MovieChat Forums > Regarding Henry (1991) Discussion > A bit fake when Henry was shot

A bit fake when Henry was shot

posted 18 years ago by punisher1702
37 replies | jump to latest

During the scene when Henry was shot, I noticed a couple of things.
1. he seemed pretty casual about the whole thing and just asked if her could get his cigarettes
2.The robber told Henry to give him his wallet, Henry said hold on and the robber shot him. This seemed quite abrupt.
3. After Henry was shot the first time he conitinued to say could you please hold on, and when he was shot in the head the second time, he just said "I told you to hold on, I mean come on why cant you hold on?" he then walked across the room and didnt fall over until he tried to go through the doors. I figure that when your shot in the head you fall over, it seemed to take way to long for Henry to actually seem like he got shot. I understand being in shock might numb the pain, but he was shot in the head!!!!

Besides this really strange scene, the movie was pretty good

[–] tcw214 18 years ago

no it was not...i have seen people get shot with a small caliber gun and keep going.. a moberster in philly was shot 16 times ...4 in the head !and just just kept walking!

[–] sweiland75 18 years ago

I think you live in the wrong neighbourhood

Just say NO to censorship!

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] jamyskis 18 years ago

1. He was probably trying to stay calm, although I noticed Ford did a good job of portraying a subtle fear behind it.
2. Robbers in this kind of situation panic, it happens.
3. It depends where you get shot in the head. Damage could also be caused by bleeding which would only have occurred a while after.

"May the furry tribbles be with you. Luke, trust the tribble!"

[–] taranis2099 18 years ago

if memory serves (been a while since I've seen this movie) didnt the doctor say after Henry was shot that the head wound was almost superficial...but the brain damage/amnesia was from the severe loss of blood from the other (shoulder?) wound?

[–] jezzyt_14 18 years ago

The only thing I thought was weird about the scene, was the Liqour Store owner. He didn't really seem to do anything about Ford getting shot. As Ford walked in, he and the gunman were talking together. He must've been in on it. But then again, I haven't seen it in ages, so I probably can't remember any movements the owner made during the scene.

[–] grumpybear_22 18 years ago

NO! The owner knew there was a gun being pointed at him...I think a normal reaction is to try not to make the person holding the gun any more mad....

[–] Sephyr 18 years ago

Actually it's not that surprising that he had a delayed reaction.. for one thing.. he was shot in the head which would probably explain his inability to comprehend what happened. Another thing being, I've had my head split open by a rock and I didn't even know it happened until about 2 minutes later when blood poured down my face.

[–] cornflowermonroe 17 years ago

yes, it was not the head shot that caused the brain damage.

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[–] vfrance-1 18 years ago

I agree that this scene seemed quite realistic, actually...my dad was a cop and he always said you'd be surprised by how almost benign things like that can seem, the reality takes quite a while to set in for all involved.

The doctor did explain that he was shot in the frontal lobe, which has redundant systems. That might explain how someone could wander around in shock for a minute or so without immediately losing consciousness.

I thought this was a very striking scene in that it is very different from most shooting scenes in films. They can't all be as balls-out as the korean grocery scene in Menace II Society.

I also agree with the other poster that even in his shock, Henry tried to "lawyer" his way out of his own murder!

"I guess I started smoking when I was about...four."

[–] Jalea 18 years ago

A combination of shock and attempt at self preservation. Remember, he was a lawyer, he was trying to talk his way out of being killed?!

[–] MSStMarie 18 years ago

Exactly! This is a guy who won his big case that day, is totally cocky and believes that the world revolves around HIM.

After that, he was just in shock...maybe didn't even know what he was saying/doing...like in that Ted Bundy movie when he hits the girl in the head with a crowbar or whatever and she starts reciting stuff from her Spanish test. It's like a broken computer when you have a head wound. He could have walked a block, blithering, before falling down...it's one of those "anything can happen," things.

We don't know what drugs the robber was on, who knows how long he'd been trying to get the owner to hand over the cash...I'm sure people have been shot for less than just a "hold on."

Finally, the owner of the store was definitely not in on it. That's silly... He was signaling Henry with his eyes, almost like, "get out of here quick, something's up!"

