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How Was Flint Going To Seal Himself In Barrel ?


At the end of the film, after sealing the girls inside the barrels to escape via the waterfall, Flint starts to get into a barrel himself but then he realizes the water has stopped running. But even if it were still running, this plan would NOT have worked. The barrels were sealed via metal clamps that could only be tightened from the OUTSIDE.

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I had the same thought.

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I was wondering that as he was placing the girls in the drums. I figured he would end up making a heroic dive. Flint can do ANYTHING!

It was a fun, silly, romp mired in the 60s and all the more enjoyable for it!

- - - - - - -
Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

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I had that in as a goof before:

1) Riding in barrels is more dangerous than just jumping. They offer no cushioning and no control over the fall. Hitting the water will be like being in a car crash without a safety belt.

2) How did Flint intend to seal his own barrel?

3) Assuming flint succeeds with that... how would any of them get out before they suffocate?

4) How does Cramden know there are people - friendly even - in the barrels, warranting launching a boat to pick them up?

The goof got deleted some time back.

/J-Star

De gustibus non est disputandum

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1) Riding in barrels is more dangerous than just jumping. They offer no cushioning and no control over the fall. Hitting the water will be like being in a car crash without a safety belt.
I am not sure if I agree. The drums do not get damaged by the water impact, like a car does in a car crash. The only potentially deadly damage I can see is the change in g-force upon hitting the water, and this change is not dissimilar if they would have jumped freestyle. Obviously hitting the inside of the drums upon the deceleration will hurt, but that too would have hurt upon impacting the water if jumping freestyle – and likely much more (unless you jump like a Flint). With referencing real life examples, we know of similar stunt performed over the Niagara Falls with little damage – and those Falls are gigantic in comparison. So, respectfully, the drums solution was perhaps not a bad choice after all.

2) How did Flint intend to seal his own barrel?
He would not have to. If sitting in it like a boat letting it absorb the collision bottum first when hitting the water was probably his plan. Such plan requires skill, a skill the girls likely had not and therefore he chose to seal their drums.

3) Assuming flint succeeds with that... how would any of them get out before they suffocate?
He would let them out himself, as he himself never intended to be sealed.

4) How does Cramden know there are people - friendly even - in the barrels, warranting launching a boat to pick them up?
Alright, this one is not easy. However, I seem to remember he saw Flint standing (and later jumping) at the cliff exit right after these drums, so logically he must have known those were important on some level.



___________
• I'm normally not a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman •

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I am not sure if I agree. The drums do not get damaged by the water impact, like a car does in a car crash.


Yeah... that is exactly the point. So who takes the entire impact of the hard water landing? The occupant does.

Crumple-zones exist for a reason. They are energy absorbers that eats up the momentum so the soft squishy human doesn't have to. Destroying something takes energy... so the crumple zones are made to be destroyed in a controlled manner while keeping the human away from the destruction.

we know of similar stunt performed over the Niagara Falls with little damage


Yes but those barrels were 1) padded on the inside and 2) much heavier, meaning they punch into the water over a longer distance, thus drastically reducing the forces of the impact.

If sitting in it like a boat letting it absorb the collision bottum first


It doesn't work that way... you need a crumple zone... something that eats up the energy of the fall. That's the only way the barrel can absorb the energy.

Not only that by the large surface area of the barrel makes for an effective brake when it hits the water which makes for an even harder impact.

Quite frankly: even jumping into the water cannon-ball style would be preferable to riding those drums.

/J-Star

De gustibus non est disputandum

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It doesn't work that way... you need a crumple zone... something that eats up the energy of the fall. That's the only way the barrel can absorb the energy.
Fair enough, but this reply was in response to what he planned if he could no seal himself.

Anyways, let us write Mythbusters so we can know for sure :-) You are right in everything, I am though not so convinced this particular fall would be as devastating, and nor if the drums are worse than a clumsy freestyle - it all comes down to scale, I think.

___________
• I'm normally not a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman •

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