Three instances where I remember the catching of the bullet! Then again the bullet catch is a pretty famous albeit dangerous magic!
The first was in the movie Prestige as a part of the trick which then fails leading to catastrophe and a ‘double’ tragedy! Cannot reveal more in case you have not see the movie! (You really need to see the Nolan classic though!)
Then you have the scene in Justice league when superman catches a bullet and closes his palm! Flash then asks if he is ok! To which superman simply opens the palm to drop the bent and broken bullet and replies, “I am fine! How about you?!”
Another famous bullet catching scene is the sequel to Nagin! One of the earliest Hindi movies with a proper sequel! A sniper tries to shoot the hero and Sridevi just ‘catches’ the bullet like child’s play! Those days it was an epic scene! Kids nowadays would see that scene and not be impressed!
In reality (or magic for that matter!) Bullet catch happens!
The bullet catch is a famous, highly dangerous stage magic illusion in which a magician appears to catch a live bullet fired from a gun, usually in their mouth or hand!
The performance is an illusion involving misdirection, gimmicked equipment, and sleight of hand, as it is physically impossible for a human to catch a high-velocity bullet (superman is not counted in this!)
Even in the movie Prestige, Bale tells his wife how the trick is done and her awe is turned into oh! When she realizes the trick and then Bale tells her that even if you know the trick many things can go wrong!
Magicians use various methods to create the illusion of catching a bullet while ensuring the performer’s safety. The key principle is that a real, fired bullet never actually travels toward the performer!
The firearm is often specially prepared so that it only fires a blank cartridge rather than a projectile though the illusion of fire is shown!
The actual bullet is typically marked by an audience member and then secretly swapped for a fake bullet or removed from the gun’s chamber entirely before the shot is fired.
The real, signed bullet is then secretly retrieved by the magician or an assistant to be “produced” at the end of the trick, often by spitting it onto a plate!
For muzzle-loading guns, a modified ramrod might be used to covertly remove the projectile after it appears to be loaded and tamped down!
Modern performers like David Blaine and Penn & Teller have used special mouthpieces or cups (often made of titanium or steel) to aid in catching a pre-arranged bullet that is fired with extreme accuracy, although this still involves significant risk and controlled conditions!
So far so good right! But as Murakami states in one of his books, if you bring a gun to the story then it will be ‘used’ in the story! So as long as the Gun is real, the danger is real!
In fact. even with careful planning and safety measures, the bullet catch is considered one of magic’s most dangerous tricks.
Several magicians have been killed over the centuries due to equipment failure, misfires, or audience members using real ammunition in a rigged gun.
A famous instance involved Chung Ling Soo (William Robinson) in 1918, who died when a worn, gimmicked gun accidentally fired a live bullet!
There can always be some creep in the audience who would like to show off! Even a small miscalculation can be fatal! Which is why the Bullet Catch remains one of the most dangerous, albeit thrilling magic!
Then again, when we struggle to catch a breath most of the times, catching a bullet is really cool or ‘magical’!
Magical also was the role of Vijayaraghavan in the movie Kishhkinda kandam…
Now forget about catching bullet and try to catch some sleep!
Shubh ratri!
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