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Aagh; you're a HEDGE!

[–] crabapple86 18 years ago

The pistol used was probably a .22, and depending on how hot the round is, those bullets have been known to bounce off a persons skull.

People have been shot and not known it from all sorts of caliber handguns. You feel a "bump" not really painful and later the ache makes you wonder what happened and that's when you discover you've been shot.

Bleu Cheese Salad Dressing is made on the Moon! My Uncle from Mars told me, so I know it's true!

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] TennmanT 18 years ago

I think the original poster of this thread is too used to other movies where people are violently shot and killed with fake drama.

This scene was very realistic, not that I see people get shot everyday. But the shock and reaction he had was more truth than fiction.

[–] laura-827 15 years ago

Exactly, you took the words right out of my mouth. I thought the shooting scene was very realistic, and really appreciated that it wasn't over-acted.

[–] beatjunkie 17 years ago

I thought this too...however...the barrel of the gun you see that shoots henry is definitely high caliber. .40 or .45, but at least 9mm. The gunshot is too loud for a .22 (I know its a movie, but .22 shots sound different than larger calibers). Also, in the X-ray, you can clearly see the bullet in Henry's head and it is much larger than a .22 round.

However, the size of the entrance wounds on his body would imply that it was a .22 or smaller sized caliber.

[–] channel801 17 years ago

Hmmmm I didn't know that. Thanks for the info!

"It's like killing two birds with one stone,except killing five people with one semi automatic"

[–] jinazaki 18 years ago

Getting shot in real life is nowhere near like it is in the movies (except this one apparently). There's observations that when animals are shot with pistols, they feel the pain, shake it off and wander off til they bleed to death. It's suggested that people fall down when shot very often because they're conditioned to react that way (again from movies).

Henry was lucky in that the gun he was shot with seemed to be relatively small caliber (probably a .25 to .32 caliber).

[–] channel801 17 years ago

Though I have never personally seen someone being shot, I believe the movies over do it. Films always portray the person as, well, basically exploding. In this movie though Ford is shot and only the hole from the bullet is visible, then he begins to bleed...rather than blow up on the bullet's contact.

"A tie is just a noose upside down"

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] cornflowermonroe 17 years ago

he was in shock. people say and act strangely when in shock. my nephew knocked a lamp onto his toe when he was 5, splitting the flesh to the bone, and he had a calm, detached look on his face as he repeatedly said "bump bang crash pow" in a creepy singsong voice all the way to the hospital.

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[–] susan8one 17 years ago

What an odd post. I originally thought after viewing this scene that it was the most realistic shooting in a movie. I think someone else mentioned previously, that when you are shot with a small caliber weapon, you don't explode. That is Hollywood.
Henry was shot in the head and had a clean bullit hole through his head immediately after being shot, it slowly started to bleed. Everything happened so quickly; he was obviously in shock ...

[–] Lil_Whyte_Boi_13 17 years ago

I liked that scene alot tho. I got a kick outa it, I found it funny. He just got shot & the only thing he says is "now I said hold on" Then he walks out the door & then drops to the ground...
I know its probably not suppose to be funny, but I laughed hard when I saw that! Actually I did alot of laughing threw out the whole movie. The way he just bluntly agreed wit everything being said to him.
For example when his nanny asks him if he wants eggs for breakfast & he says "no" Then she says "what?! but you love eggs!" Then he just bluntly agrees & says "Okay, give me lots of eggs" That made me laugh so hard!
But I aint trying to be a jerk & laugh at a movie that was actually meant to say something serious & give a serious point of view. But I love the bluntness he continues to use in this movie so much, that, that will be the reason I go out & get the movie for myself!

[–] BoSoxRules 8 years ago

"Then he walks out the door & then drops to the ground...I know its probably not suppose to be funny, but I laughed hard when I saw that!"

Yeah, that was a real scream.

[–] box_398 16 years ago

I think they did some homework for this scene. As others have said, some gun shot victims, don't even realize they are shot.

I think in Oakland, California, or nearby, there was a a case where a security guard was shot while on duty, but did not realize he was shot, finished out his shift for the next some hours, and then went home, realized I was shot, then went to the hospital.