The Real Godfather
‘The Godfather’ is one of the most famous movies of all time. It’s a mob epic, the first of its kind, and features tons of huge names such as Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton, and the legendary Marlon Brando as the Don himself, Vito Corleone.
There wasn’t much need for special effects in this movie, other than gunshots and fight scenes. One of the famous stills from the movie is Don Corleone, dressed in a tuxedo to celebrate his daughter’s wedding, listening as another man whispers in his ear. Brando’s presence in the movie set him as the king of the film.
This! Is! The! Movies!
Zach Snyder's '300' is a visually-impressive, incredibly stylistic film that had plenty of special effects needed to get the right feeling. While '300' isn't exactly historically accurate, Snyder made specific changes to bring about a desired effect on the viewer.
As we've seen, the difference between what the actors see and how the finished product looks are pretty varied, and 300 is a movie that used a few wild techniques that helped build a movie that wows viewers even now.
They Used Way More Than 300 Special Effects
The movie '300' gives us a deadly battle between a relatively small number of Spartans against a nearly limitless army of Persians, set in a mountain pass and with plenty of battles that go back and forth until the very end. But here we see lead actor Gerard Butler and director Zach Snyder having a chat between scenes.
There are plenty of crew members working hard to set up the next shot, lighting to highlight the right details, and lots of movie set equipment that make it possible to create something like '300'.
The Movie's Head Honcho
Marlon Brando may have received nothing but respect from the other characters of the movie, but when the cameras weren't rolling, director Francis Ford Coppola was in charge. The two big names of this movie are seen here, Brando in his famous outfit and cheeks stuffed with cotton to get the memorable Don Corleone voice, and Coppola standing behind him in a seventies outfit, haircut, and facial hair.
These two figures clashed during the film, with Brando needing cue cards for his lines a lot of the time, since he refused to memorize them. Yet, despite this tumult, the movie remains a classic.
Protect That Rose
Plenty of methods were used to make sure actress Kate Winslet wasn't hurt during this dramatic and dangerous scene. There are plenty of crash mats underneath her, an emergency crew on standby in case she does suffer an injury, and, even if actor Leonardo DiCaprio's grip should slip, people at top next to him will be able to keep her from falling.
Does this do away with a little bit of the movie magic? Sure it does, but we're sure that Kate Winslet appreciates all the effort put into keeping her whole.