In Die Hard where McClane jumps from one air vent shaft opening to another, he misses the opening he was aiming for but catches the ledge of one underneath it.
The take used was of a mishap where the stunt double fell further than intended, leading to the editor’s decision to have McClane catch a lower ledge mid-fall.
imo it makes the scene more intense and impressive (less realistic but hey, action movie logic)
the source (a Wikipedia citation, which is how I learned this bit of trivia)
I’ve also heard that in Alan Rickman’s final scene, the director called for the release of his harness early (as in hitting the quick release on the 1 of a 3-count). As a result, the look of fear on Alan Rickman’s face is genuine. From Rickman’s perspective, the stunt initiated unexpectedly.
If true, another bit of realism appears right there on Rickman’s shocked face.
I don’t think the stuntman caught a lower ledge. They edited together shots to convey the ledge-catching. I don’t know if it’s humanly possible to have the finger strength to even do that… catch a ledge with just your fingers once you’ve fallen several feet? (If someone could prove me wrong I’d be delighted and impressed)
In Die Hard where McClane jumps from one air vent shaft opening to another, he misses the opening he was aiming for but catches the ledge of one underneath it.
The take used was of a mishap where the stunt double fell further than intended, leading to the editor’s decision to have McClane catch a lower ledge mid-fall.
imo it makes the scene more intense and impressive (less realistic but hey, action movie logic)
the source (a Wikipedia citation, which is how I learned this bit of trivia)
But the reason it’s in the movie is because it happened. It’s probably one of the most real things in the movie.
I’ve also heard that in Alan Rickman’s final scene, the director called for the release of his harness early (as in hitting the quick release on the 1 of a 3-count). As a result, the look of fear on Alan Rickman’s face is genuine. From Rickman’s perspective, the stunt initiated unexpectedly.
If true, another bit of realism appears right there on Rickman’s shocked face.
I don’t think the stuntman caught a lower ledge. They edited together shots to convey the ledge-catching. I don’t know if it’s humanly possible to have the finger strength to even do that… catch a ledge with just your fingers once you’ve fallen several feet? (If someone could prove me wrong I’d be delighted and impressed)
here’s the stunt (3:38–3:44)