"Most realistic gunfights Hollywood has ever produced" Topic

"It's no secret that movies get a lot wrong about firearms and the ways they're used in a fight. From every 80's protagonist refusing to shoulder their rifles when they fire, to the seemingly infinite magazine capacity in every hero's gun, filmmakers have long prized what looks cool over what's actually possible in their work, and to be honest, it's hard to blame them…."
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Amicalement
Armand

Can't say I agree with the Private Ryan assessment – surprisingly my favourite 'realistic' gunfight is in a Western – 'Dirty Little Billy'

The bank robbery in Heat, the De Niro movie.

Open Range has my vote.

Well I can't really choose the most realistic. But I can certainly say so many of the movies of the 50s, 60s, 70s and even the '80s. Were just plain silly and more like fantasy … When it came down to a shoot out or firefight.

Agreed, the old time cowboys must've all been snipers, "one shot, one kill". You read news stories about someone who shot, and hit, an intruder, point blank, 5 times with a 38 Special and the intruder survived.

My brother-in-law took my father to Saving Private Ryan. My father unfortunately was suffering from Parkinson's at the time and not always with us. My b-i-l reported my dad became very alert during those opening scenes with my dad stating he could smell that morning again and his only criticism was that the scene with the water lapping at the beach, which was as red as you can get, wasnt red enough. You see my dad was there that morning and his unit took heavy losses. So, will defer to my late dad on the realism.

Marc33594 Thank you to your Dad and may he RIP.

Weirdly enough, I saw an animated movie of combat in Normandy with LEGO figures on YouTube. Which was kind of ridiculous, except that the little guys were working their bolts and re-loading, which made it seem more realistic than most war movies.

Another vote for the gunfight in "Open Range"

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Peckinpah's Ride the High Country.

Open range !!

Marc33594 Thank you to your Dad and may he RIP.

Agreed !

Marc33594 Thank you to your Dad and may he RIP.

Agreed, Whole heartedly!

Another vote for Open Range also! (Though Tombstone [Kurt Russell et al] should also get a nod)!

Third vote for Open range.

YouTube link

Yeah, I have to cast my vote for Open Range too.

Zulu

Ambush scene in "la 357ème section" youtu.be/cVyLxVBsZdk

Well, if you take 'Hollywood' in its wider, even global sense, the shootouts in 'The Legend of Ben Hall' look very authentic, with lots of shots fired but hardly anyone hit. There's even a realistic tactical/morale dimension when, during the gold escort ambush sequence, the bushrangers retreat when attacked from the rear by the two detached police troopers, despite no one having been hit.

Tombstone

Marc33954

My b-i-l reported my dad became very alert during those opening scenes with my dad stating he could smell that morning again and his only criticism was that the scene with the water lapping at the beach, which was as red as you can get, wasn't red enough. You see my dad was there that morning and his unit took heavy losses. So, will defer to my late dad on the realism.

I cannot imagine what you father went through. Watching Saving Private Ryan is probably as close as we will ever get. That you father was brave, is a total understatement. I only wish that we could have talked and recorded what all of these men went through, so that future generations understand. Blessings to him and thanks for sharing.

Thank you one and all. I must admit to misting up reading your replies. I usually spend today wondering what it was like for my father that day but being the 75th anniversary even more so this time.

I only found out about the extent of his military service by accident. Based on the things he talked about I assumed he had been a clerk in the UK. It was only when at a family gathering that my uncle, his older brother, commented "You mean he never told you he landed at Omaha on D-Day?".

I know many of you have served in the military, I was on active duty for 25 years myself. So I think you fully understand that for those that actually experience combat the vast majority do not want to talk about it. My father was no different. A few anecdotes over time followed but little about combat.

I disagree that the fight scene in Open Range is all that realistic. First, Costner didn't perform one magazine change while shooting multiple rounds with his semi-auto Colt 1973. lol Secondly, when a human body is hit by a shotgun it does not fly across the alley.

The Sicario fight scene is by far my favorite.

Some of the early gangster films were done with machine guns with live ammunition so as to realistically chew up the scenery. Actor James Cagney almost had his face blown off a couple of times.

One of my all-time faves has to be the sustained compound defence in "13 Hours" (The secret soldiers of Benghazi).

HEAT does capture a good feel, though much of the realism in that scene comes from the sound, the very loud very scary sound of automatic fire in downtown LA.

But I think Act of Valor has it best, real Navy SEALs going what SEALs do and they did use live fire.

Walt Disney – The Nine Lives of El Fego Baca. Lots of bullets flying.

Dude!….

Amicalement
Armand