Genre Deconstruction: Action

Action is a genre in which one or more heroes are thrust into a series of challenges that typically include physical feats, extended fight scenes, violence, and frantic chases.  Such films often have a fast-moving plot and in more cases than none, a damsel in distress or love interest. 

General Conventions

In a typical action packed film, it is common to find the following:

·         A tall, dark and handsome main protagonist playing the hero; such as Robert Downy Jr. as Iron Man.

·         A villain, like Heath Ledger as the Joker in the Dark Knight.

·         A companion or close friend of the main protagonist; for example, Tom Cruise’s other half, Benji, played by Simon Pegg, in the Mission Impossible Franchise.

·         The ‘Damsel in Distress’, often a woman, or occasionally a child, for instance, Cameron Diaz in Knight and Day, playing June.

·         Top guns.

·         Big shiny sports cars.

·         Chases between hero/victim and villain.

Film Trailers

Many action film trailers follow Todorov’s theory of equilibrium, where there is usually a situation of calm to begin with, followed by a series of moments of chaos and moments of calm, with many trailer endings once again returning to a state of calm. Since many action films follow similar plot lines (hero and villain, guns and explosions and a damsel in distress), it is imperative that directors make the trailer as enticing to their audience as possible. This is often carried out by restricted narrative whereby the editors create a sequence of as many action scenes from the movie as conceivable where enigma would still be created for the viewer. Like many films, however, the sequence to a typical action trailer goes as following:

·         Calm scene showing the main protagonist in a mundane situation.

·         A build-up of tension where problems begin to arise.

·         Introduction to the villain, often hidden via dim back lighting and low angled shots to make them appear more powerful, creating enigma.

·         Que first action/explosion scene.

·         Cut to a love situation of some kind, often between the main protagonist and damsel in distress.

·         Brief sequence of action scenes, such as fast car chases and explosions.

·         Another moment of calm, often of the protagonist showing some kind of emotion.

Although predictable, this particular style of producing trailers is exceedingly successful, simply because they are straightforward and to the point. If you are a lover of the action genre, it is most likely that you would not be particularly bothered by the plot itself but rather are interested and consumed by the thrill and excitement caused by the action scenes themselves, such as spectacular explosions.

Taken 3 –

                 Featured in the trailer screenshot is a scene from Taken 3, 2015, where the main protagonist Liam Neeson is seen to be on the phone. The film is based on an ex-government operative, Bryan Mills, who is accused of a ruthless murder he never committed or witnessed and thus, he is tracked and pursued on his quest to find the true killer and clear his name.

Effects:

·         The trailer follows the typical action trailer sequence: a moment of calm, build-up of suspense as the crime is revealed, peak of action and finally, a moment of calm again.

·         Initially, the trailer displays the male and a female character in a room, suggesting a romance/drama, however, since the film is a franchise, fans of the movies would be clear on the genre of the movie.

·         Initially, slow and melodic non-diegetic music is used to create a sense of enigma as to what the film is about, however as the trailer progresses, the speed and tempo begins to build to increase the tension and create a ‘rush’ during the action scenes.

·         Alternatively, dialogue and diegetic explosive/gunshot sounds are used, as common in the action genre, to create additional tension and make the viewer believe the scenes are more realistic.

Film Posters

                Film posters are one of the first representations of upcoming films which are accessible by the audience and thus, it is vital they make a good first impression. When looking at the action genre, it is abundantly clear that the majority of the film posters feature guns and explosions, because this is all that is important in a good action movie. Compared to a movie trailer, film posters are often only glanced at and seen for a few seconds; for this reason, particularly in action movies, designers opt to keep the look simple and sweet. The use of explosions as mentioned is an easy solution to this problem since if a viewer sees a poster with a huge explosion in the background, a few guns and the film title, they would immediately know the genre is action. With this genre being so easily recognisable, action lovers would know instantly whether they would want to watch the film or not, thus, a successful film poster.

White House Down –

                On the right hand side is the official film poster for the 2013 action film: White House Down. As obvious from the title alone (a very successful advertisement), this action film is about the fall of the White House, which is overtaken by a paramilitary group.

Effects:

·         Action movies often have similar plots, thus the main actor’s names are displayed along the top in large capital letters as they are often the key to promoting the film.

·         The background is clearly an explosion or explosive remains of some sort, slightly faded out. This is to represent the smoke, a result of said explosions.

·         There is a central large image on the front of the two main protagonists. This design adheres to the golden rule and hence, draws the eye of the viewer. For viewers who are fans of Channing Tatum or Jamie Fox would recognise their faces and potentially be encouraged to watch the film.

·         The two actors mentioned above are the only two characters present on the poster; this creates enigma for the audience as it keeps the villain concealed until the big reveal in the movie, which, in addition, builds the suspense.

·         The title of the movie is simplistic text, using black and bold text in terms of typography (aside from the word ‘House’). This is to represent the falling of the White House in the film, giving a further clue as to what the film is about.

Ultimately, the poster carries out its job successfully: it promotes the action film and entices viewers. With the action genre, there are only so many ways the movie can be advertised whilst still creating enigma and making it stand out from the crowd. In many circumstances, as long as there is violence, guns and fire, the film is likely to be a success.

The Movie

                The Movie, the main event. As explored previously, there are a number of different common conventions portrayed in an action movie, but what differentiates the good from the amazing?

Christian Bale, as Batman

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Character Profile –

·         The Hero:

·         ‘Tall, Dark and Handsome’

·         Often rich

·         The main initiator of the action

·         Normally associated with underlying problems, often troubled, such as alcoholism or familial issues.

