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| Above, Paul Newman and Robert Redford in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. |
Gun shootouts have been a part of motion pictures practically from the beginning of the silent era.
While shootouts are a staple in westerns, war movies and cop movies, some of them are better than others even though they are unrealistic.
Field & Stream posted what they consider the best and worst Hollywood shootouts.
They begin with:
I’ve been a moviegoer since 1946 and have seen a great many films since then—war movies, westerns, thrillers. When I could, I would checked up with how realistic they were with combat veterans or police. The vets and cops, to a man, described movie violence as “pure bs.”
Looking for something more detailed, I asked a friend of mine who is a retired street cop, watch commander, and chief of detectives, for his opinion of Hollywood shootouts. He wrote: “None of them are like real life. Police shootings are fast, short, and violent. When I see movies like the Matrix series, John Wick, and Heat, I am in awe of the volume of bullets unleashed and how anyone could survive without getting shot. No one could run through those hailstorms of lead and not get hit. Every bad guy shooting can’t be that bad a shot.”
So, what I’ve done here is highlight three of the most unrealistic shootouts, and three that have a game-changing degree of reality to them. We will never see completely accurate gunplay in the films; it’s over too quick. That’s why the gunfight at the OK Corral, which has been filmed who knows how many times, must always include some added nonsense in order not to leave the viewers feeling cheated and angry.
To read more, go here.
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