Average time to suffocate someone.

Average time to suffocate someone.

  • 0-15 sec

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • 15-30 sec

    Votes: 2 8.0%

  • 30-45 sec

    Votes: 5 20.0%

  • 45-1:00 sec

    Votes: 18 72.0%
  • Total voters
    25
I found this thread by accident, but I always like to watch the scene in Torn Curtain where Paul Newman tries to kill that KGB guy. Only movie I can think of that shows how difficult it can be to kill a man with your bare hands.
 
clarkage said:
You are going to want it too be quicker than "real-life" in the film because you want to keep your audience entertained.

But really i would say 2 minutes until a person would really die... TRUST ME I can assure you!
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I think it would be very exciting and thrilling to see someone choked to death for a long period of time on film (acting obviously). It could be a very realistic scene; the type with no music or anything just the sound of the two men struggling and one slowly fighting for life than dying. Spanning it out over 5 or 6 minutes to show the brutality of the scene.

If you ever see Monica Bellucci's rape scene in Irreversible than you will know how shocking something like that can be portrayed on film. I think a realistic choking scene can be the same and work quite well.
 
Well, when I suffocate puppies and kittens, it usually takes a few minutes. Not sure about humans. Any volunteers?


























:laugh:
 
David G. Smith said:
Actually, from what I have been reading hear, most everyone is way off. I had a previous career in the Emergency Medical Services, working as an EMT and Paramedic for almost 20 years. The basic goal of the modern EMS system is to beat a rather established timeline, to reduce the number of deaths from sudden cardiac death, one of the number one killers in our society. The standard, best case scenario goes like this. A person experiences a cardiac episode (usually a dysrythmia called ventricular fibrillation) and goes into cardiac arrest. At this point, his heart has stopped beating and they are not breathing. The best case is that the event is immediately recognized and CPR is initiated. The EMS system is activated and the combined resources of this system allows first responders (EMTs, Firefighters or Cops) to respond to the scene and provide electric defibrillation within 10 minutes. This is followed by the arrival of Paramedics who provide Advanced Life Support and stabilization to transport the patient to the hospital. This best case scenario has been widely studied and survival rates vary from as little at 5-10% to as high as 20%. In practical experience, I have seen individuals go into cardiac arrest, in the back of my ambulance, where I was able to apply the "paddles" within seconds that are still, "With the lord”, and I have seen patients that have been down for 20 minutes before our arrival that lived to walk out of the hospital.

So what does this say about how long it takes to strangle a person on screen? Well, in the real world it would take at least 5 to 10 minutes to kill someone by strangulation. Cinema does not have anything to do with the real world. In movie convention, it takes less than 2 minutes and they are really dead because they have stopped moving, which is also, bullsh*t!!!
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I develop training for EMT's...and David is right on! It always bugged me seeing people die so quick in the movies...it takes a bit of time...just a medical fact.
 
David G. Smith said:
So what does this say about how long it takes to strangle a person on screen? Well, in the real world it would take at least 5 to 10 minutes to kill someone by strangulation. Cinema does not have anything to do with the real world. In movie convention, it takes less than 2 minutes and they are really dead because they have stopped moving, which is also, bullsh*t!!!
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I agree and disagree with this statement. Yes, it does take time for the brain to succumb due to lack of oxygen.

If you are being strangled properly you will lose consciousness in less than 30 seconds. This isn't like holding your breath. What more do you need to show for the audience really? Maybe a fade to black as the body goes limp, one can assume that the strangulation continues until death. One thing though, this isn't heart failure. EMT's rarely come across this sort of thing. At least not in time to revive the victim.

10 minutes is also a stretch. Especially in normal environments. We're not talking about freezing cold water slowing things down here.

Give the right person who knows what they are doing 5 minutes with someone tied to a chair. Let them use a cord or a garrote of some sort and we'll see how they are doing after 5 minutes. Even if they are not tied up, once they become unconscious it's game over. Would anyone here be willing to take that challenge with EMT's standing by? Hell no.

If they could revive you would would probably never be the same.

Ligature strangulation refers to strangling with some form of cord such as rope, wire, or shoe laces, either partially or fully circumferencing the neck.[10] Even though the mechanism of strangulation is similar, it is usually distinguished from hanging by the strangling force being something other than the person's own bodyweight.[4] Incomplete occlusion of the carotid arteries is expected, and in cases of homicide, the victim may struggle for a period of time,[4] with unconsciousness typically occurring in 10 to 15 seconds.
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LINK
 
Did you ever notice in movies where there is a belt around the bag on their head, everyone always goes for the belt instead of just ripping the bag?
 
ZazaCast said:
I develop training for EMT's...and David is right on! It always bugged me seeing people die so quick in the movies...it takes a bit of time...just a medical fact.
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Time AND effort! That's an aesthetic that director Lucio Fulci believed in. Killing someone generally ain't easy like in the movies. His films tend to show the "hard" part of killing, ala "The New York Ripper" and more.
 
I agree with this...

Only eleven pounds of pressure placed on both carotid arteries for ten seconds is necessary to cause unconsciousness.4 How-ever, if pressure is released immediately, consciousness will be regained within ten seconds. To completely close off the trachea, three times as much pressure (33 lbs.) is required. Brain death will occur in 4 to 5 minutes, if strangulation persists.
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Here is the article.
 
brianluce said:
No, not really, that's what CPR is all about, CPR doesn't bring you back from the dead, death is permanent, when you heart stops, it can be restarted. Brain death is a more commonly used standard--that's nebulous too though--I've been accused countless times for example of being brain dead yet here I am posting at DVXUSER.
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Yeah, I remember a few times where that occurred in a certain "Director" forum thread... :lipsrseal


DC said:
Well, when I suffocate puppies and kittens, it usually takes a few minutes. Not sure about humans. Any volunteers?
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DC, that explains a lot... :thumbsup:
 
Phooey on realism. Reality is for people who don't work in the pictures.

I would say the length of the strangling is relative to the intensity of the scene. For more brutality, do it fast, for more suspense, do it slow.

Brutality---------I---------Suspense

Where does your scene fall? Can you make 15 seconds feel like 45? How about 60 feel like 10? Sure you can.

Perception>mathematics.
 
Dirty Uncle Bob said:
Phooey on realism. Reality is for people who don't work in the pictures.

I would say the length of the strangling is relative to the intensity of the scene. For more brutality, do it fast, for more suspense, do it slow.

Brutality---------I---------Suspense

Where does your scene fall? Can you make 15 seconds feel like 45? How about 60 feel like 10? Sure you can.

Perception>mathematics.
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I second that...
 
mjjason said:
If you ever see Monica Bellucci's rape scene in Irreversible than you will know how shocking something like that can be portrayed on film.
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...Probably one of the most, if not the most disturbing scenes I've ever seen in a film. And the fact that it's one long take is pretty amazing. I'm pretty sure I heard this movie was "the most walked out on" movie of all time.
 
A friend got up and walked out of the rape scene in Strange Days.

I came close to walking out on it, too.
 
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