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Who Killed the Second German in the Dentist's Office?


I just watched Ill Met by Moonlight (American title: Night Ambush) last night. Great movie! Dirk Bogarde was just wonderful; I didn't know his work at all, but he riveted my eyes to the screen. All the supporting cast was good, and the photography (as always in a Powell movie) was beautiful, and I thought it was a pretty good espionage/thriller sort of film. However, I saw what seems to me to be a continuity error.

[Warning: Minor spoiler for one scene] As Bogarde and his friend are wrestling with the German guards in the dentist's office, both guards appear to have been shot dead. Bogarde had his gun pointed (at least initially) at the guard played by Lee, with whom he was struggling, and presumably fired it at the guard's chest. But what about the other guard, who was across the room wrestling with Bogarde's friend? As far as I can tell, the other guard simply falls after the gunshot. I don't see that Bogarde's friend even struck the guard with his fist, and I don't see any weapon in the friend's hand.

Are we to suppose that Bogarde, having despatched the first guard, turned the gun 90 degrees and shot the other guard, who was across the room? If so, it appears he turned the gun without turning his body. It also appears that the two shots -- and I'm not sure I even heard two shots, but maybe I did -- were fired in very rapid succession, giving Bogarde no time time to properly aim his gun across the room. He might have hit his friend, who was right next to the guard. Such trick shooting might be something Annie Oakley could do, but would we expect it from Bogarde's character?

Further, Bogarde indicates that they were going to make use of the uniforms. But both uniforms would have bullet holes in the stomach or chest area, which would be a dead giveaway that they were taken from murdered soldiers.

My all-region player doesn't have a slow or pause function, so I can't freeze or slow the scene to study it. Can anyone out there study the scene and tell me what I missed? Or is this a continuity error?

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He's hit by Dirk's friend (although hit without much effort and the soldier collapses)

Christopher Lee's uniform would have a bullet hole in it & maybe some blood but they could repair those before we see them wearing them

Steve

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