# Rope Bridges in the Movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 23, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775 "2016-11-23T00:08:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/1 "2016-11-23T00:08:51Z")
I just saw this, with pictures of actual rope bridges in the world: > **[These Photos Show The 27 Most Dangerous Footpaths Around The World](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/these-photos-show-the-27-most-dangerous-foot-paths-around-the-world_n_58345bbae4b058ce7aaced98)** > > Walking on solid ground is so overrated. It seems to me that whenever you see a Rope Bridge in a movie, you almost invariably see that same bridge collapse later, taking Bad Guys with it, or almost taking the Good Guys, usually. \*\*Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Shrek The Man who Would be King The Bridge of San Luis Rey\*\* (This one took down Good Guys, but it had deeper meaning in this film). The Rope Bridge is the Chekhov’s Gun of movie bridges. About the only cases I recall where the bridge _didn’t_ collapse were \*\*The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Monty Python and the Holy Grail\*\* and, arguably, **Sorceror** It was a more substantial bridge, but, then again, they were driving a _truck_ over it. Any others? (either collapsing or non-collapsing) About the only films where the ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/2 "2016-11-23T00:53:31Z")
Uh, oh, looks like someone cut the ropes on **Cal** ’s post, there. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/3 "2016-11-23T02:30:16Z")
There’s a rope bridge constructed in the original(Ronald Coleman version) _Lost Horizon_ It’s overseen by one of the visitors, Barnard, played by the great character actor Thomas Mitchell. This is a good bridge, it doesn’t fall, and helps the locals in Shangri La get from one side of a gorge to the other much easier. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/4 "2016-11-23T02:35:06Z")
I can’t look at a rope bridge without hearing the theme from _ **Jonny Quest** _ in my head. **VOICE OF HADJI:** _AIEEEEE, JONNY!_ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/5 "2016-11-23T02:59:04Z")
[This aerial shot of Isengard from the first LotR movie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwinMu7-ZrI) has tons of rope bridges and rickety walkways that are all still intact at the end of the film. They do get destroyed in the third film, when the Ents flood the tower, but it’s not a dramatic focal point of the scene, just background stuff getting wrecked. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/6 "2016-11-23T03:27:45Z")
Gunga Din ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/7 "2016-11-23T03:48:33Z")
Not a movie, but _Lost_ had some great rope bridge bits. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/8 "2016-11-23T04:10:20Z")
There was a rope bridge in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, the sequel to Curse of the Black Pearl. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/9 "2016-11-23T04:18:19Z")
The Simpsons episode “Mr. Plow” features Homer driving his snowplow across a very rickety, _Sorcerer_-like rope bridge. After successfully crossing, he looks up and sees a gigantic steel suspension bridge he could’ve used instead. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/10 "2016-11-23T07:29:31Z")
Of course there’s a[TVTropes page](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RopeBridge) for this. Oh, and _White Water Summer_ features a rope bridge crossing with no collapse. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/11 "2016-11-23T12:51:53Z")
In Kung Fu Panda the Furious Five fight Tai Lung on a rope bridge, with Mantis holding the entire bridge up during the battle. > [@CalMeacham](#): > > About the only cases I recall where the bridge _didn’t_ collapse were > > **The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly** I don’t remember a rope bridge in GBU, can you refresh my memory? Of course, cutting down a rope bridge in that movie would have been pretty anti-climactic anyway, in more ways than one. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/12 "2016-11-23T14:18:32Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I don’t remember a rope bridge in GBU, can you refresh my memory? Of course, cutting down a rope bridge in that movie would have been pretty anti-climactic anyway, in more ways than one. I think it’s after Blondie has abandoned Tuco in the desert. Tudo manages to make it to a small town and crosses a rope bridge over a dry riverbed. Then he goes into a store, constructs a new revolver out of pieces, and robs the store. Found it. The rope bridge is at the beginning of [this clip](https://youtu.be/meP_Ufwj-FY). Damn, Eli Wallach was fucking brilliant in that movie. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/13 "2016-11-23T14:37:14Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I think it’s after Blondie has abandoned Tuco in the desert. Tudo manages to make it to a small town and crosses a rope bridge over a dry riverbed. Then he goes into a store, constructs a new revolver out of pieces, and robs the store. > > Found it. The rope bridge is at the beginning of [this clip](https://youtu.be/meP_Ufwj-FY). Damn, Eli Wallach was fucking brilliant in that movie. Thanks. And agreed- it wasn’t an Eastwood movie at all, it was totally Wallach’s film. The [scene with Tuco and his brother](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEDNuuCoZYk) is the best part of the movie - “You chose your way, I chose mine. Mine was harder!” ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/14 "2016-11-23T14:37:51Z")
Why would they go through the trouble to put a rope bridge in a picture as a red herring? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/15 "2016-11-23T14:49:16Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Why would they go through the trouble to put a rope bridge in a picture as a red herring? Realism. There’d be one there because no one wants to get caught in a dry riverbed when a flash flood hits. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/16 "2016-11-23T15:18:38Z")
Someone needs to go pull Cal out of the chasm. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/17 "2016-11-23T16:16:01Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > Why would they go through the trouble to put a rope bridge in a picture as a red herring? Because showing Tuco staggering across a swaying rope bridge is more visually interesting than having him staggering down the street? It’s also a nice transition from him walking through the wilderness to finally reaching a town. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/18 "2016-11-23T16:16:08Z")
Rope bridges always seem to be built with little or no redundancy. If it were up to me the bridge would be held up by twenty lines of rope instead of three or four. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/19 "2016-11-23T16:48:55Z")
Fine, you can build it next time. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775/20 "2016-11-23T17:30:16Z")
When you see [the amount of work](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dql-D6JQ1Bc) that goes into one,you get why it’s not more lines than needed. Also, they rebuild them regularly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rope-bridges-in-the-movies/772775.md?page=2)