15 Iconic Movie Scenes That Took Surprisingly Long To Make

Whether it's thanks to the writing, shooting, framing, or special effects–or some combination of all it–every now and then, we see a scene from a film that completely captivates us and leaves us wondering how the producers pulled it off. Sure, there are fantastic things that could be done with a green screen in the modern day, but working with physical reality is almost always the best way to give viewers a more realistic sense of place and life within a film. Despite the fact that practical effects are expensive and time demanding to set up, understanding just how much tedious labor went into making the film may can give you a greater respect for it.

It can take a LONG time to record and/or edit something that appears simple on the surface. Scroll down for more wild examples. Here are 15 iconic movie moments that were tough to shoot due to a lack of computer graphics. Some of these have taken literal decades…