Greatest Film Scenes
and Moments



Fearless (1993)

 



Written by Tim Dirks

Title Screen
Movie Title/Year and Scene Descriptions
Screenshots

Fearless (1993)

In Peter Weir's emotionally provocative film, about the aftermath of a major plane crash, involving a surviving hero's journey of disconnected relations with family members and life itself:

  • the vivid recreation of the grisly crash of an airliner (from the point of view inside the plane when it shredded upon impact) - with bodies still strapped in their seats, and fire racing through the fuselage
  • the eerie opening scene when after the ill-fated flight from San Francisco to Houston, serene SF architect Max Klein (Jeff Bridges) mystically transcended and invincibly survived in a light-colored linen suit, seen in a seemingly-serene Bakersfield cornfield when he appeared carrying a baby while walking and holding young boy Byron Hummel's (Daniel Cerny) hand
  • after the crash, the sequence of Max renting a car and driving from the crash site in Bakersfield to Los Angeles; at first, on a long stretch of deserted road, Max stopped his car, sat outside his car on the ground, and spat into the sand; then, he reached down and rubbed the developing mud between his tumb and forefinger; shortly later, he extended his head from the window and felt the breeze as he accelerated to over 80 mph
  • its tale of two survivors who became intertwined and bonded: Max and young guilt-stricken, depressed, semi-catatonic Roman Catholic mother Carla Rodrigo (Rosie Perez) who still believed in God but took the blame for her baby's death in the crash: ("You know He hurt me. He hurt me forever. But I still believe in Him")
Max's Delusional and Fearless Belief in His Own Invincibility
  • the scenes of Max's belief in his own invincibility and invulnerability - after being lured by a blinding light, he crossed a busy SF street into traffic (and after surviving, laid on his back and yelled up to God: "You can't do it! You wanna kill me, but you can't!"), and during a panic attack, Max's climb out onto a tall building's ledge above the street - seemingly fearless and overcoming his phobia about heights
  • the concluding bizarre sequence in which Max risked his life to attempt to prove that Carla was not at fault for her baby's death in the plane crash (when she let go of him - seen in flashback) - he convinced her to stage a bizarre experiment with her holding a toolbox in the backseat of his car: ("I want you to pretend that this is your baby. Pretend it's Bubble. OK? Now this is your chance to hold on tight to save him. OK? OK? Hold on to Bubble! As tight as you can! Pray to God to give you the strength to save your baby. Hold on to your baby! Holy Mary, Mother of God! Pray for us now and at the hour of our death!") - and then he deliberately crashed the car into a brick wall, thus becoming seriously injured and in intensive care in the hospital, where Carla visited him

Fiery Plane Crash

Max Klein's Plane Crash Survival in Cornfield

Liberated and Euphoric Drive to LA

Guilt-Ridden Carla Rodrigo (Rosie Perez)




Staged Do-Over Experiment with Carla, Ending With Crash into Brick Wall

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