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Saw The Revenant last night. Not a movie buff, but

demlion

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Feb 4, 2004
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I liked it. I had some familiarity with the Hugh Glass story from a book I read years ago. It is probably the first movie I have seen in a theater in 10 years.

One beef: this is a movie about a trapper, set in the West of the early 1800s. All the guns are flintlocks. At least once in the movie Glass fires a flintlock pistol twice at a time when he could not have reloaded. It was the only gun he had.

Maybe the vast majority of people who see this film will not notice this, but this is a movie which appeals to hunters and outdoorsmen and the like. did anyone else notice this?
 
Yes, I noticed that as well. It was during the chase scene before he went of the cliff.. Unless it was a double barrel flintlock (not)
 
Yes, I noticed that as well. It was during the chase scene before he went of the cliff.. Unless it was a double barrel flintlock (not)
Surely they have enough technical advisers that they knew when they printed the final cut that this mistake was in there, which means they just do not give a damn.
 
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Probably 90% or more of the people watching the film have no clue about the functions of a flintlock gun.
The producers didn't do their homework or didn't care enough to make it factual.
 
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Probably 90% or more of the people watching the film have no clue about the functions of a flintlock gun.
The producers didn't do their homework or didn't care enough to make it factual.
The latter. All tv shows and movies take liberties. It probably didn't make sense to show reloading and slowing down the action. Who knows it could have been shot, then edited out because it slowed down the movie. Pace is more important than accuracy. A running joke in 24 was that Jake Bauer never used the restroom. There are always some inconsistencies to move the story along.
 
The latter. All tv shows and movies take liberties. It probably didn't make sense to show reloading and slowing down the action. Who knows it could have been shot, then edited out because it slowed down the movie. Pace is more important than accuracy. A running joke in 24 was that Jake Bauer never used the restroom. There are always some inconsistencies to move the story along.
I get what you are saying, but it is more than just not showing the reloading. He had no gun until seconds before he shot the first time, and no powder and ball, and no way to have reloaded in the short time of the action even if he had powder and ball. If you are telling me a story then you have to make me believe it by accounting for the stuff I know should be in there. I can see editing out the boring parts. that is not what this is.

I also readily acknowledge that a huge majority of the audience does not get it. the art of fiction is to suspend the viewer's disbelief, not contradict directly the world as he knows it to be.
 
I get what you are saying, but it is more than just not showing the reloading. He had no gun until seconds before he shot the first time, and no powder and ball, and no way to have reloaded in the short time of the action even if he had powder and ball. If you are telling me a story then you have to make me believe it by accounting for the stuff I know should be in there. I can see editing out the boring parts. that is not what this is.

I also readily acknowledge that a huge majority of the audience does not get it. the art of fiction is to suspend the viewer's disbelief, not contradict directly the world as he knows it to be.
I think you could pick apart any movie. It is fiction and suspension of belief is part of it. I am seeing it tonight and doubt I would have noticed. I probably will now. I expect to be more focused on the cinematography, which is supposed to be gorgeous, and like Terrence Mallick's films, a big part of the story. I've read the background on Hugh Glass and wonder how much is myth. It is a compelling story regardless.
 
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If you've ever watched an movie or tv show that has any kind of gunfire , you will see technical inaccuracies. Slides don't lock back , semis go click click click. Six shooters have 17 shots , scopes magnify 1000x, 9mms knock people back 5 ft etcetera.
 
I liked it. I had some familiarity with the Hugh Glass story from a book I read years ago. It is probably the first movie I have seen in a theater in 10 years.

One beef: this is a movie about a trapper, set in the West of the early 1800s. All the guns are flintlocks. At least once in the movie Glass fires a flintlock pistol twice at a time when he could not have reloaded. It was the only gun he had.

Maybe the vast majority of people who see this film will not notice this, but this is a movie which appeals to hunters and outdoorsmen and the like. did anyone else notice this?

Was your popcorn stale and the seat wet, too? Did the person infront of you wear a hat?

I can't believe I just read this thread. You owe me 3 minutes of my time. Geez!

See you in court.
 
I think you could pick apart any movie. It is fiction and suspension of belief is part of it. I am seeing it tonight and doubt I would have noticed. I probably will now. I expect to be more focused on the cinematography, which is supposed to be gorgeous, and like Terrence Mallick's films, a big part of the story. I've read the background on Hugh Glass and wonder how much is myth. It is a compelling story regardless.

