MovieChat Forums > Sniper (1993) Discussion > I think this movie is loosely based on a...

I think this movie is loosely based on a real person/event.

posted 21 years ago by brandtleyland
47 replies | jump to latest

I just watched a documentary on real military snipers on the history channel. They mentioned a sniper called Carlos Hathcock who was one of the best snipers in history. The way they described him and his missions resembled Thomas Beckett in the movie Sniper and his missions. Example: Carlos Hathcock shot another enemy sniper who was stalking him through the scope and killed him. Thomas Beckett did the same to the enemy sniper who was stalking him. There was also mention of a mission that Hathcock went on that was very very top secret to kill a high level military offical and it had him crawling through high grass on this stomach for 3 days to the compound where he would make his shot. After he took his shot it raised all hell and everyone went after him. This is exactly what happened at the end of the movie Sniper too.
There are other similarities mentioned in the documentary as well but it really seem too much of a coincidience if it wasn't loosely based on this real life sniper. Anyone know for sure?

[–] mjmeister 21 years ago

Yes, some things in the movie Sniper were loosely based on the life of Marine Gunnery Sergeant Carlos N. Hathcock. The film was mentioned in some news reports of his death in 1999. There was also an episode of JAG that had a character based on elements of Gunny Hathcock's life. The Gunny had 93 confirmed kills as a sniper in Viet Nam, including the longest confirmed kill ever by a sniper, 2500 meters or 1 1/2 miles. He also had hundreds of unconfirmed kills, but, more importantly, the tasks he did probably saved the lives of thousands of American GI's.

His active sniper days ended when he was badly burned in a landmine explosion in Viet Nam. (In spite of his injuries he managed to save seven fellow Marines who were travelling in the same vehicle.) He went on to help found the Marine scout sniper school.

[–] spittle8 20 years ago

"The Gunny had 93 confirmed kills as a sniper in Viet Nam, including the longest confirmed kill ever by a sniper, 2500 meters or 1 1/2 miles. He also had hundreds of unconfirmed kills, but, more importantly, the tasks he did probably saved the lives of thousands of American GI's. " I saw that History channel show too, but !@##@!HL??~? ONE ANd A HALF MILES??! THEN? What was he using? Hundreds of unconfirmed kills to 93 confirmed? JESUS H.! That's really quite insane.

[–] macdaramcginty 20 years ago

but not as insane as this guy:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4

over 500 confirmed sniper kills of russians in the winter war between finland and russia 1939-1940 and also over 200 confirmed kills using a submachine gun

all of these were done in just over 3 months!!!

[–] CodeManBob 17 years ago

I read an article years ago in Soldier of Fortune magazine about a Vietnam sniper that was took out a VC sentry at extremely long range. It may have been Gun. Sgt. Hathcock. The sniper in the article was using a "Ma-Deuce", a .50-caliber M2 machine gun.

[–] lordbectler 19 years ago

It's pretty stupid too. In his book, he saw them carrying the coffin loaded with the mine across the road and they wouldn't do anything about it.

[–] alicohol 21 years ago

hands down to the late great Sniper ...

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[–] PlatoonSGT 20 years ago

There are also two excellent books on Gunnery Sgt. Carlos Hathcock called Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills and Silent Warrior.

[–] exploitedyouth 20 years ago

They should make a movie about Carlos Hathcock. He was a great soldier and a true hero.

[–] derreay 20 years ago

He was a Great Marine and hero. Marines are not referred to as soldiers nor would they like to be referred to as soldiers.

[–] exploitedyouth 20 years ago

Oh, I didn't know that. I've never heard that before. I stand corrected then.

[–] vingerknipper 20 years ago

For his longest shot he used a .50cal Browning rifle. Actually this record was recently broken by Master Cpl. Arron Perry of the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan during combat in 2003. Using a .50-caliber MacMillan TAC-50 rifle, Perry shot and killed an Afghan soldier from a distance of 2,430 metres.

[–] houndawg3 20 years ago

GySgt Hathcock (a Sgt at the time) used a M2 .50 caliber Browning Machine Gun with a Unertl scope on a custom mount for his 2500 yard kill. The cyclic rate on an M2 is slow enough that he could make controlled single shots. Back then they used yards for measurement instead of meters.

Others have gotten more confirmed kills in Vietnam, but GySgt Hathcock was famous for his field craft.

