10 Famous Movie Endings That Were Total Accidents
6. George McKay Fell Over For Real While Running Along The Trench - 1917
Though it technically happens about 10 minutes before the end of the movie, 1917's big climax occurs when Lance Corporal Schofield (George McKay) makes a daring run parallel to the British trench line, in order to quickly reach Colonel Mackenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch) and have the attack called off.
The mesmerising sequence where Schofield runs down the trench line instantly became one of the most iconic moments from any war movie, Schofield continuing to run even after being knocked down twice amid the chaos after bumping into two fellow soldiers.
As meticulously engineered as the scene appears to be - by sheer necessity, given director Sam Mendes' single-take approach - actor George McKay wasn't actually scripted to collide with the extras.
These moments were total accidents, but Mendes had his cast and crew under strict instructions to keep going in the event of a mistake, and so McKay quickly rolled to his feet and ran back to his camera mark along the trench.
Ultimately, seeing Schofield get back up after taking two tumbles just adds to the breathtaking visceral intensity of the scene.