While appearing on The Jonathan Ross Show (via Variety), Dunst recalled shooting the famous kiss scene. According to Dunst, director Sam Raimi gave her “a book of famous kisses to be inspired” by because he “really wanted to make it special.” However, shooting the scene was anything but special. As Dunst recalled, “[I]t was kind of miserable actually doing it … It was pouring with rain, freezing, Tobey couldn’t breathe so it was almost like I was resuscitating him.”
This news is hardly surprising. As swooningly romantic as the scene may look on screen, Maguire and Dunst were acting — they were there to do a job, and they did it well. But it’s a testament to the performances, Raimi’s direction, and the film’s editing that the scene plays as well as it does under such inhospitable conditions. You don’t get the scenes that Maguire or Dunst are miserable in the moment — you completely buy into their kiss. That’s movie magic, folks.