Behind-the-scenes details are usually fun, but there are a few cases where they can completely change a movie. A lot of people will try to find out more about a movie if they love it, and details about the production can be a gold mine for information. Occasionally, this process will turn up a fact that casts the entire movie in a new light, making it even more rewarding on a rewatch.

People often take a lot of context into the experience of watching a new movie without really thinking about, like the director’s past work, the lives of the actors and the political context in which the movie was made. Over time, these details can become lost, meaning that new generations don’t get to appreciate the same movies in the same ways.

10

To Have And Have Not (1944)

Audiences Were More Interested In The Stars Than The Story

To Have and Have Not was the first of four movies to star Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, who become one of Hollywood’s most iconic on-screen couples. Audiences were more interested in what was happening off-screen, however, since Bogart and Bacall’s affair on the set of To Have and Have Not became huge news.

Bogart was married to Mayo Methot at the time, but he and Bacall started their own relationship during filming. Within a year, he had divorced Methot and married Bacall. Howard Hawks noticed the sizzling chemistry between his two leads, so he rewrote the script to give Bogart and Bacall more scenes together.

9

The Revenant (2015)

The Making Of The Film Was Almost As Grueling As Hugh Glᴀss’ Story

The Revenant is based on the true story of Hugh Glᴀss, who survived on his own in the frigid wilderness after being brutally mauled by a grizzly bear and left for ᴅᴇᴀᴅ by his companions. It’s rather appropriate that the making of The Revenant was also challenging for the cast and crew.

Leonardo DiCaprio said that he was “enduring freezing cold and possible hypothermia constantly“, although this was just one difficulty on set. The crew were shooting in such remote locations that they spent just as much time hauling their gear to the set each day as they did filming. Many people quit or were fired after refusing to put up with the conditions, but The Revenant ended up as a critical and commercial success.

8

Adaptation (2002)

Adaptation Is About The Process Of Writing Adaptation

Adaptation is one of the most original and wildly experimental movies of the 21st century, at least from a screenwriting perspective. Acclaimed screenwriter Charlie Kaufman initially set out to write an adaptation of The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean, but he struggled with writer’s block and decided to write a semi-autobiographical story about that instead.

Adaptation mixes fact with fiction, as Nicolas Cage plays both Charlie Kaufman and his brother Donald, who doesn’t exist. It’s interesting to delve into the real story of Orlean’s book and Kaufman’s troubled writing process, since this allows audiences to see the differences between real life and the way Kaufman presents it.

7

Rocky (1976)

Stallone’s Story Adds Another Layer To Rocky

Rocky was an immense financial success, and its Best Picture win helped catapult Sylvester Stallone to stardom. However, Stallone had to fight hard to get the film made the way that he wanted. Rocky’s underdog battle with Apollo Creed seems like an allegory for Stallone’s own struggles in Hollywood when viewed in this context.

Stallone found little success in the early 1970s, and he even had to sell his dog to make ends meet for a little while. He wrote the script for Rocky in three and a half days, but he refused the urge to cash in immediately. Instead, he insisted on retaining control over the script and playing the lead role himself. Like Rocky Balboa, Stallone’s grit made him a star, and he bought his dog back after selling the script.

6

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018)

Terry Gilliam’s Cursed Production Ultimately Created His Weirdest Movie

Ever since his role in Monty Python, Terry Gilliam has been known for pushing boundaries and indulging in the surreal. His directorial efforts cemented this reputation, especially big hits like Brazil and 12 Monkeys. The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is probably the strangest of all Gilliam’s movies, but his pᴀssion project took decades to come to fruition.

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote had a cursed production, with several false starts over a period of 29 years. The first attempt was sunk by insufficient funding. This kickstarted a comedy of errors, with legal battles over the rights, scheduling conflicts, creative disagreements and more issues repeatedly delaying the film. The finished product looks like a minor miracle after these decades of strife, and it’s a much different story than it would have been the first time round, almost as if the movie morphed into a vehicle for Gilliam to release his frustrations.

