MovieChat Forums > The Grey (2012) Discussion > Regarding the guy who drowned

Regarding the guy who drowned

posted 9 years ago by h-oates
11 replies | jump to latest

This moment in the film really annoys me, because it makes Ottway seem like an idiot...

Up to this point Ottway seems to be of decent to high intelligence, yet here he's just stupid, and his stupidity gets the guy in the water killed. Why didn't he check under the water to see what was preventing his friend form getting up? He just kept pulling and tugging while shouting out for divine intervention, I mean come on man!.. The guy was even trying to tell him that his foot was trapped but Ottway was too dumb to understand. He just kept shouting, "Hold your breath!". I mean, did he think the guy was trying to shout out for no reason at all?.. Maybe I'm being a bit harsh here, but all I know is if I'd have been Ottway I would have checked under the water to see if his foot was trapped or if something was pinning him down. The fact that Ottway doesn't do this irritates me because it kinda ruins his character and is the only real instance of bad writing in the film... That's what it is. It's simply bad writing in an otherwise well written movie.

[–] JohnnySodoff 9 years ago

I mean, obviously he knows the guy's foot is stuck. Doesn't mean it's easy to pull out when there's a heavy current beating down on you in the opposite direction you're trying to pull. Also, screws up your visibility.

Also, as collected as he was throughout the movie, everyone has a breaking point. Down to your last living friend, moments from death, still being hunted. Yup - panic, panic, panic.

[–] iCode_v2 8 years ago

When you're being chased by wolves after a plane crash and watching everyone die and freezing and hungry and tired and falling in to a freezing river and at a moment's notice need to save someone's life while still being in trouble yourself, I doubt calm rational thought comes very easily, for anyone.

[–] Loot_Bag 8 years ago

iCode yeah good point lol.

There are a few realism-breaking moments in this film. This wasn't one that stuck out for me. Shortly after this scene, when he gets out of the water as the sole survivor, there is one. How on earth is he not shivering and close to freezing to death after being drenched from head to toe in ice cold water, whilst being in a severely malnourished state? Realistically, he would have died from the cold in about 15 minutes after the ice river 'bath'. :)

[–] Seventy_Two_Raisins 8 years ago

And then Ottway the atheist has the nerve to ask God for help and curse Him for not showing Himself and giving Ottway all of what he's asking for. What other than divine intervention could explain what you described?

Monkey with small testicles roar loudest -- Confucius

[–] Loot_Bag 8 years ago

Ha ha true, he was bizarrely and spectacularly unaffected by the freezing water. That is Divine Intervention right there.

[–] Seventy_Two_Raisins 8 years ago

It's the irony of this atheism promoting movie.

Monkey with small testicles roar loudest -- Confucius

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Seventy_Two_Raisins 8 years ago

You shut up! 😛

Monkey with small testicles roar loudest -- Confucius

[–] coolbrett 8 years ago

I think he wouldn't have been able to save him no matter what he did, but he would never know that since he didn't look in the first place. So yeah he should have went underwater to see what was going on.

[–] fede_4488 8 years ago

I feel you, man. That moment really pissed me off. It's like he let him die.

I'm being a bit harsh here, but all I know is if I'd have been Ottway I would have checked under the water to see if his foot was trapped or if something was pinning him down.

You're not being harsh. You're being reasonable.

If I don't reply, you're probably on my ignore list for something I forgot already

[–] KingCobra686 8 years ago

So what would you do if someone fell in the water and was drowning? Would you grab them and pull them out right away, or would you jump in the water, swim around scoping out the situation to get all the facts, plan a rescue, and then pull them out the most efficient way?

I think youre being a bit unfair to his character. It was an intense situation where he had to act quick. How was he to know that trying to pull him out the way he did wouldn't work? He was fighting against a strong current and was probably very weak from all the situations so far. He also didnt have the nice underwater shot to show him exactly what was going on down there with the guys foot.