MovieChat Forums > Demolition (2016) Discussion > scene in the woods with the weapon

scene in the woods with the weapon

posted 9 years ago by FinesHerbes
30 replies | jump to latest

I'm not American & just don't get the fascination with handgun ownership and availability like this. However, I'm not intending to prompt debate on that via this post...

I just wanted to remark that the kind of tom-foolery this pair display as a supposed 'adult' role-model and kid with the handgun & flakjacket target-'play' seems ripe for just the kind of unfortunate /fatal outcome all those news-stories that regularly re-occur point to. Also, if there's not manslaughter/horrid accidental outcome, then it's a needless accident waiting to happen which ties up hospital emergency rooms more than necessary surely? It just seems the height of social and cultural complacency. Guns for sport and hunting I 'get', but this type of gun use & fooling around puzzles me?

[i'm not trolling or getting into a debate/judgement - it's just intended a passing remark of my thoughts in response to that scene :) ]

good movie - refreshing pacing & quirkiness for a studio flick from the States which is appreciated.

[–] geoffingeorgia 8 years ago

It wasn't a documentary, it was a fictional story.
The scene was meant to show the characters reckless mindset. Notice how he didnt offer to trade places with the kid? Cause it wasn't just random. He wanted to feel the fear and the pain.
Sheesh
Did you watch Fast and Furious and say, "Man those Americans and their cars, they shouldn't jump from carpark to carpark like that"?
Go soak your head for a couple of hours

[–] PeterMarkoff 8 years ago

yeah, thorough the scene i thought the boy is gonna kill him it at least now his hand away, he didn't seem to be very precise shooter

[–] markorenchuk 8 years ago

It seemed it was a little like "cutting", trying to feel something in life through getting physically hurt.

It reminded me of when I was a boy, in the woods, and held a bottle in my hand and insisted a friend shoot the bottle with a b-b gun... Of course I got shot in the hand....

I don't really think this is a scene that displays American's fascination/ fixation with guns. (I am an American, BTW.)

If someone wants that maybe they could watch The Wire or The Patriot. (Which I've never seen.)

There was a stunning duel scene in Barry Lyndon, that really disturbed me as a child. I think that was set in England, though.

[–] castanz 8 years ago

When I was a kid a friend let me shoot at him with a spear gun meant for shooting under water. We knew how far the spear gun could shoot until the line would stop it.

Just saying, people do stupid things. We were lucky no one got hurt.

[–] FinesHerbes 8 years ago

GREAT replies @markorenchuk + @castanz 

Meanwhile I'll pass on by the patronizing response by @geoffingeorgia 
IE.
- Who wrote the rule-book in your world where I'm presumably not allowed to draw cultural judgements and conclusions from dramatic Realism seen onscreen ??

Or, is that beyond your own way of cinematic enjoyment and comprehension?
Besides, to take your specific example, I'd say films like 'Fast and Furious' DO conceivably have some applicability to wider cultural judgements and observaions in some wider creative license... [pun intended there for you too @geoffingeorgia]

Some great replies throughout this thread appreciated by IMDB-ers - inevitably as ever across both ends of the spectrum 😉

Especially to @markorenchuk -
I entirely take yr initial point on the "cutting" analogy
ALSO, I've not seen Kubrik's Barry Lydon in simply ages, so the reference to a similarly disturbing possibly analogous scene in Kubriks' film is excuse enough - thx :)

+ I guess too that the tradition among aristocratic types of old to see duelling and 'honour' defended is something I always thought an interesting idea in it's similar laissez-fire life of disreputable dissolution of those bored by life/ possibly with either loads of wealth and position to protect or, alternatively nothing at all to lose and so in need of distraction?

Your comment reminded me of the lakeside misty morning duel scene in Martha Fiennes' film adaptation of 'Onegin' featuring her brother Ralph in the feature role too - cos that's the same laissez-faire "cutting" = personal daring meets ambivalence.