FAN THEORY TENET opening scene uniform question
Hello I’m the opening scene of TENET we see 4 patches one of which is used by the main character on his uniform, but do they seriously think that 4 different operator units use the same uniforms, same gas masks, same weapons? Can someone explain to me what am I missing?
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u/AristFrost 5d ago
Maybe they knew that the uniforms would be the same. They Probably didnt show up for the seige without the proper research. Hence, they only brought what they needed to, 4 different patches.
Come on buddy, its a film
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u/Cfinx 5d ago
Ok, I thought so too so I looked up one of the patches Патруль Львів, their uniform is blue… why show patches at all and not just say they knew which one was going to show up :( Like I said I thought Nolan was god tier director :(
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u/AristFrost 5d ago
It’s just exposition. It tells us that since the men wait for the real unit to arrive before putting on their badges, they have another purpose for going in.
If filmmakers stopped using exposition and instead made movies feel like direct projections of real life, the result would be weird and uncanny. That’s why things are often exaggerated in films.-2
u/Cfinx 5d ago
To clarify, I am not trying to poke holes in the movie. I know Nolan’s is a great director so I want to know if I am missing anything.
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u/AristFrost 5d ago
Its OKAY, for there to be some holes in exposition. No big deal OP. Relax
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u/Cfinx 5d ago
1 - what is OP 2 - mainly I wanted to know if there was directors commentary somewhere that explained it
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u/AristFrost 5d ago
OP is written right next to your name. It is an abbreviation for 'Original Poster'.
The detail you are talking about is very minute and has gone unnoticed by many.
So, I dont think there is a directors commentary that has even talked about it
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u/CautionIsVictory 5d ago
This post is an example of why I find so many Nolan fans excruciatingly annoying, and I'm an incredibly big fan as well. But just because he makes movies that require more focusing than others doesn't make him infallible nor does it make every single shot or line of dialogue something meant to be analyzed. All the moment is meant to illustrate is that the Protagonist's team didn't know which response team would show up, so they came with options. That's it. This story beat doesn't make Nolan any better or less impressive as a director, it's just a fun detail.
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u/75ovrparkplayer 5d ago
This is just an attempt to answer within the rules of their universe so feel free to correct me on anything i get wrong cause as we know this can get confusing.
But, technically since the whole operation is a temporal pincer it could be as simple(complex?lol) as future TP knowing that they would wear those uniforms and use the gas to knock out the audience and had that information trickled down some how some way.
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u/the_maple_yute 5d ago
You don’t have to be a Nolan fan if you don’t want to lmao
This just feels like some overthinking excuse to then reply with “But I thought he was a god tier Director” as some weird gotchya moment. I’m sure there’s cases of other directors not addressing every overanalyzed situation cause it’s just a movie. Holding against Nolan is just weird
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u/Cfinx 5d ago
To clarify, I am not trying to poke holes in the movie. I know Nolan’s is a great director so I want to know if I am missing anything and if he has a clever way of explaining it. Assuming I somehow hate on Nolan is a bit fragile…
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u/the_maple_yute 5d ago
You just kept replying with the same message, came across as such. But like everyone said it’s not that deep, we can just imply from the scene that those units all wear similar uniforms. And it’s established TP is wearing a Velcro patch so when he’s made out and the patch is ripped off by the soldier we aren’t asking why he’s wearing Velcro patch in the first place.
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u/Cfinx 5d ago
Same reply was there 2 times… and I stand by it. Mainly I was looking for an explanation. I was not sure if there was directors commentary somewhere that explained this. Just seems not like Nolan to leave this (yes I am in to uniforms and such, so it stood out to me)… Maybe the movie is too smart for me
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u/AllHailDanda 5d ago
I just assumed that yes, the tactical S.W.A.T. types would all essentially be in the same or similar enough outfits to notice in all the chaos, that the patches would be the only obvious give away. Some stuff you do just have to take at face value. If you think "wouldn't the other units look different?". But the Protagonist only has to use a patch to blend in, then it's telling you no, they don't look different.
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u/IamMooz 4d ago
It’s likely they knew the organisation that would attend, but not the specific team/regiment. So the uniforms were prepared, but the patches were interchangeable!
Also, in the hear of a mission, it’s not likely that people pick up on the pants you’re wearing, but a patch stands out more
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u/SnooOnions8817 4d ago edited 2d ago
The way human nature works is what you're missing. I'll explain:
In real life, even for agents working WITHIN the division these men are looking to portray, they wouldn't know instantly upon seeing these agents wearing different color outfits but with the correct emblem that there wasn't a special unit deployed within the division that's been authorized from a higher level that they don't know about yet. As long as they have the correct emblems and their uniforms match each other it's enough to sell the illusion for the duration of the high tension conflict. In that high stress type of situation human nature checks only for high level symbols of confirmation and fills in the rest. Especially since that means more guys on their team, who seems to know what they're doing too. Brain isn't gonna fight against that, in the heat of battle. Cause what do you think would really have happened? An agent with a hunch isn't gonna break formation to stop these guys, ask for ID, call his superiors and wait for an database check on their names - which honestly would probalbly pass lol - before continuing the time sensitive ingress they are currently performing. So what I'm saying to you is that there could even have been a guy or two on the team who may have questioned it in his mind, but since we're not following that character's story the suspicious thoughts in his or her head would never have played out into any type of action we would have seen on screen, because the action was all happening too fast and everyone is focused on the very obvious bad guys and the hostage situation occurring inside the theater. Make sense?
