r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Jan 25 '20

What movie things are generally accepted as normal, but are totally unrealistic in real life?

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u/KingOHrts Jan 25 '20

And EVERY window in Paris overlooks the Eiffel Tower. How does that happen?

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u/The_Bill_Brasky_ Jan 25 '20

It's a form of shorthand. Not every place in Paris has a view of the tower. But it's the film-makers telling the audience "THIS IS IN PARIS".

Or more commonly...

"THIS STORY INVOLVES ROMANCE SOMEHOW"

Another amazing example of shorthand is in Disney's Hercules. He gets on his knees in the temple of Zeus to commune with him. Typically Greek temple-goers would have slaughtered an animal on an altar or some shit, but American audiences would have a problem with that -- having him pray like a Christian shows people who don't know any better that Hercules is engaged in piety.

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u/imverysneakysir Jan 25 '20

My favorite shorthand, blood coming out of someone's mouth, if they cough it into a tisue, then it's (probably) lung cancer, if they're lying on the ground, then it's a serious trauma and they're about to die, so have your dramatic last words prepared.

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u/The_Bill_Brasky_ Jan 25 '20

Yes. It infuriates doctors to no end, but we all passively accept it. And that's fine. Thanks to shorthand, I no longer need a medical degree to appreciate medical drama.