Ryan Gosling Bank Robbery Scene From ‘The Place Beyond The Pines’ Filmed With Real Customers To Capture Unscripted Reactions

The Ryan Gosling bank robbery scene for his movie The Place Beyond The Pines was filmed, actors were not used. The actor filmed the bank robbery scene at a real bank with real customers.

Ryan Gosling told the film crew that he wanted the customers' reactions to be realistic, so the crew decided to use real people to stage the bank robbery scene.

Gosling said the scene was shot in one take, but he added that he didn't get exactly the reactions he was looking for. Instead, several of the people recognized him and started taking photos.

Gosling told the Digital Spy, "I'm there with a gun and I look down and people are just smiling. They were just enjoying the show and I think I spotted someone filming me on their camera phone as I robbed the place."

But, Gosling didn't request to film in front of non-actors only for their 'realistic' reactions. The actor added that he had always fantasized about being on the run from the law and robbing a bank.

He said, "I've been thinking about a bank robbery my whole life [too], and I finally got to do it. I loved making this movie. Initially, I just thought I got to rob banks on a bike, but actually it goes much, much deeper than that."

Ryan Gosling, to get into character, had to sport a number of tattoos. He said, "It got a little out of control...The idea was to create this portrait of someone that was basically like a melting pot of masculine clichés."

Gosling's character, Luke, is a stunt motorcyclist in a traveling carnival. When he visits Schenectady, NY, he finds out he has a child with diner waitress Eva Mendes that he'd met the year before. He claims he wants to settle down and be a father to the child, but he needs money. So, he decides to rob some banks.

"Tattoos, motorcycles, muscles, knives, guns - he's this surface idea of what a man is. And then, when he's presented with his child, it's like a mirror is held up to him, and he realizes he's not a man at all," Gosling explained to the Philly Inquirer.

The Place Beyond The Pines was released in the United States last week to a select few theatres. The movie hasn't been seen by many people, but has garnered positive critical attention.

Austin Kennedy from Film Geek Central wrote, "Gosling is phenomenal, the direction is inspiring, and it's incredibly ambitious. But it is a little too ambitious for its own good, and that's what holds it back from being great. Still, I would say it's definitely worth your time."