·         Many superheroes in particular have code names, such as Iron Man

·         EXAMPLE: Bruce Wayne, or more commonly known as Batman (played by Christian Bale in The Dark Knight Rises) who suffers psychological problems after the death of his parents

·         The Villain:

James Woods, as Walker

White House Down (2013)

·         Often considered rich or ex-military

·         Many have foreign accents to make them appear more menacing and evil

·         A foreign name to coincide with accent, such as Silva in Skyfall

·         Often known to be ruthless and don’t show remorse

·         In some action movies, the villains are kept secret until later in the film, where the main protagonist discovers it was a close friend all along

·         EXAMPLE: Martin Walker, played by James Woods, in the film ‘White House Down’. In this, he is the president’s Secret Service agent and a close friend

·         The Companion:



·         This character is normally considered important but of a lower significance compared to the main protagonist

·        They are often considered ‘nerdy’ and tech-smart or good with technology

Simon Pegg as Benji in Mission

Impossible, Ghost Protocol (2011)

·        In most scenarios, the companion and the hero are seen to have a brotherly/sisterly type relationship, where they have been friends since they were younger and experienced many things (share experiences)

·        Sometimes they can be considered clumsy and only able to help at the crucial necessary time

·         EXAMPLE: Benji, played by Simon Pegg, in the recent Mission Impossible movies.

·         The Damsel in Distress:

Cameron Diaz as June,

 Knight and Day (2010)

·         Nearly always a women, sometimes it is more interesting if the victim is a man but as the word ‘Damsel’ suggests: woman.

·         There is often some kind of romantic relationship between the Damsel and the hero in the film.

·         They are often considered pretty, angelic and sweet; in action movies where the hero or villain is a woman, she is normally represented as sexy and sultry, for example, Halle Berry in Catwoman.

·         EXAMPLE: June, played by Cameron Diaz alongside Tom Cruise in Knight and Day.

Mise-en-Scene –

·         Clothing:

·         Usually, the damsel in distress would wear typically ‘pretty’ and feminine clothing.

·         The hero would have a range of costumes; in many cases, they would have a smart outfit such as a suit, then their ‘hero’ outfit such as in the superhero films and finally, they may have a rugged torn wardrobe which would feature after fights.

·         In most cases, the villain is dressed similarly to the hero, however, usually they are more darker and sinister looking.

·         Lighting:

·         Compared to horror films, the lighting is often natural as many scenes, particularly the action fight scenes, are made outside.

·         Additionally, the producers and directors prefer a sense of realism to capture their audience.

·         Props:

·         A wide array of weapons, mostly guns and explosives, but also knives and gadgets such as those found in spy films.

·         Fast and ‘blingy’ Cars and bikes for chases and to make the characters look more dominant.

·         In action films based on robberies, there is often an abundance of expensive and ‘flashy’ jewellery.

·         Make-Up:

·         Typically, the make-up used is natural to enhance the features of the characters and to also adhere to the realism desired by the producers.

·         Particularly after fight scenes, the villain and hero may be shown to have cuts, bruises and dirt on their faces to emphasise the struggle and aftermath of the fight.

·         In order to portray the angelic look of the damsel, the female character may have natural and more innocent looking makeup; for example, to seem as though they do not wear it.

·     If the female character is portrayed as the sex symbol, make-up is usually more enhanced and obvious, such as red lipstick.

·         Setting:

·         The action scenes and car chases are often filmed outside, for example on busy roads.

·         In general, the action genre is normally made in big busy cities in order to allow for as many destructive action scenes as possible.

·         Alternatively, some scenes are filmed on posh boats or on private jets or in old warehouses, for example, to emphasise the power and richness of the character, typically the villain.

·         Occasionally, some of the smaller fight scenes may take place in dark alleyways in order to build suspense and tension.

Sound –

·         Diegetic:

·         Gunshots and explosive sounds – typical action movie.

·         Roaring car engines, particularly during car chases or kidnappings.

·         Screams of passers-by, children or the damsels in distress.

·         Loud harsh diegetic bangs and screeches, generally loud noises which could make the viewer jump.

·         Police or emergency service sirens, particularly during chases.

·         Non-Diegetic:

·         Slow, sensual and romantic music during the love scenes between the hero and the damsel.

·         Fast paced, quick and upbeat music to play over the action fight scenes in order to build the suspense and tension.

Editing/Camera –

·         Camera:

·         When filming the villain or hero, typically low-angled shots are used to portray the character as being more dominant and powerful, or in the hero’s case, heroic.

·         In terms of the Damsel in Distress, usually high-angle shots are used in order to portray her as vulnerable and weak.

·         Any action films stick to the 180 degree rule to allow for more flexible movement of the camera without confusing the viewer.

·         Editing:

·         Cross cutting is regularly used during chase scenes to show the two characters involved and build suspense for the viewer in terms of not know how far away the other is.

·         During scenes in which the hero, or the villain in some cases, may be searching for the victim, parallel editing may be used from the two locations to trick the audience into thinking one then and then the result is in fact another.

·         Shot-reverse-shot is common for conversations between two characters.

·         Match-on Action is sometimes used during the action/fight scenes to emphasise the continuity of the shot.

Top Examples –

A  list of the top 1 best action movies, according to the Telegraph:

1.       Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)

Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in Speed, 1994

2.       Seven Samurai (1954)

3.       Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

4.       North by Northwest (1959)

5.       Die Hard (1988)

6.       A Better Tomorrow (1986)

7.       The General (1926)

8.       Akira (1988)

9.       Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

10.   Speed (1994)

11.   Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)