The Staircase Scene of the Untouchables

The Untouchables: The Staircase Scene

The following scene lasts 9 min 30 sec. One sees clearly how the director, even in a commissioned work, succeeds in imposing his style, as well as one of his favorite themes: Duality - The reader will note that part of the staircase scene includes a sequence of 124 is taking an observation deck where he will be frames, lasting 3 min 18 sec, an average of one able to frame for every 1.6 second (see detail below).

Prologue: After having been Ness' mentor for the first two thirds of film, Malone will die in his arms.

to watch

in The Untouchables, "the death of the old police officer forces his young apprentice to the entrance, the clock deal with the duality of character"

De Palma expresses this duality in an explicit way (during the scene of the staircase and the arrest of Nitti) but without however, inserting in the scene any dialogue between the various as well as the station personalities.

Here thus (in a little less than 100 images) a summary of these two scenes:

where he notices a woman with a baby carriage.

Arrival of Ness and Stone.

"Your attention please..." (a voice seems to ask Ness to stay attentive)

Stone is going to watch the south entrance while Ness

However, Ness can't keep from watching The Untouchables: The Staircase Scene

the woman and her difficulties with the baby a suspicious character carriage.

which he looks at with an attentive eye "Your attention please..." (for the second time the Malone sound-a-like asks Ness to pay attention)

without neglecting

So he quickly takes a look

the woman, who with her baby carriage begins to climb the stairs.

towards the newcomers to the station.

False alarm; the "suspicious character" was just waiting on his wife. But yet, Ness' good side wins

Ness loosens his attention and observes and his eyes look down again to the woman.

the difficult progress of the woman. when he looks up again his eyes spot The Untouchables: The Staircase Scene

"Your attention please..." (for the third and They begin to climb the stairs final time "Malone" implores Ness to stay alert)

when suddenly, Ness notices

At last he notices at the entrance

the arrival of the gangsters

some people which would be able to help

all around him the woman with her baby carriage but without success.

who are escorting the long awaited

Ness realises that he's alone in caring about this woman and that he'll have to give her assistance himself... bookeeper of Al Capone.

A beautiful bit of symbolism where one can Ness then enters a trancelike state notice that the left hand (Ness) takes the baby carriage as the right hand (Malone) still holds the gun. The Untouchables: The Staircase Scene

which alerts the attention of the woman. Once the transformation is completed

She then tries to take the baby carriage back, it's not Ness who’s turning around but Malone without success, because

to face the gangster. He finally recognizes when noticing another enemy behind him Ness, too late

Ness' personality " Malone"

slowly but surely This gangster is the first to "deal with" Malone.

is replaced by Malone's. During the struggle the baby carriage is unfortunately pushed.

Under the wary gaze of the gangster (the same man who's nose was earlier broken by Ness). Ness/the left hand pushes the woman aside, and joins with Malone/the right hand - both The Untouchables: The Staircase Scene

are reunited to accomplish the same action

Looking down, "they" see the baby carriage to kill their enemies tumbling.

they are also helped And, after a brief moment of hesitation

by Stone, arriving to the rescue. Ness/left hand tries to take over to save the child

Under the horrified look of the woman, but without Malone/right

the baby carriage begins to run down the stairs. completely giving up.

Dealing with a new opponent Here is a battle between both personalities

Ness/Malone hears gunshots coming from the as well as a battle against both gangsters bottom of the stairs. The Untouchables: The Staircase Scene

who survived so far. so that he can take over completely

During the shooting, Ness/Malone use all six and kill the gangster. shots

to the satisfaction of the gangster at the Stone now has the final gangster in his sights. bottom of the stairs.

However Ness/Malone will be saved

by Stone, who in the same motion

tosses a revolver to Ness/left hand

Epilogue: This second scene shows the vengeance of Malone on his own murderer.

and relieves him of the responsibility of the pram The Untouchables: The Staircase Scene

Afer a chase on the rooftops Ness succeeds in repressing his avenging side

Nitti finds himself at a dead end and takes control again.

and at the mercy of Ness. It's Nitti's provocations that

Ness makes sure there are no witnesses will make him turn back again

around before letting and this time, Malone will go all the way

Malone take over to avenge himself of his own murderer. and push Nitti off the roof, to his death.

But slowly The End