Question about Grant and Stuart…
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Hendry_William_French — 9 years ago(September 26, 2016 06:09 AM)
Grant's special forces team were there as a smokescreen. They could buy time for Stuart's team and help them escape if McLane and co got near them. For example, the firefight at the church - if that was a real army team then they would've used live ammo and Stuart's men would not have been able to escape. A real army team would probably have found their church base sooner as well.
By loading that unit with his own men, Stuart was guaranteeing the operation would go ahead without any interference from the outside. Grant's team were Stuart's eyes on the inside. They could play along with McLane and co, pretending to help them, while ensuring Stuart's men were always one step ahead and safe.
From a film making perspective, it was also a tremendous twist to have Grants team be secretly part of Stuart's team. -
GIRobotII — 9 years ago(September 26, 2016 07:27 AM)
Yes, an awesome twist, I agree. McClane was puzzled why his assault rifle didn't seem to be hitting anyone when he fired. So he took out the clip, and discovered to his shock that it was loaded with blanks, thus revealing the real story about Grant and Stuart. And you're right. It would have been real, live rounds, instead of blanks, if Grant and his team really were there to stop Stuart. So they were actually there to hinder McClane and the good guys, while disguising it as help, so that Stuart might get away.
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Hendry_William_French — 9 years ago(September 26, 2016 09:35 AM)
It would have been real, live rounds, instead of blanks, if Grant and his team really were there to stop Stuart. So they were actually there to hinder McClane and the good guys, while disguising it as help, so that Stuart might get away.
Exactly. Grant also ensures Stuart can take off at the end by telling Lorenzo that his team will intercept Stuart themselves, and he thus instructs Lorenzo to take all his men and guard the airport. A real army team would not have told the police to drop back out of sight - that means there's no back up, and no witnesses.
There was also some subtle hints at Grant's team being traitors throughout the movie. For instance, Grant seems to know where Stuarts team is before Lorenzo has even written the location down properly. Grant and co are also shown in the airport police HQ in a distinctive shot of them marching from ground height - the same way Stuart's team are shown marching out of their hotel rooms (where you see their army boots walking in unison in front of the camera). I would guess this is to reference them both being part of the same team (really almost subliminal) .
Grant also gets excessively angry at McLane after he almost captures Esperanza. I would guess this is to show him being pissed that he's continually disrupting their plans, which he disguises as concern for Stuart threatening to crash another plane in 'retaliation'. -
sneezer-28343 — 9 years ago(December 18, 2016 01:06 PM)
Awesome discussion here. Yes, obvious that Grant's team was in league with Stuart's before the twist was even confirmed, and it was just a front that Grant was trying to stop them. Remember the young soldier who was new to the team, oblivious of Grant's evil intentions? Grant sliced his throat. No witnesses to what Grant's team was up to. The rifles with the red tape-real bullets and the blue tape-blanks was a total awesome twist that floored me!
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Klein_Returns — 9 years ago(December 20, 2016 11:54 PM)
This movie is great.
http://media.ifunny.com/results/2015/11/10/4cj4ciw3up.jpg -
— 4 years ago(July 28, 2021 12:44 PM)Two things that give it away are: One of Grants's men being a replacement and the fact both teams use either red or blue tape on the machine-gun stocks.
“Call a SPADE, a SPADE; and a TRANNY, a TRANNY, or an IT!!!”.
"THAT'S SOME BAD
SHIT
,
HARRY
!".
