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Where are the slings in Historical movies? (Read 57866 times)
TN.Frank
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Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Sep 18th, 2009 at 7:05pm
 
Seems like when you watch a period piece about the Greeks or Romans you see a bunch of archers but never any slingers. From what I've read most of the armies had as many slingers as archers and used em' both quite a bit. I did see a movie about Sodom and Gomora years ago where Abraham(or maybe it was Lot) had slingers but I've not seen much lately. Any other good movies with slingers in it.
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Re: Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Reply #1 - Sep 18th, 2009 at 8:03pm
 
because nobody thinks of slings any bit. and since Disney does most of them even if their were slings they would be sling shots with the surgical tubing and stuff.

it''s probably because their power is underestimated so much that barely anybody thinks pf them. if they do they assume that their useless toys or something like that. and most of the movie directors only have to rip off and make a twisted version of a book, then look col in their french artist caps and megaphones. nobody in the film service thing is even close to smart, i wouldn't be surprised if they didn't even have archers any more
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TN.Frank
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Re: Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Reply #2 - Sep 18th, 2009 at 9:41pm
 
I watched "300" last night, no slingers, plenty of archers. I'm watching "Troy" tonight, no slingers, plenty of archers. Both should have slingers since they were in wide use during both times.
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Re: Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Reply #3 - Sep 19th, 2009 at 12:16am
 
'Hysterical' movies are made for entertainment not for teaching history. Historical accuracy is fairly coincidental. Quite possible the producers didn't even know that the ancients used slings. Even if they did, bow shooting extras are much easier to find and look a whole lot sexier; bows in - slings out.
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slingbadger
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Re: Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Reply #4 - Sep 19th, 2009 at 3:14am
 
Also, because of the "low" and "dishonorable" status given to slingers of the time, they usually were not given much credit in things.
Movies tend to concentrate on the flashiness of swordplay, because it just looks better on screen. Not many audiences would be thrilled with seeing people lob rocks, but bring out a sword and shield, and you have their undivided attention.
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Re: Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Reply #5 - Sep 19th, 2009 at 5:17am
 
There are slingers in Alexander, briefly.

One difficulty would be training your extras to use a sling convincingly, when real slingers are so rare.
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Fundibularius
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Re: Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Reply #6 - Sep 19th, 2009 at 6:35am
 
There is at least one mounted (!) slinger in the Cannae chapter of a TV production on Hannibal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKw98Hs4sDk&feature=PlayList&p=6C4C9E5406CE3B80&i...

Though I generally liked the film more than many other "hystericals", I find it sad that slingers do not have a more prominent (and more realistic) role in it.
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Thearos
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Re: Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Reply #7 - Sep 19th, 2009 at 7:37am
 
Quite difficult, generally, to show what an ancient battle looked like-- typically, lines of men run at each other, then mingl in a swirling melee-- whereas the point of a battle, before e.g. 1914, is that blocks of men stay together.

But slings, also, in an Italian movie on the Gallic Wars (not sure of title)
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TN.Frank
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Re: Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Reply #8 - Sep 19th, 2009 at 9:07am
 
I'll have to check out "Alexander" again when it comes on TV. Seems like with all out computer tech. we could come up with something in the movies today.
Of course you have to understand something about me, I like accuracy in movies(I know, wishful thinking,LOL) and I really hate to see a '73 Colt Peacemaker in the hands of guys during the Civil War and believe it or not a lot of older movies did just that. It would be kind of like watching a War Movie about Korea and seeing a guy with an M-16, it just wouldn't happen.  There are enough History books out there that people who make movies should at least try to get things right and slingers were in many of the battles "back in the day" and to leave em' out just isn't showing History in the right light.
So can we try to come up with a list of movies with slingers in em'?

