Smoking has long gone hand-in-hand
with Hollywood blockbusters. From the days when actors would actively endorse
different tobacco brands in between feature presentations to now when smoking
signifies a rebellious, devil-may-care attitude to authority and the rules.
Connotations of down-to-earth rugged action are often born from the simply
drags of a cigarette on screen. Here are some of the most iconic smoking scenes
from the silver screen.
It is a guarantee that Sharon Stone
would not have been smoking Cheap Tobacco in Basic Instinct. One of the most
famous scenes in movie history when her leg switch revealed more than was
reportedly intended. It is reported that it was not the intention for her to
bare that much flesh but only happened because the underwear she wore was
reflecting light and had to be removed. The cigarette in hand only served to
ramp up the sexual energy in the scene.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is
the Pipe Tobacco smoking Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings. As one of only 6
wizards in Middle Earth, it may have been hard for many to identify with
Gandalf. However, the act of smoking a pipe and enjoying simple pleasures
served to make him easier to connect to for audiences whilst retaining his
quiet and wizened dignity.
Dustin Hoffman delivered one of the
most famous and iconic lines in movie history when he caught Mrs Robinson
pulling seductively on a cigarette in her living. The smoking middle aged woman
has been a symbol of sexual excitement for almost as long as films have been
made. The act of smoking created a sense of authority and empowerment within
Mrs Robinson that could not be fought.
During The Good, The Bad and The Ugly,
Clint Eastwood retains a cigar in his mouth throughout the entire Mexican
Standoff. The control and poise created by the clenched jaw signified a
powerful man who astutely judged the situation and acted accordingly. Many men
have since tried to reenact the scene with a single cigar bought from their
local Tobacco Shop.