The Cinematography is wonderful as you say. And lots of movies have this same issue as you say. All true. Just saying for me that these flaws in the reality of the movie jerk me out of it and remind me that it is a movie. it is why I don't go that much.

If I were reading a novel in which the character shot a 6 shooter seven times without reloading, I would not think much of it.
 
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Was your popcorn stale and the seat wet, too? Did the person infront of you wear a hat?

I can't believe I just read this thread. You owe me 3 minutes of my time. Geez!

See you in court.
You can be secure to the point of smugness in the knowledge that your elevated view of Hollywood is the controlling view. That said, I liked the movie.

That three minutes of your time, is that at the rate you think you're worth, or market value? ;)
 
If you've ever watched an movie or tv show that has any kind of gunfire , you will see technical inaccuracies. Slides don't lock back , semis go click click click. Six shooters have 17 shots , scopes magnify 1000x, 9mms knock people back 5 ft etcetera.
Cowboys having their holsters tied to their legs.
 
No one on TV or in the movies ever has a round in the chamber of a modern firearm. They always have to run the action first, with the noise often alerting the baddie. ;)
 
No one on TV or in the movies ever has a round in the chamber of a modern firearm. They always have to run the action first, with the noise often alerting the baddie. ;)
"When the legend becomes fact, print the legend." Ah, it's okay. It's just entertainment; discussions like these keep the board going in the off-season.
 
Yes, I noticed that as well. It was during the chase scene before he went of the cliff.. Unless it was a double barrel flintlock (not)

noticed as soon as he shot it... i was like umm yep, thats not possible unless that is a different pistol he magically switched to. i know its a detail that is relatively picky, but eh I'd hope for some more accuracy.
 
noticed as soon as he shot it... i was like umm yep, thats not possible unless that is a different pistol he magically switched to. i know its a detail that is relatively picky, but eh I'd hope for some more accuracy.
So if you want accuracy, then DiCaprio should have really been mauled by a bear!:eek:
 
Beautiful scenery shot in and around the Calgary area mostly, the river scene shot in Montana and the final scene shot in Argentina. (not enough snow cover year of the shooting and reason for going down to S. America. Incredibly brutal some of the scenes. Loved the movie but have a lifetime's worth of listening to Glass' heavy and troubled breathing.

I caught the quick second shot with the flintlock in the back of my mind or maybe now realize it having read it here.
 
I notice stuff like that all the time (I work in Quality), but it doesn't impact my enjoyment of the movie.

I'm really looking forward to this movie, may go on a "masturdate" on Tuesday.
 
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Saw the movie. It was intense. Brilliant directing and cinematography to place you in the movie. Only coming back and reading this thread did I notice what you are talking about. In other scenes, they just threw the guns away after one shot. He did reload at the beginning of the film, so maybe he did reload off camera. Can't remember if there is a cut in the scene, but don't really care as it didn't take away from me watching the film.
 
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I liked it. I had some familiarity with the Hugh Glass story from a book I read years ago. It is probably the first movie I have seen in a theater in 10 years.

One beef: this is a movie about a trapper, set in the West of the early 1800s. All the guns are flintlocks. At least once in the movie Glass fires a flintlock pistol twice at a time when he could not have reloaded. It was the only gun he had.

Maybe the vast majority of people who see this film will not notice this, but this is a movie which appeals to hunters and outdoorsmen and the like. did anyone else notice this?
I think you are referring to when he encountered the French militia.
I thought the movie was great and imagery was fantastic.
 
I liked it. I had some familiarity with the Hugh Glass story from a book I read years ago. It is probably the first movie I have seen in a theater in 10 years.

One beef: this is a movie about a trapper, set in the West of the early 1800s. All the guns are flintlocks. At least once in the movie Glass fires a flintlock pistol twice at a time when he could not have reloaded. It was the only gun he had.

Maybe the vast majority of people who see this film will not notice this, but this is a movie which appeals to hunters and outdoorsmen and the like. did anyone else notice this?
I read once in a book about the Winchester rifles that Indians perfected the strategy of provoking those with single shot rifles just outside their range then charging before they could reload. The strategy failed miserably when to the Indians' surprise the party had a repeating arm.
 
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