It was done for a closeup of the bullet. The director wanted to do a closeup of a real bullet in the revolver. It was supposed to be a real bullet, without any powder or primer to propel it forward, and so safe to point at the camera.
Prop guns are often completely capable of firing. This prop gun in particular was a completely real gun, along with being a prop. With a real bullet and powder in it, it would kill like any other gun. The intention while filming was not to have both in the gun at the same time.
I have never worked in film making, but I have many friends who have. This is all common stuff, done often. In Lee's case, the props people just got really careless. It is too early to tell what happened in the Baldwin case, but given common responsibility, it would be the props people's fault.
Which is why props people have to work so hard to make sure they are not dangerous. In Lee's case, they did not do their work, and Lee died.
There are a large number of jobs in filmmaking like that. Stunts people do stunts that should be dangerous, but if done right are not dangerous. The point is to make it look like an incredibly dangerous situation, but it not be one.
Actors take care of acting. Props people, special effects people, and stunt people take care of understanding pressures and other things. If they fail, then people die. If they do not try hard enough to succeed, they are guilty of a crime.
Which comes to question why anyone would put a bullet in a cartridge without powder and just a primer. Anyone with even a hint of firearms knowledge would know to never seat a bullet on just a primer. There is also the fact that under load of a bullet, there is a very distinct and different sound if a bullet is fired and propelled with just a primer, especially if it lodges in the barrel. That would surely raise red flags.
Common sense is not a gift, it's a punishment because you have to deal with everyone who doesn't have it.
Matt Dillon (10-24-2021)
The prop people were supposed to remove both the powder and the primer. It was supposed to be a bullet with nothing to propel itself. That would be called a dummy bullet.
In this case, it was to show a closeup of Massee pointing a revolver with a bullet in it, and pulling the trigger. The next shot was to show Massee from further away shooting Lee. The next shot was not to be close up, and was to have no bullet, but having the powder exploding.
The primer was supposed to be removed. It was the primer that forced the bullet into the barrel in what is called a squib load.
But again, Massee, the actor, did not know any of this. He was doing actions that under any other situation would have been considered unsafe, but were necessary for shooting a movie. The props people were supposed to make sure that it was all safely done.
Common sense is not a gift, it's a punishment because you have to deal with everyone who doesn't have it.
Matt Dillon (10-24-2021)
This is a piece of work.
This illegal illegitimate regime that runs America is at fault...not me.... they do not represent me and I have long objected to their crimes against humanity.
Common sense is not a gift, it's a punishment because you have to deal with everyone who doesn't have it.
Common sense is not a gift, it's a punishment because you have to deal with everyone who doesn't have it.
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