New movie kill-shot meme
I first noticed some years ago in The Dark Night a new kill-shot, performed by Heath Ledger as The Joker: an almost casual shot, walking past the wounded victim, shooting downward to the side in passing, without really aiming. It effectively conveyed an absolutely callous and unfeeling attitude toward murder.
Lately I’ve been seeing the meme repeated. In a recent Chinese film, the details of which I can’t recall, though the shooter I remember was a woman. And last night I watched Safe House with Ryan Reynolds, Denzel Washington, Vera Farmiga, Brendan Gleeson, Sam Shepard, and Rubén Blades, and I saw it again, perfomed by Denzel Washington’s character.
I expect it is becoming a common meme. Wonder if Heath Ledger originated it…
I remember seeing it in the 1980′s tv series about the mob in Las Vegas. I think it was Michael Mann’s follow up to Miami Vice. Starred Dennis Farina, anyway the main mobster and his boys had some guy out in the desert and he shot the guy while he was looking and yelling at one of his boys. I remember, like you, being struck by the callousness of it. That’s the first time I had seen something like that.
Dave Petty
23 October 2012 at 5:27 pm
I’m pretty sure it’s way older than Ledger. In fact, I am reminded of the first Batman movie, with the first (dramatic) movie Joker, Jack Nicholson.
And who does remorseless psychopath better than Clarence Boddicker?
Eric H.
24 October 2012 at 8:00 pm