The Usual Suspects
Five criminals. One line up. No coincidence.
![Video for the film The Usual Suspects — The Usual Suspects (1995) Original Trailer [FHD]](https://www.acmodasi.com/amdb/images/posters/a/f/the-usual-suspects-1995-vHGrW.jpg)
Country
Production
Budget
$6 000 000
Box office
$23 341 568
Director
Actors
Scenario
Producer
Bryan Singer, Michael McDonnell, Robert Jones, Art Horan, François Duplat, Hans Brockmann
Camera operator
Newton Thomas Sigel
Composer
Artist
Howard Cummings
Audition
Short description
Held in an L.A. interrogation room, Verbal Kint attempts to convince the feds that a mythic crime lord, Keyser Soze, not only exists, but was also responsible for drawing him and his four partners into a multi-million dollar heist that ended with an explosion in San Pedro harbor – leaving few survivors. Verbal lures his interrogators with an incredible story of the crime lord's almost supernatural prowess.
What's left behind the scenes
- The face recognition scene was an improvisation by the actors.
- The film was shot in just 35 days. Throughout the narrative, enough clues were scattered regarding Keyser Söze’s identity to motivate repeat viewings. The advertising campaign was run with the slogan “Do you know who Keyser Söze is?” Later, while accepting an “Oscar,” Kevin Spacey quipped: “Whoever Keyser Söze is, I can assure you that tonight he will be dead drunk.”
- The role of Verbal Kint was originally intended for Kevin Spacey.
- The idea for the film originated from the concept of a poster for the movie, depicting men lined up for identification at a police station.
- Screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie once worked at a detective agency, and his experience there definitely influenced the portrayal of criminals and law enforcement in the script.
- When Kevin Spacey saw Brian Singer's first film, 'Public Access' (1993) at the Sundance Film Festival that same year, he met the young director there and told him he wanted to star in his next film.
- Gabriel Byrne initially refused the offer to star in the film. He changed his mind after a detailed conversation with screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie and director Brian Singer. On the eve of filming, the actor informed the filmmakers that he would not be able to play the role after all due to personal issues, as he could not leave Los Angeles. Singer made the necessary changes to the plot for the actor’s sake, so that the entire film could be shot in five weeks exclusively in Los Angeles.
- Michael Biehn was offered the lead role, but after reading the script, he didn't understand it and turned it down. Steven Baldwin became the next potential candidate, and he took on the role. Biehn later admitted that he had made a mistake by refusing to work with Bryan Singer.
- When Kevin Spacey received the script, he had to read it twice because he didn't understand everything the first time.
- It took 18 hours to film the robbery scene in the underground parking lot. According to Gabriel Byrne, the director still didn't have the material he needed the next day and continued filming in the underground parking lot, even despite threats from the insurance company to shut down the project.
- When Peter Greene's character flicks a cigarette towards McManus (played by Stephen Baldwin), it hits him in the face, although it was intended to hit his chest. Baldwin's reaction was genuine and unscripted, so Bryan Singer decided to keep that take in the film.
- According to Kevin Spacey, Bryan Singer managed to convince each of the leading actors that the role of Keyser Söze was intended for them. When it turned out that this was not the case, Gabriel Byrne, for example, left the set in a rage and then argued with the director for another half hour.
- “Fenster” translates from German as “window.” Initially, the character was supposed to be the oldest. Benicio Del Toro was initially offered the role of McManus. He himself volunteered to try out for the role of Fenster. Del Toro came up with the idea for Fenster to speak incoherently, and the director agreed. In one scene, Hockney, played by Kevin Pollak, replies to Fenster's line: “What did he just say?” – the actor genuinely couldn’t understand what Del Toro had said. Similarly, MacQuarrie's line, “Please speak English,” said to Fenster, was not in the script, nor was Fenster’s reaction to it.
- A more accurate translation of the title is 'The Usual Suspects'.
- When writing the script, McQuarrie drew on one of his early, unpublished works, whose protagonist, after eliminating his own family, disappeared from the sight of the criminal world and the police for a long time. All the characters were given the names of employees of a law firm where the screenwriter once worked. He found the word 'soze', meaning 'chatter' (a hint at the main character's nickname), in an English-Turkish phrasebook. The screenwriter later described 'The Usual Suspects' as a hybrid of 'Rashomon' and 'Double Indemnity'.
