MovieChat Forums > '71 (2014) Discussion > It was like nobody ever told him safety ...

It was like nobody ever told him safety was to the north

posted 9 years ago by badtothebono
6 replies | jump to latest

He continually just wandered around without ever seeming to stop to get his bearings or think hard about what he was doing.

[–] liverpool26 9 years ago

The kid took gim down 1 street and there was an IRA group I doubt he could walk miles without being found especially since they're looking for him. What I didn't get is why didn't he use payphone or just wait at the pub that had been blown up surely the police and military would show up after an explosion.

[–] badtothebono 9 years ago

If you're talking about the group with the guy who called the kid "Wee Man" & gave him a lot of respect due to his his family is, those must have been Loyalists, as the kid's was. Being "Loyalists" they would not have been dangerous for a British soldier. That is where there loyalty lies, I think.

The IRA was looking for him, but in IRA territory. By the time they got to that group & definitely by the time they got to the pub, they were in Loyalist territory.

I generally agree with the rest, but people will use the excuse that he was "dazed" after the explosion & that is why he wandered off, presumably back in the wrong direction. He was then carried further back into IRA territory to the projects that they were originally told were the most dangerous place.

I'm not Irish, so maybe I got that wrong. I'd be happy to hear it.

[–] spookyrat1 9 years ago

What I didn't get is why didn't he use payphone or just wait at the pub that had been blown up surely the police and military would show up after an explosion.

Have a gander at the state of public utilities around the recreated Belfast. They weren't good and I think it's fair to say "working" public telephones were at a premium at the time. On top of that, are we really sure he has money? I don't think so.

Regarding the explosion, he escaped death, but was severely injured and clearly the film suggests he has concussion. Again, it's also clear he wasn't sure himself whether he was on safe ground at the pub. He's not absolutely sure where he is and knows the IRA are trying to find him.🐭

[–] SpinningPlatesTrick 8 years ago

Yes.

Because being chased by hitmen with guns, seeing his friend's head blown off in front of him, getting caught in a bomb explosion outside a pub, and nursing a horrific wound to his abdomen, all in the space of around 8 hours, should definitely not affect his ability to "get his bearings or think hard about what he was doing".

What a silly post

[–] Richardearlsullivan 8 years ago

How could he get his bearings. Besides his injuries all the streets looked the same. It was a cloudy rainy night. Haven't you been to a new city and gotten lost?

[–] angelofvic 8 years ago

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I don't think he had a compass; he couldn't see the stars for direction; the streets were not marked and were infested with people who would kill him at the drop of a hat; he didn't have a map; it would take anyone two seconds to figure out he was a British soldier and shoot him ....
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