Jeff Bridges discusses the brilliance of ‘The Big Lebowski’ gutterball scene
Directors love a cinema reference, and the Coen brothers are no exception. Their 1999 comedy The Big Lebowski features what has to be one of the greatest cinematic tributes ever crafted: the famous gutterball scene, in which the Coens recreate one of Busby Berkeley’s elaborate dance numbers – complete with synchronised dancers and kaleidoscopic set pieces. Here, Jeff Bridges opens up about the iconic scene, explaining that it was one of the only times the Coen brothers argued on set.
The Big Lebowski focuses on Jeff ‘The Dude’ Lebowski, a loveable L.A. slacker with a taste for cardigans. After being mistaken for a different Jeffrey Lebowski, who just so happens to owe money to porn kingpin Jackie Treehorn, The Dude sets out in search of vengeance. After tracking down his namesake, he’s offered the job of retrieving the real Lebowski’s kidnapped wife. With his friends, Walter Sobchack (a Vietnam veteran) and Donny (an idiot) in tow, he embarks on an occasionally surreal trip around America.
The Gutterball scene is a trippy dream sequence that arrives out of nowhere. Framed as a ’60s acid movie, the scene features Bridges making his way down the gully of some otherworldly bowling alley. The four-minute swirl of teetering showgirls and kitsch graphics is just about as over-the-top as it gets.
Discussing the scene, Bridges told Vanity Fair: “I had a little concern about how it was going to be directed by two people. I love my brother, but I think it would be really challenging to direct a film with him. I was wondering how it was gonna be to be directed by these brothers, and the only time that there was any disagreement between them was in that scene”.
Bridges continued: “It was just about when I was gonna hit my head with those bowling pins, and Joel said, ‘Now, when you’re gonna hit the bowling pins, kind of wince a little bit, ’cause you’re gonna be expecting some kind of pain.’ And Ethan says, ‘No, really—you think so? I think he should be kind of smiling, like this is kind of fun to be a bowling ball.’ Joel said, ‘You really think so?’ And it kind of went back and forth like that then finally they just said, ‘Well, let’s shoot it both ways.’ That was the big disagreement.”
The Big Lebowski remains an undying cult classic and certainly deserves its status as one of the greatest comedies of all time.
You can revisit the legendary Gutterball scene below.