5

On The Waterfront (1954)

Elia Kazan’s Political Background Changes On The Waterfront Completely

On the Waterfront is one of Marlon Brando’s best movies, and his Oscar-winning performance is a big reason why audiences can still enjoy it today. However, many newer fans won’t understand the fascinating political context behind the film, since it was seen as a deeply personal message from director Elia Kazan at the time.

Kazan angered plenty of people in Hollywood when he testified in front of the House Committee on Un-American Activities in 1952. Some of his contemporaries labeled him as a traitor and a sellout for pointing to suspected communists in the movie industry, so On the Waterfront is seen as his justification for this move, with Brando starring as a longshoreman struggling with the dilemma of testifying against his corrupt union bosses.

4

Birdman (2014)

Michael Keaton’s Past Is Reflected In His Character

In some ways, Birdman seems like it’s an allegory about Michael Keaton’s life. Both he and his character, Riggan Thomson, were superhero movie stars in the 1980s, since Keaton famously played Batman. In Birdman, Riggan tries to leave that chapter of his life behind him and claw back some respectability as an actor. This is what many critics ᴀssumed Keaton was doing by starring in Birdman, a prestigious, cerebral comedy-drama that garnered several awards.

What’s important to note is that these parallels between Keaton and his character are purely coincidental. Alejandro González Iñárritu started developing the story without any specific actor in mind. When he approached Keaton, the Batman star thought it was some kind of joke. Even though Riggan Thomson isn’t based on Keaton, their similarities give Birdman an added layer. Keaton’s personal link to the movie produces one of his best performances.

3

Roma (2018)

Alfonso Cuarón’s Experiences Help Shape Roma

Alfonso Cuarón has shown a willingness to experiment with different genres throughout his career, but Roma is a much more delicate and personal movie than the likes of Gravity or Children of Men. The black-and-white period drama is an exquisitely crafted work of art, and it may be so emotionally resonant because Cuarón drew on his own childhood experiences for the story.

Cuarón recreates elements of his childhood in Mexico City in Roma, including the tumultuous political context and the immersive cultural atmosphere. However, his protagonist isn’t a young boy or a parent, but a housekeeper to a wealthy family. This unexpected perspective allows Cuarón to iluminate a different side of his own life.

2

The Bank Job (2008)

The Real-Life Heist Is Just The Tip Of The Iceberg

There aren’t many heist movies based on real life, since the genre is often ruled by Robin Hood fantasies and dark comedy. The Bank Job is one exception to this rule, as it recreates one of the most notorious robberies in the history of London, but it also claims to have deeper knowledge of the crime.

The true story behind The Bank Job remains shrouded in mystery, but the Jason Statham movie presents one version of events which revolves around some scandalous pH๏τos of Princess Margaret. Plenty of information about the robbery is being kept hidden from the public, but it’s set to be disclosed in 2071, when people will finally be able to discover if The Bank Job‘s reputed criminal source is genuine.

1

Taxi Driver (1976)

Scorsese’s Dark Crime Drama Shows What New York Was Like At The Time

It’s easy to see Taxi Driver‘s bleak, crime-ridden vision of New York City as an exaggeration, or some extension of Travis Bickle’s pessimistic worldview, but the city really was a different place in the ’70s. The mounds of garbage littering the streets, which Bickle wants to see “washed away“, weren’t set dressing. They were there as the result of a sanitation strike, although this fits the movie’s aesthetic perfectly.

Taxi Driver is one of Martin Scorsese’s best movies, and a great introduction to his flair for crime dramas for any newcomers. There’s a famous Hollywood story – which may be apocryphal – about how Scorsese was ready to shoot a studio executive for trying to censor Taxi Driver. The director was dealing with severe mental health issues and substance abuse at the time, and he started to feel intertwined with the character of Bickle. Knowing this makes Taxi Driver look even darker.