot remains one of the most memorable character introduction scenes in cinema history and we, the audience, couldn't have been more thankful for this impromptu accident.
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