Props are a very big part of any movie since they can be used in so many different ways and can bring a slew of different meanings to a film. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that some props are actually coveted and valued by film buffs to such a degree that they are believed to have been absolutely vital to the film in which they appeared. Some even believe that without some of these props that the movie they belong to would have been vastly different and perhaps not even half as successful as they were with the prop included.
It’s an interesting thought really, and should become more interesting once you see the list.
10. Whip – Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones had two major accessories, his hat, and his whip. The whip could be used in so many different ways that there’s no wonder why it’s such a popular prop. It could be used as a tool or a weapon in equal measures and was never far from his side.
9. Lightsaber – Star Wars
I’m only mildly surprised that this prop didn’t get ranked a little higher but if you were to look on the list of a Star Wars fan, guilty, you would find it ranked a great deal higher. The lightsaber isn’t exactly a sound idea at this point and time but in the realm of fiction it is something that has taken on a very important role.
8. Custom Amp – This Is Spinal Tap
The whole idea of cranking it to 11 might seem a little silly to some people but the attitude that lies behind it definitely seems to indicate that Spinal Tap was a band that liked to go hard or go home. Yes it was kind of silly, but the gag was awesome.
7. Riverboat – Fitzcarraldo
I’m not sure how you would convince a bunch of natives to haul a 300-ton riverboat up a mountain but it got done in the movie. I can only imagine the work that went into doing this for real.
6. Briefcase – Pulp Fiction
So many people believed that this was the case that held Marcellus’ soul, but the truth of the matter is that Tarantino loved to mess with his audience. Seriously, he was laughing all the way to the bank.
5. Origami Unicorn – Bladerunner
The years-old debate of whether Deckard was replicant or not is still ongoing as Bladerunner 2049 gets closer and closer to its release date.
4. Plastic Bag – American Beauty
It’s a plastic bag, a piece of garbage floating about in the wind. And yet there’s something haunting about the awe that it’s supposed to bring and the feelings it invokes as one watches it.
3. Wilson – Castaway
If you have to have company on a deserted island then talking to yourself via a volleyball certainly isn’t the worst company to have. It might even help you to work out a few issues.
2. Candle – Nostalghia
The candle flame has for a long time been used as a metaphor for the fragility and uncertainty of human life. In truth it’s a rather extreme metaphor but one that still works.
1. Kikuchiyo’s Sword – Seven Samurai
That is one comically big sword. But the story behind it is unbearably tragic as Kikuchiyo must eventually become worthy of the blade and the name he decided to take.
Depending on the movie, props tend to mean a lot more once they’ve been used in a meaningful way.
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