Mexican Standoff
A Mexican Standoff , also Mexican Stand-off , ( English : 'Mexican stalemate ') is an English slang expression that describes a confrontation that cannot be won by either side or ended by offensive or defensive action by one of the parties.
The term found its way into popular culture through its use in connection with the description of duels in western films . The Mexican Standoff applies for the use in Sergio Leone Western classic two Ugly as one of the hallmark of Italowestern and in the sequence of many was directors as a technique for production of intense voltage ( Suspense ) used.
Definition and origin
Neither the origin nor the definition of the term Mexican Standoff can be precisely clarified. In a classic duel, for example in a western film, it is assumed that whoever takes up arms first has an advantage. In the Mexican Standoff , a third or further party usually creates a conflict situation that cannot be resolved by one of the parties' superior abilities.
The Merriam Webster defines the Mexican Standoff as a situation that no one comes out of as a winner . The Cambridge Dictionary describes a Mexican standoff as a situation where multiple people threaten each other and no one is trying to come to an agreement.
There are no definitions for the classification as Mexican . A possible explanation would be the Mexican-looking surroundings in typical western films, for example in Zwei Glorrich Malunken , which is one of the best-known examples of a Mexican standoff .
In the movie
In the film, the Mexican Standoff is often represented by three opponents who face each other with guns drawn and pointing at each other in a seemingly hopeless situation. The particular tension is triggered by the fact that none of the three sides want to shoot first for fear of being attacked by the third party. On the other hand, nobody wants to put their weapon in their pocket first, as this would give the fastest of the other two shooters an advantage.
The best-known example of a Mexican standoff in the film is the final triall between the protagonists in Two glorious scoundrels (original title: Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo ) by Sergio Leone . The blonde, the good ( Clint Eastwood ), Sentenza, the bad ( Lee van Cleef ), and Tuco, the ugly ( Eli Wallach ), armed face to face in a cemetery in the desert. The scene is shown for several minutes from various camera angles, the tension being further increased by the music by Ennio Morricone . The confrontation ends with the death of Sentenza. As it turns out, the night before the blonde had removed the cartridges from the revolver by the blonde, the blonde only had to concentrate on Sentenza in the argument, ultimately only had one real opponent and knew how to exploit this advantage.
In the US heist movie Reservoir Dogs , Quentin Tarantino 's first feature film, the director stages a similar situation. The gangsters Mr. White ( Harvey Keitel ), Eddie Cabot ( Chris Penn ) and Joe Cabot ( Lawrence Tierney ) face each other in a warehouse and threaten each other. The particular tension in this case is not supported and explained by music, but by dialogues in which the opponents threaten each other, explain their motivation and address the hopelessness of the confrontation. The conflict ends when all three shoot each other.
A peaceful resolution is also possible, for example in Pulp Fiction , a film also made by Quentin Tarantino. Here the hit man Jules ( Samuel L. Jackson ) points his gun at the thief Pumpkin ( Tim Roth ). His girlfriend Yolanda ( Amanda Plummer ) in turn points the gun at Jules, while Jules' partner Vince ( John Travolta ) has Yolanda in his sights. The special tension is created here by the fact that Jules quotes from the Bible calmly and Pumpkin listens to him, while Yolanda screams hysterically and tries to get the situation under control again. Since Vince is present, but not shown all the time, it is also unclear to the viewer whether he will intervene decisively and shoot Yolanda. The situation is resolved when Jules lets the two thieves go.
In Shang-High Noon , several parties threaten each other, whereupon Marshall van Cleef ( Xander Berkeley ) remarks that such a situation is called a Mexican tie , "even if neither of us is Mexican." A corresponding situation in Pirates of the Caribbean is more amusing , when the decision on how to proceed is to be made through the use of flintlock pistols , but none of the parties involved are harmed by wet gunpowder .
In game theory
In game theory , a situation similar to the Mexican Standoff is described as a triell . The subject of the scientific investigation in this context is not the cause or the particular nature of the confrontation, which creates the tension in the film, but rather the determination of the best possible strategies with which the situation can be resolved. Paradoxically, the weakest shooter has the greatest chance of survival.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Himilce Novas : Everything you need to know about Latino history. 1994, p. 78.
- ^ Definition of Mexican Standoff in Merriam Webster
- ^ Definition of Mexican standoff in the Cambridge Dictionary
- ↑ Mexican Standoff in Two Glorious Scoundrels on Youtube ( Memento from June 3, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
- ^ Mexican standoff in Reservoir Dogs on Youtube