The Big Lebowski
The Coen pal have made plenty of classic movies over the year , but only one of them has spawned such a passionate cult following that it ’s led to the foundation of areligion . The Big Lebowski , the Coens’curious blendof lapidator clowning and Chandleresque mystery , fail at the box office when it was first released in 1998 , but it has since click with a elephantine cult audience .
specially , viewers have connected with the lead character , the Dude , act uproariously by a laidback Jeff Bridges , who is the immortal of “ Dudeism . ” Anyway , here are 10 Behind - The - Scenes Facts AboutThe Big Lebowski .
The script was inspired by Raymond Chandler’s detective stories
When they first conceivedThe Big Lebowski , the Coen crony want to compose their own take on a Raymond Chandler detective story . Instead of a hard - boiled individual eye like Philip Marlowe , the protagonist would be a corporation - wooly-minded slacker named the Dude . Chandler ’s influence was the reason behind the movie being set specifically in Los Angeles .
The Coens ’ idea was to structure the taradiddle the way that Chandler would , surveil a reference deeply and deeper into a condemnable underworld , happen upon newfangled place and new people along the manner . The Stranger ( Sam Elliott ) was created to be a sort of audience foster .
Jeff Bridges rubbed his knuckles in his eyes if the Dude was high
Jeff “ the Dude ” Lebowski has become of the most iconic stoners in moving-picture show account , and Jeff Bridges go to great lengths to deal that . Before he film any scene forThe Big Lebowski , Bridges would come on the Coen brothers and necessitate them , “ Did the Dude incinerate one on the manner over ? ”
If the directors told him that he had , and the Dude was supposed to be mildly high in the scene , he would fret his brass knuckles in his eyes before shoot a take . This would make his eyes appear bloodshot , and therefore trade the looking of an drunk Dude without doing any so - ring “ method acting act . ”
The briefcase-throwing scene was filmed in reverse
The fit in which Walter tosses the ringer briefcase full of his “ dirty undies ” out the railway car windowpane was a tricky one to film . No matter how many times they threw the briefcase out the windowpane , they could never get it to fly through the air in a perfect arc .
So , they decided to inject it backwards . rather of drive forrader and throwing out the briefcase , the driver drove in reverse and an off - screen member of the gang threw the briefcase to him . The shot was then reversed in berth - yield to give off the impression that it was being thrown from the cable car .
The wardrobe department got the Dude’s clothes from local thrift stores
The Dude has a very specific way sense inThe Big Lebowski – from his beige patterned cardigan to his checkered shorts – and it ’s a style that has inspired flower people for year to come . accord to Mary Zophres , a costume architect working on the film , the Dude was described as being “ terminally relaxed ” in the book .
Zophres says that this was “ the most of import piece of selective information that I had ” when source the Dude ’s wardrobe . The closet section ended up get all of the Dude ’s clothes from local thrift shop , the sort of memory board that they figured he would shop at .
Walter Sobchak was partially based on Apocalypse Now screenwriter John Milius
John Goodman ’s character fromThe Big Lebowski , Walter Sobchak , was part inspire by the Coen blood brother ’ supporter , filmmaker John Milius . Milius is famous for his extreme correct - backstage political survey , his obsession with guns and the military ( he ’s the screenwriter behind such military - ground movies asApocalypse NowandRed Dawn ) , and his risky biliousness .
There’s a historical inaccuracy (or a hidden character quirk) in the opening scene
In the opening fit , set at Ralph ’s grocery storage , the Dude writes a confirmation for 69 centime to buy some Milk River . Meanwhile , George H.W. Bush ’s “ This hostility will not stand ” press audience plays on a nearby TV . It ’s apparently play live . This audience took place on the lawn of the White House on August 5 , 1990 . However , the Dude dates his stop September 11 , 1991 .
So , this is either a historical inaccuracy or a hidden sign from the Coens that the Dude is so strapped for cash that he has to post - date a check by more than an full year .
The Coens let John Turturro bring his own ideas to Jesus
Due to his longstanding working human relationship with the Coen buddy , John Turturro expected to have a bigger role inThe Big Lebowski . When he was post the handwriting , he was surprised to find that the case the Coens wanted him to wreak , Jesus Quintana , was a pretty minor role . However , since the Coens trusted Turturro ’s instincts , they gave him the exemption to build up on the character with his own construct .
So , he come up with a set of the ideas that made Jesus iconic – the manner he shine his bowling orchis , his backwards dance ( reportedly inspire by Muhammad Ali ) , etc . – on his own .
Robert Duvall, Anthony Hopkins, and even Marlon Brando were considered for the role of Jeffrey Lebowski
According to Alex Belth , who worked as an supporter to the Coen brothers during production onThe Big Lebowski , the duo had a sturdy time casting the older Jeffrey Lebowski . They did n’t have any actors in judgement while they were writing the role .
They offered the part to : Robert Duvall , who turned it down because he did n’t care the script ; Gene Hackman , who was need a hiatus from play ; and Anthony Hopkins , who did n’t want to represent an American . So , the search expanded to such out - there options as Norman Mailer , Gore Vidal , George C. Scott , Andy Griffith , and Ernest Borgnine . Their top selection was actually Marlon Brando .
An early draft of the script revealed the Dude’s source of income
One of the funniest run gags inThe Big Lebowskiis that the Dude ’s beginning of income is never revealed , a piddling like Kramer inSeinfeld . But in an early draft of the script , it was let out that the Dude is the heritor to the Rubik ’s Cube lot , as a descendant of its inventor . This led to the graphic symbol being conceive as Hungarian , and he would ’ve been portrayed as such .
However , midway through the writing process , Joel Coen decide it would be a better idea to scrap this account and just never mention where the Dude get his money from .
The Coens had no one in mind for the Dude while writing
Since the Coen brothers have a roster of even collaborationist , they incline to drop a line their character with certain actors in judgment . When they were writingThe Big Lebowski , they indite Walter with John Goodman in judgement , Donny with Steve Buscemi in mind , and Jesus with John Turturro in mind . But they did n’t have anyone in head for the Dude .
They consider Mel Gibson but retracted the offer when he did n’t take the role seriously enough . Then , when Jeff Bridges ’ name add up up , the brother realized there was no one more perfect for the part , and even delayed production to expect for his schedule to exculpate up .
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