HOLLYWOOD: The 3 most realistic firefights

It's no secret that movies often get it wrong when it comes to portraying firearms and how they are used in combat. From the protagonists of the 80s who refuse to shoulder their weapons when shooting, to the seemingly endless magazine capacity in every hero's gun, filmmakers have long prioritized what looks cool over what would actually be possible in reality. And to be honest, it's hard to blame them for that. After all, firing two guns in a sideways jump looks pretty badass, even though it's the dumbest thing someone can do in a firefight.

There are, of course, exceptions to the rule when it comes to Hollywood's depictions of firefights - movies that manage to provide a realistic portrayal of how armed conflicts actually unfold while still giving the audience something to cheer about. These movies may not be entirely realistic from start to finish, but each one offers at least one firefight that was realistic enough to make even highly trained fighters lean towards the edges of their seats.

1. Delta's Big Moment: "Sicario"

The border scene in the 2015 film "Sicario" is worth examining from multiple angles: As a prime example of filmmaking, this scene does tremendous work in building tension. And while some elements of the circumstances are not entirely realistic, the way the ensuing firefight plays out offers a succinct and brutal glimpse into the skills of those men who make their way into an elite team like the Delta Force.

Unlike the past Chuck Norris portrayals of the Deltas, these men are silent and action-oriented, using their skills not only to neutralize their opponents but also to keep the situation as contained as possible. The extremely successful build-up of tension and the lightning-fast resolution of the situation leave the viewer with the same feeling of stress even after the battle has ended, a feeling that should be familiar to anyone who has ever been in a real fight. Even if the Deltas themselves seem quite unimpressed. But as real SF soldiers will often confirm, it's less about being unimpressed and more about getting the job done - but for us mere mortals, it pretty much looks the same.

2. The Gold Standard: "Saving Private Ryan"

When "Saving Private Ryan" premiered in 1998, I vividly remember my parents coming home early from their long-planned date. My father, a Vietnam veteran who had struggled with certain aspects of his service for a long time, was eagerly looking forward to Steven Spielberg's new war epic. However, he found the opening scene depicting the brutal reality of the Normandy invasion in World War II too realistic to endure. My father, who never talked about his time in service, decided to leave the theater and spent the rest of the evening silently in his room.

In spirit, this list is a tribute to realism in cinema. But this realism comes with a price. And sometimes that price can be too high. A number of veterans have shared my father's views on the movie (he eventually watched it at home himself) and have described this opening sequence, often hailed as a masterpiece of filmmaking, as one of the most difficult scenes they have ever seen.

3. Val Kilmer Helps Train Green Berets: "Heat"

The dramatic ten-minute gunfight in "Heat" has rightfully become legendary in Hollywood. For six weeks, the film's production team closed off parts of downtown Los Angeles every Saturday and Sunday to turn the city into a war zone. The actors were ready to contribute their part. The producers hired real British SAS soldiers to train the actors in real combat tactics at the nearby shooting ranges of the L.A. County Sheriffs.

A legend has it that Val Kilmer performed the training so well that the footage of him firing in multiple directions and reloading his weapon (without a cut) was shown at Fort Bragg as part of the training for American Green Berets. They will definitely be shown to recruits at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego as an example of an effective retreat under fire.