# Movie deaths vs. reality **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 14, 2018, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114 "2018-12-14T12:40:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/21 "2018-12-15T04:57:50Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > I am reminded of a Cold Case Files I saw once. Mom and Dad were chopped up in bed (by their son we learn eventually). Both had mortal ax wounds to the head but dad didn’t know it. He got up, walked downstairs to the kitchen and was preparing to have his morning coffee when it finally hit him that he had a gaping head wound that was gushing blood all over the place and that he was actually deceased. The dad realized he was actually deceased? How could that happen? Did you mean “he realized he had a nasty head wound”? I’ve probably seen every episode of CCF and don’t remember anything even vaguely resembling a story like that. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/22 "2018-12-15T05:06:54Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > A direct hit in the heart or through the aorta would mean death quickly, if not instantly. But getting through the ribcage can be tricky. You can go up under it through the belly, but yeah, most stabbing deaths are from multiple wounds. > > That’s why I tend to look askance at police who shoot and kill people because they were armed with a knife. > Yeah, it could be life threatening, but really what are the chances against your revolver? So they are supposed to get stabbed because you don’t think it would be fatal all the time? Just part of the job right? A little light stabbing and home before dinner gets cold. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/23 "2018-12-15T07:07:19Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > And it is hard to get to the heart - it is sheathed in ribs, and it is difficult to generate enough force behind a thrust to punch thru and still damage the heart. Hence the traditional advice to knife fighters - “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/24 "2018-12-15T07:27:56Z")
getting shot in the gut is a long painful death rumor has it that battlefield medics would OD their patients rather that let them suffer in certain 20th 21st century wars if they received that injury ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/25 "2018-12-15T07:39:28Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > That’s why I tend to look askance at police who shoot and kill people because they were armed with a knife. > Yeah, it could be life threatening, but really what are the chances against your revolver? Ah, what…? :dubious: I’d wager every dollar I own that if you had a revolver, and some dude with a knife began charging at you with murderous intent, you wouldn’t hold your fire. ---
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/26 "2018-12-15T08:24:48Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > getting shot in the gut is a long painful death > > rumor has it that battlefield medics would OD their patients rather that let them sffer in certain 20th 21st century wars if they received that injury Getting shot in the gut w_as_ a long painful death. In the past. Not anymore. I doubt anyone is purposely ODing a soldier with abdominal wounds. That’s the whole point of trauma medicine, if you don’t die right away, you probably aren’t going to. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/27 "2018-12-15T12:21:26Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > The dad realized he was actually deceased? How could that happen? Did you mean “he realized he had a nasty head wound”? > > I’ve probably seen every episode of CCF and don’t remember anything even vaguely resembling a story like that. You get jokes, right? Also, I am not the only one who remembers the episode as it was quite memorable. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/28 "2018-12-15T12:54:34Z")
> [@Biggirl](#): > > You get jokes, right? Also, I am not the only one who remembers the episode as it was quite memorable. I remember it. It truly was bizarre. Especially the part where he was making breakfast for himself. IIRC, he also went outside to fetch the mail. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/29 "2018-12-15T13:03:14Z")
> [@steatopygia](#): > > Getting shot in the gut w_as_ a long painful death. In the past. Not anymore. There was an X-ray machine on display at the 1901 Pan-American Exhibition in Buffalo, NY. If the doctors treating his wounds had used it, President McKinley might not have died of gangrene a week later. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/30 "2018-12-15T13:11:13Z")
Westerns usually get this wrong. We see the guy getting shot in the chest, and then he instantly falls. As others have mentioned, there’s no reason he should fall right away. But here’s what’s interesting: in real life, people often _do_ fall right away after they’re shot, even if it’s “just” a chest or gut shot. Why? Because movies taught them they should drop after getting shot. At least (IIRC) that’s what some researchers have found (and I am too lazy to dig up the cite). ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/31 "2018-12-15T16:39:46Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Ah, what…? :dubious: I’d wager every dollar I own that if you had a revolver, and some dude with a knife began charging at you with murderous intent, you wouldn’t hold your fire. Yeah, but after Laquon McDonald, I’m a lot less convinced about knife vs gun stories the cops tell. I said l look askance. I didn’t say I automatically disbelieve. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/32 "2018-12-15T18:46:56Z")
All this talk about whether one would remain standing after being shot in the stomach reminded me of this famous movie death scene: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAdniWncWu4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAdniWncWu4) ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/33 "2018-12-15T18:47:15Z")
