So, I saw Grindhouse last night. Liked it a lot, wonderful, weird little movie. Still not sure why they actually expected to make money on it, but that’s a topic for another time. The topic for today is lying.
See, I spent some time reading various reviews online and one thing stuck out, and it’s related to something that’s been bothering me for years. The problem centers around Kurt Russell’s character, Stuntman Mike. In the first part of the Stuntman Mike storyline, Mike is drinking water. He tells another character that he’s a teatottler. Later in the film, we see him drinking whiskey.
Several reviews have listed this as a mistake on Tarantino’s part.
Several reviews have, apparently, been written by morons.
Look, this is a simple concept. When the information you’re receiving in a film is coming from a specific character’s dialogue, you have to consider the possibility that the character is lying. In this case the character has an obvious reason for lying and taking him at his word is just, well, stupid.
Too often people assume that the information that comes from a character’s lips is gospel and too often they call it a mistake when later story elements contradict what the character said.
If you run into one of these people, do me a favor. Smack them upside the head and tell them to stop it.
