In the movie Mission to Venice there is a scene where Michael is standing in the harbour and his old friend Giuseppe comes to him from behind and the following dialogue takes place:
Hands up you here.
You’re not bleeding, are you?
No,
Giuseppe.
Michael.How are you? What are you doin here?
I just flew in.
The “hands up” part is perfectly clear to me (when I was a schoolboy we liked to play/joke that way too).
But Michael’s response - You’re not bleeding, are you? - seems strange to me.
How do English-speaking people here understand “You’re not bleeding, are you?”?
Is it a joke understandable only for these two characters in the movie?
You are correct. He says, “You’re not bleeding are you?”.
Watch his hands and listen to the sound he makes. He makes “guns” with his hands and fingers, and makes rapid “shooting” sounds. So he pretends to shoot the guy, then asks if he is bleeding.
Thank you very much, NearlyNapping, it makes perfect sense to me now. Initially, I was mostly focusing on their faces trying to make out what they say and failed to see the details of Michael’s hands movements.
Thank you, NearlyNapping.
I was also unsure as to which word is correct in this context - harbor, berth, quay or jetty/dock? Do they all work in such a context?
Harbor ( horbour in BrE ) is a good choice of words. The harbor is the water itself. It will probably be part of a larger body of water like a bay.
Wharf (AmE) or quay (BrE) also works to describe the location, and is just as valid as harbor.
Waterfront might also work, but is very non-specific.
A dock is the structure where boats park. It extends out into the water. Berth is the individual spot for one boat to park. So a dock can have one berth or dozens of berths.
I think berth can also be a verb. A sailor might cringe at me saying a boat “parks” at the dock. I think “to berth” is a more nautical term. Maybe someone more familiar with it can clarify.
Wharf/quay is much larger than a dock and could include buildings, warehouses, restaurants, etc. Wharves (plural spelling) usually run parallel to the water, whereas a dock extends out into the water.
Boardwalk is another closely related term. It might be a wharf with a lot of businesses used for entertainment, shopping, etc. The location in the movie might also be called a boardwalk.
Many of these words have overlapping meanings, so the choice of words is determined by local usage.
In the movie, you can see all the buildings. The boat is tied up parallel to the shore. So this is a wharf/quay, not a dock.
A jetty refers to a long man-made structure that extends far out into the water. It is usually a “breakwater” which helps protect the harbor or other coastlines from harsh weather and waves. They are not normally used as docks or berths.