Watch videos of wartime footage and you’ll see people both dropping on the spot and keep going despite being injured. Same with animals being being hunted. It depends on how the body reacts to fight or flight. But instead of fight, the body signals, you’re injured (not necessarily dead on the spot), and drop on the spot, largely because of shock. As for knife attacks, you never know where/what the attacker might hit. Hit a major artery anywhere in the body neck down and you’ll bled out pretty quick, maybe not instantly but quick enough that nothing/no one can prevent your death. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/34 "2018-12-15T19:12:33Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Westerns usually get this wrong. We see the guy getting shot in the chest, and then he instantly falls. > > As others have mentioned, there’s no reason he should fall right away. But here’s what’s interesting: in real life, people often _do_ fall right away after they’re shot, even if it’s “just” a chest or gut shot. Why? Because movies taught them they should drop after getting shot. At least (IIRC) that’s what some researchers have found (and I am too lazy to dig up the cite). Tell that to all soldiers on both sides who were filmed falling down on the spot in real combat footage. On the other hand, there’s amazing heroes like Senator Daniel Inouye, who’s rarely listed in those “Amazing Real Life Badasses” lists. During WWII, Inouye was shot once in the stomach, but still carried on a one man charge against a German machine gun nest. He was ready to toss a grenade towards the nest, when a gunner blew off his arm with a launched grenade. Inouye then pried his grenade out of his blown off arm and hand, and threw it in the machine gun nest. He then proceeded to lead his men towards the Germans until his five bullet wounds finally stopped him. He rallied the men to continue the battle by telling them as he was carried away: “Nobody called off the war!” He not only lived, but went on to become one of the greatest U.S. Senators in history. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel\_Inouye](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Inouye) BTW, Inouye was part of the 442nd Regiment, comprised of Nisei (2nd generation Japanese born in Hawaii) volunteers from Hawaii. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/442nd\_Infantry\_Regiment\_(United\_States)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/442nd_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/35 "2018-12-15T19:24:43Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > All this talk about whether one would remain standing after being shot in the stomach reminded me of this famous movie death scene: > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAdniWncWu4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAdniWncWu4) Wow! :eek: At first, I thought that was Rowan Atkinson and we were going to see a comedy sketch! :smack: Watch any documentary about Stalingrad, and you’re bound to see a shot of a German taking a round in the chest and collapsing to the ground. He’s only a silhouette in a doorway, but you can see the life going out of him. ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/36 "2018-12-15T19:50:10Z")
I also have to ask if this death scene is plausible: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-leC2weJSU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-leC2weJSU) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/37 "2018-12-15T19:58:11Z")
> [@lingyi](#): > > Watch videos of wartime footage and you’ll see people both dropping on the spot and keep going despite being injured. Same with animals being being hunted. It depends on how the body reacts to fight or flight. But instead of fight, the body signals, you’re injured (not necessarily dead on the spot), and drop on the spot, largely because of shock. > > As for knife attacks, you never know where/what the attacker might hit. Hit a major artery anywhere in the body neck down and you’ll bled out pretty quick, maybe not instantly but quick enough that nothing/no one can prevent your death. One thing that is often true with stabbing is that the victim does not know they were stabbed. They think they were punched. They won’t react to the wound until the adrenaline wears off or blood loss catches up to them, whichever comes first. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/38 "2018-12-15T21:33:26Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > There was an X-ray machine on display at the 1901 Pan-American Exhibition in Buffalo, NY. If the doctors treating his wounds had used it, President McKinley might not have died of gangrene a week later. He would probably have died anyway, from induced type 1 diabetes, as his pancreas was pretty much obliterated, and the discovery of insulin was 20 years in the future. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/39 "2018-12-15T22:13:40Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > I also have to ask if this death scene is plausible: > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-leC2weJSU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-leC2weJSU) Of course it is. Jackie Chan don’t lie! 😃 Speaking of movie deaths, what about dim mak? Hit a guy in the right spot and it takes minutes/hours/days/weeks to take effect. :smack: I had a friend (who didn’t study martial arts) claim that a guy he hit in a fight died days later from the blow. Ummm…okay.\* \*Yes, I know people die from internal injuries they may not even be aware they’ve received, but dim mak sounds like confirmation bias to me. ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2018, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114/40 "2018-12-15T22:23:14Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > One thing that is often true with stabbing is that the victim does not know they were stabbed. They think they were punched. They won’t react to the wound until the adrenaline wears off or blood loss catches up to them, whichever comes first. Then there are people who freak out about a wound that doesn’t even require a stitch. :smack: OMG, a paper cut! _faint_ 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-deaths-vs-reality/826114.md?page=3)