[–] nakedsteve 20 years ago

the M2 can be fired in semi-auto, which is how gunny Hathcock used it.

when in doubt empty your weapon in the direction of your doubt's

[–] testorca 19 years ago

Good to see someone else knows the fact!!!

I taught M2 classes in the army, for several years. One of the stories we told the men takin gour class, was about using the M2 as a sniper weapon... My best shot was just under 1500... One of the neater things about this weapon is that it CAN be fired "single-shot"... the trick is to have the skill to do it, as there is no selector switch (the gun is designed to fire continuously, you can NOT switch it to single-shot, semi, auto... it is always auto... but, by depressing the trigger in just the right way, you can pop of single rounds... takes time, takes practice... takes exceptiojnal skill...

Hat's off to Hathcock for showing us what can be done with a bit of "out of the box" thinking...

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[–] Callawaystud86 19 years ago

Hey dick weed, who taught and gave your what your military has today? Ummm yeah i believe that would be the US Government and personnel. And as it go for snipers, Marines are amoung the best....dickhead
Semper Fi

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Blueshirt476 20 years ago

Just curoius but you say "we kicked there asses in simulated combat" who is WE? Just helps your story....

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] josborn828 17 years ago

The IDF not only ruffed up the Marines they also almost sank the USS Liberty. Oh wait, that was a unarmed recon ship that was in the area to support them.

[–] ragreen259 17 years ago

lol... it appears that the IDF are another group who don't deserve to be called soldiers too. On the other hand, given Israel's rep in the mideast, they'd probably be better described as murderers, woman beaters and child killers. And, apparently rather arrogant.
Oh yeah, and George Bush's lapdogs.
I wonder how they'd fare against a full blown Special Forces Unit.

[–] mofo0311 19 years ago

" they always shoot on automatic (that was funny, you clould spot them from 5 Km)"

Just wondering what weapon you are speaking of? If its the basic issued M16/A2 or A4 then your wrong because that weapon does not have automatic. I am a former United States Marine and think that your comments are very amusing, everyone has their own stories about what happens in "training". Im sure I could share a few stories as well. But what really counts is ACTUAL combat. And look how we compaired to the "soldiers" in OIF... thats right there is nothing to compare. We went city to city fighting our way to baghdad and still had to wait on the "soldiers" when we got to baghdad because they were running behind schedule, even though all they had to do was drive through the open desert. So, to wrap it up, we are not soldiers, we are Marines.

[–] testorca 19 years ago

"Im sure I could share a few stories as well. But what really counts is ACTUAL combat."

Right on brother!!!

Training excersises are great for teaching, but the only thing that really matters is the real deal... It kills me when I talk to soldiers and marines and they go on and on about this training excersise or that... I don't give a rat's azz!!! That doesn't count for a whole lot.

[–] Shawngun 19 years ago

Hey Mofo, I was one of the soldiers who came into Baghdad. You're right, you were in the city first. But, that was your mission. Mine was to take the airport. Also, we had to clean up a bunch of the Marines' mess once we got to the city. Instead of "winning the hearts and minds of the people," the Marines I replaced (they were only there 2 weeks) were busy roughing up the locals and basically destroying any chance of rebuilding. It took me and my platoon 2 weeks before any of the locals would even talk to us because of the damage the Marine unit had done in our sector.

[–] TermlnatriX 19 years ago

If the movie was loosely based on the person you speak of, they would put a title card "Based On Real Events" or something along those lines. Well, they didn't. Which means; it's just another fictional Hollywood story. In Hollywood everybody is scared of the notion of getting sued, so they'll always put up a title card if the movie is based upon real events, or people. Sometimes they don't; so they get sued.

[–] tywagner08 18 years ago

"The marines I replaced were busy roughing up the locals and basically destroying any chance of rebuilding."

Why don't you cry about it. They did their job to go in and kill everything that shoots at them. They are not diplomats nor rebuilders. That is the Army's job.

[–] bear022013-588-696101 11 years ago

Tom Berenger an actor who happens to be "The Man!"

[–] bad_habitt 9 years ago

Thanks for sharing this info OP, I didn't know the film was based on a real person.

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] pjthorburn102 19 years ago

that record of the longest confirmed kill has been broken again by another marine sniper during the iraqi war.