Science Fiction · Western · Comedy
Stranded in 1955, Marty learns that Doc Brown was sent to 1885 and will be shot by Buford Tannen. Marty travels to the Old West to save him. Watch how the film turns a time-travel series into a Western and builds a train chase to finish.
At a glance
Back to the Future Part III is a 1990 science fiction, western and comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis. This breakdown covers 5 techniques (2 narrative, 2 editing and 1 sound), each with the scene where you can see it. If you like how it is made, True Lies uses several of the same techniques.
Dropping a character into a world whose social rules they don't understand. The comedy, and some insight too, comes from the constant mismatch between them and everyone around them.
How this film uses it
Marty arrives in 1885 wearing 1980s clothes and speaking in 1980s slang. Everyone he meets finds him odd. The mismatch sets up many of the jokes.
Where to see it
Marty's arrival: In 1885, Marty is confronted by locals who treat his clothes and speech as strange.
Bringing back an earlier image, line, location or piece of staging later in the film, often with the situation reversed. You enjoy recognizing it, and the comparison adds meaning.
How this film uses it
Marty's hot temper about being called a coward returns as the key to the Western showdown. The film echoes the earlier film's flaw, but now with a new ending. It gives the finale an emotional shape.
Where to see it
The duel with Buford: Marty refuses at first, but when Buford's gang captures Doc he faces Buford and survives using a stove door as armor.
Mixing several genres in 1 film, such as crime, romance, horror and absurd comedy. The clash between them keeps you from settling into a single way of watching.
How this film uses it
The film blends science fiction, comedy and a classic Western. The DeLorean sits in the Old West, and a steam train gets the same treatment as a time machine. The mix is part of the fun.
Where to see it
The 1885 town: Marty and Doc deal with outlaws, a train and a time machine in the same story.
Building an action sequence as a chain where each solution creates a new problem. The layout of the space stays clear, so the escalation follows its own logic.
How this film uses it
The train climax is built as a chain of problems. The locomotive must push the DeLorean to 88 mph, Clara slips, and the track is unfinished. Each fix creates a new danger, but the layout stays clear.
Where to see it
The train and the DeLorean: Doc and Marty use a locomotive to push the car to 88 mph before the track ends.
Playing music from a different era, such as hip-hop, rock or pop, over a story set in the past. The clash comments on how those past events connect to the present.
How this film uses it
The band ZZ Top appear in the 1885 festival scene, playing in a world that has never heard rock. The clash is a joke and a nod to the film's own time travel.
Where to see it
The festival: ZZ Top play as the band at the 1885 festival.
Questions
Keep watching
Same director
Same era
