Artistic Licence

Perry’s Blog

Artistic Licence

The “artistic licence” discussed in my previous Blog is also invoked to defend a staple device used in films throughout the world and for many years – the sword fight scene.

Swords were never designed to clash together the way they do in these battle scenes. In reality the metal would not take the stresses involved: the swords would cut through each other if this occurred in a real fight, and all you’d be left with is a dagger after two seconds.

Swords were designed only to cut through flesh. Those fighting with swords would have undoubtedly had shields to defend themselves, and would rarely have utilised their sword as a means of defence. Obviously, in an emergency the sword could be used to parry a blow – but preferably not edge to edge, as that would be like slicing through butter and both weapons would be severely damaged. However, to create good cinema, swashbuckling imagery and the required dramatic sound effects, film makers have conveniently ignored historical fact.

The modern-day equivalent of this has become the bullet hit. As a Special Effects Supervisor, I am often asked to create scenes where people are hit by bullets – of course, their clothes rip apart, they explode, and there is a considerable amount of gore and blood. Yet, when a real bullet strikes real people, you hardly see a thing. (Indeed, in Edinburgh the other day I was interested to see footage from WW1 at an Exhibition of the War Poets; soldiers going “over the top” were by machine gun fire, and simply dropped, as if falling asleep.) There is very little drama in the real world.

But of course this all depends upon where the bullet hits.  For example, a hit to the shoulder could create a tiny hole on one side, a tiny hole on the other, and barely be noticeable. Alternatively, if the scapula is struck, then this could blow your whole arm off! Or, it might knock you twenty feet backwards. It all depends… but the industry tends to prefer the more dramatic effects.

Moreover, film-makers like to see sparks fly when bullets hit walls, doors, the inside of a warehouse, etc. In reality, this wouldn’t happen: bullets are made from copper or lead, and these elements simply do not create sparks when they come into contact with brick or steel. The film industry needs action, however, and as a technician I am often called upon to make bullets ‘sparky.’

As they say, never let the facts get in the way of a good story… even if those are historical or scientific facts.