Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Rob Doorack (R) on August 28, 2006 at 10:42:52

In Reply to: Ever since he ripped off Eisenstein's 'Odessa Steps' sequence from 'Battleship Potemkin for 'The Untouchables'... posted by Vinylized on August 25, 2006 at 11:17:23:

De Palma has always cited Eisenstein as a major influence and has never denied that Potemkin's Odessa Steps inspired The Untouchables' shoot out scene. Odessa Steps is one of the most famous scenes in film history; De Palma could hardly claim that the baby carriage rattling down the steps was his original idea, nor did he ever try to assert that. Anyone who ever took Film History 101 in college immediately recognized what De Palma was referencing. It was both an homage and an in - joke for film buffs. I distinctly remember laughing out loud at the scene when I first saw the movie.

As I recall the script originally called for Ness to take the bookkeeper from Capone's gunmen in an elaborate car vs. train chase sequence. When the budget ruled that out De Palma came up with the gunfight on the Chicago Union Station steps idea.