MovieChat Forums > McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) Discussion > Fake Snow - Disappointed??

Fake Snow - Disappointed??

posted 15 years ago by BestPlayEverMan
48 replies | jump to latest

This movie is amazing from start to finish. The shootout scene at the end is one of the best 10 minutes of any western. But I could not help but feel a little disappointed when they used an optical effect to create fake snow falling. I guess what bothered me was that the rest of the movie was so authentic and then the fake snow started coming. It actually bothered me the most when I saw it the first time, but I watched a few more times and it does not bother me as much, because everything else about the scene is great. Does the fake snow bother anyone else?, Do you think most people notice that it is fake?

[–] chipoetryreturns 8 years ago

Just saw a screening last night that included a q&a with a the casting director, who cast everybody but the leads. He confirmed that all the snow was real except for a few instances where they added fake snow (due to wind blockage of buildings). They shot the film in sequential order and just got lucky with the snow....apparently, Beatty was against shooting in the storm, for fear that it wouldn't last and that it would melt....

They also exposed the film to light to create the mystical effect (through the whole shoot)

[–] Deidra 7 years ago

I wonder if it only appears "fake" due to the colored filters and the fogging that was done to the film before exposure, which affected the look of the white snow.

[–] TheFearmakers 7 years ago

Gave it a dreamlike, surreal quality, or one of those sluggish nightmares, so I thought it ended up fitting.

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[–] brux (14666) 7 years ago

Does it make a difference really?
Like if you go to the play does it matter that the set is a kind of artwork,
not supposed to be realistic. Movies have a suspension of disbelief, and it
is nice to see realistic looking movies that you can lose yourself in, but
why did the snow make a difference to you. I saw it and never noticed
anything, and I would not care if I did. But that is just me, maybe I am
missing something. I think I was too involved in the story ... great movie.

[–] Jes' Sayin' (5974) 4 months ago

Obviously phony, but the effect looked pretty cool, so gave it a pass.