"Sodom and Gomorrah" 1962(slingers)
"Alexander" 2004(possible slingers)
Others???
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Judges 20:16 "Out of all these troops, the best 700 were left-handed. Each could sling a stone at a hair and not miss."&&&&http://www.glockforum.com/forum&&
 
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David Morningstar
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Re: Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Reply #9 - Sep 19th, 2009 at 12:32pm
 
We had a thread about that a while ago. Slings crop up in all sorts of odd places: http://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1237077816/0
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Re: Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Reply #10 - Sep 19th, 2009 at 12:54pm
 
Fundibularius wrote on Sep 19th, 2009 at 6:35am:
There is at least one mounted (!) slinger in the Cannae chapter of a TV production on Hannibal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKw98Hs4sDk&feature=PlayList&p=6C4C9E5406CE3B80&i...

Though I generally liked the film more than many other "hystericals", I find it sad that slingers do not have a more prominent (and more realistic) role in it.

Im impressed they actually showed proper color of skin in the movie. So many historical movies from Hollywood have an all white cast.   
  I won't even mention Orson Welles portaying Othello in blackface.
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The greatest of all the accomplishments of 20th cent. science has been the discovery of human ignorance  The main difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits.-Einstein   I'm getting psychic as I get older. Or is that psychotic?
 
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Fundibularius
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Re: Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Reply #11 - Sep 19th, 2009 at 2:27pm
 
Thearos wrote on Sep 19th, 2009 at 7:37am:
But slings, also, in an Italian movie on the Gallic Wars (not sure of title)


Could it be "Vercingetorix" with Christopher Lambert in the title role Lips Sealed?
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Ferrugo numquam dormit.&&(Nigellus Iuvenis)&&&&

Noch weiz ich an im mere daz mir ist bekant
einen lintrachen  slouch des heledes hant
do badet er in dem blvote  des ist der helt gemeit
von also vester hvte  daz in nie wafen sit versneit.
 
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Fundibularius
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Re: Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Reply #12 - Sep 19th, 2009 at 2:38pm
 
slingbadger wrote on Sep 19th, 2009 at 12:54pm:
[Im impressed they actually showed proper color of skin in the movie. So many historical movies from Hollywood have an all white cast.  
 I won't even mention Orson Welles portaying Othello in blackface.


Smiley Or Anthony Quinn, who played a member of almost any ethnic group on the planet (except Icelanders, I guess, but I'm not sure).
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Ferrugo numquam dormit.&&(Nigellus Iuvenis)&&&&

Noch weiz ich an im mere daz mir ist bekant
einen lintrachen  slouch des heledes hant
do badet er in dem blvote  des ist der helt gemeit
von also vester hvte  daz in nie wafen sit versneit.
 
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Re: Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Reply #13 - Sep 19th, 2009 at 3:08pm
 
I watched that Alexander movie on DVD once, just to see that slinging.  It lasted just a couple of milliseconds.  And the movie was horrible, in my opinion.  But then, I had it on fastest possible forward as much as possible, to save myself the grief.  But, just to say it, the much-mentioned "man-love" witch bothered so many back then, was really not an issue at all, the way I see it.  It was more the fact that the shoved just the army between the battles, and the planning of the battles, and a lot of talking,but almost never the battles themselves.  And when they did, it was unclear and "artsy"  and "dreamy".

Most movies and Discovery/History stuff showing  Roman legions has legionairs in one-on-one combat against those barbarians.  Supposedly that was exactly how they did NOT fight.  Due to their strict punishment system it was supposedly better to keep your place in the rank and die a horrible death, than breaking rank and survive.
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Thearos
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Re: Where are the slings in Historical movies?
Reply #14 - Sep 19th, 2009 at 6:30pm
 
Hey Fundibularius--

No, it's not the Christophe Lambert movie (which looked horrible). I saw, ca. 1982, a French documentary, called "Les Grandes Batailles de l'Histoire" or "du passé"— on Alesia. The talking heads were interspersed with scenes from a movie, and I think it was Italian, for some reason (it was probably credited at the end).

And there is a very good scene with slingers: Gauls charge, line of Balearic slingers waits, then they start swinging these HUGE slings, then all release at the same time. (And then, for some reason, pull swords and wade in to the close range fight, which seems wrong to me)
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