- The film was shot in just 35 days. Throughout the narrative, enough clues were scattered regarding Keyser Söze's identity to motivate repeat viewings. The advertising campaign was launched with the slogan 'Do you know who Keyser Söze is?' Later, while accepting an 'Oscar', Kevin Spacey quipped: 'Whoever Keyser Söze is, I can assure you he'll be dead drunk tonight.'
- Screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie once worked at a detective agency, and his experience there certainly influenced the way criminals and law enforcement officers were written into the script.
- While developing his character, Kevin Spacey met and spoke with doctors and cerebral palsy specialists.
- The names of all the characters in the film are derived from the names of employees at the law firm and detective agency where Christopher McQuarrie worked in his youth.
- Benicio del Toro was cast in the film on the recommendation of Kevin Spacey. Originally, the role of Fenster was intended for someone like Harry Dean Stanton.
- Originally, Kaiser Sose (played by Scott B. Morgan) was to be named Kaiser Soom, after a former boss of Christopher McQuarrie. McQuarrie let this boss read the script, but he adamantly refused to be associated with such a villain and asked for the character's name to be changed.
- When Kevin Spacey saw Bryan Singer's first film, 'Public Access' (1993), at the Sundance Film Festival that same year, he met the young director right then and there and told him he wanted to act in his next movie.
- Initially, Gabriel Byrne declined the offer to act in the film. He changed his mind after a detailed conversation with screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie and director Bryan Singer. On the eve of filming, the actor informed the creators that he would be unable to play the part after all due to personal problems, as he could not leave Los Angeles. For the sake of the actor, Singer made the necessary adjustments to the plot so that the entire movie could be filmed in just five weeks exclusively in Los Angeles.
- Michael Biehn was invited to audition for the lead role, but he read the script, didn't understand anything in it, and declined the offer. The next potential candidate for the role was Steven Baldwin, and the part went to him. Biehn later admitted that he made a mistake by refusing to work with Bryan Singer.
- Filming the robbery scene in the underground parking lot took 18 hours. According to Gabriel Byrne, the director still didn't have the footage he wanted the next day, and he continued filming in the underground parking lot despite threats from the insurance company to shut down the project.
- While writing the screenplay, McQuary drew from one of his early unpublished works, whose protagonist disappeared from the sight of the criminal underworld and the police for a long time after eliminating his own family. All the characters were given the names of employees from a law firm where the screenwriter once worked. He found the word 'soze' in an English-Turkish phrasebook, meaning 'chatter' (a nod to the main character's nickname). The screenwriter later described 'The Usual Suspects' as a hybrid of 'Rashomon' and 'Double Indemnity'.
- The film was shot in just 35 days. Throughout the narrative, enough clues regarding Keyser's identity were scattered to motivate repeat viewings. The advertising campaign ran under the slogan, 'Do you know who Keyser Söze is?' Later, while receiving his Oscar, Kevin Spacey joked: 'Whoever Keyser Söze is, I can assure you that tonight he will be dead drunk'.
- When Peter Greene's character flicks a cigarette toward McManus (played by Stephen Baldwin), the cigarette hits him in the face, although it was intended to hit his chest; therefore, Baldwin's reaction was genuine and unacted, and Bryan Singer decided to keep that specific take in the film.
- According to Kevin Spacey, Bryan Singer managed to convince each of the lead actors that the role of Kaiser Söze was intended specifically for them. When it turned out that this was not the case, Gabriel Byrne, for example, left the set in a rage and then spent another half hour arguing with the director.
- "Fenster" translates from German as "window." Originally, it was intended that this would be the oldest character. Benicio del Toro was initially offered the role of McManus, but he volunteered to try for the role of Fenster. The idea that Fenster would speak incoherently was suggested by del Toro himself, and the director agreed. In one scene, Hockney, played by Kevin Pollak, responds to a line from Fenster by asking, "What did he just say?" — the actor actually understood nothing of what del Toro had said. Similarly, McQuarrie's line to Fenster, "Speak English, please," was not in the script, nor was Fenster's reaction to it.
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