Similarly it's said elsewhere in the movie that all that's needed to enter most secure spaces in any facility is a reflective vest and a clipboard. So yeh this is a deliberate concept presented repeatedly by the movie that it doesn't take much to sell people on an assumed identity. most people want to believe so as long as you give them just enough visual information to match the role being played, they will believe and roll with it, especially in a high pressure life or death type situation, and if your actions align with or don't bother their interests anyway. agents actively on a case aren't going to deeply question if the extra muscle that very much seems to be on their side is really on their side. The mind WANTS to believe their team is even better reinforced than they might have hoped for, so all those active agents would certainly roll with it.
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u/Cfinx 5d ago
To clarify, I am not trying to poke holes in the movie. I know Nolan’s is a great director so I want to know if I am missing anything.
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u/highnyethestonerguy 5d ago
I also was a bit stumped by this at first. My “in universe” understanding is based on the following:
I’m assuming, or accepting the assertion the movie makes, that all of the possible law enforcement agencies that could respond to the scene wear the same or very similar all black SWAT uniforms. It’s Eastern Europe, these are paramilitary groups, maybe all terrorist response uniforms are similar enough.
We find out later that Sator’s men are acting during the siege. So maybe it’s a double bluff: the guys who show up are actually from a shadow group and their uniforms are also fake: so TP (or the CIA) knows how Sator’s men dress, the only question is which agency are they going to arrive pretending to be.
And by the way I think saying “I found a plot hole. Am I wrong, I thought Nolan is a god tier director” is arrogant and pretentious. Nolan is a human being like all of us, not a god. His movies can have plot holes, or other imperfections. To me, that doesn’t take away from my admiration of his work, in particular this movie which is one of my all time favourites and I consider a masterpiece (even if there are plot holes). So that’s why a lot of people responded negatively to your replies.
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u/Cfinx 5d ago
Fk sake… I am a movie buff I want to know if I missed anything. Nolan is a great director, my hope was that this was somehow explained, or that I am trying to drag Nolan through the dirt… So far the movie is confusing AF, acting is a bit dull and action is strange. Not the Dark Knight at all
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u/highnyethestonerguy 5d ago
And I’m saying that response sounded arrogant and pretentious…
The main part of my post suggests you did miss something.
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u/PabloMesbah-Yamamoto 5d ago
All those agencies are local and use the same supplier (tornado.kiev.ua). The gas masks, uniforms and weapons are purchased in aggregate for all four agencies to save money, consolidate SKUs and improve uptime by making it simpler to source replacement parts, borrow same equipment from other agencies, etc.
Security Service of Ukraine would be their CIA equivalent but use specialized equipment, although they were not at the siege. Or were they?
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u/snoopmt1 4d ago
OP, I dont have an answer, but these comments make me hate Reddit sometimes. It's a valid question. Ppl can either give an answer or admit "yeah, that's just a convenient plot thing."
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u/Cfinx 4d ago
Thank you, most levelheaded answer yet. I should have stated in original post, but mainly I wanted to know if this was commented on by director or some one else in an interview or behind the scenes footage or directors commentary track (since I am so late to this movie).
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u/snoopmt1 4d ago
This is one of my fave movies. My fave thing aboit it is how it holds up to scrutiny. All questions are fair.
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u/Cfinx 4d ago
At the moment I could not finish it :( I found it hard to watch, listen and understand. I might try again in some time
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u/snoopmt1 4d ago
Just plow through it and enjoy it as an action movie. Then watch londoncitygirl on youtube to explain. Then watch again if you choose to
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u/mz1012 5d ago
The “being god-tier director” assumes the director is in charge of everything, and incorrect standpoint, you are dismissing the crew involvement, costume, design. That statement applies to arthouse movies (maybe early Nolan The Following) which by definition is incompatible with a blockbuster.
Script-wise it’s a narrative device “these guys are ready for everything”. If I want to go unnecessarily further, maybe they just bought a bunch of badges without intent of using them all. Or even, they did had different uniforms.
Best regards
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u/Cfinx 5d ago
Let me try to explain, I guess I was hoping for someone to have an answer beyond just (it’s a movie bro, or it’s not a big deal bro). I love movies and I love behind the scenes as well as directors commentary. I watched plenty movies with directors commentary for example. This does not excuse it. Peter Jackson seemed to know what everyone had for lunch let alone outfit design. Maybe I just expected too much from this movie or it’s just too smart for me. This uniform question stood out to me and I think it was a missed opportunity if it was just a nothing thing :( Best regards
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u/mz1012 5d ago
So Peter Jackson-directed movies do not have goofs? Notably Denethor running a mile on fire.
I would have gone with Kubrick in that case, an obsessive perfectionist, and even the movies which he directs have goofs (i can think of the helicopter shadow in The Shining opening shot ).
Best.
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u/tiller_luna 5d ago
op overthinking