Today we are going to dive deeper into a specific genre in the film world. Action contains an intense social and physical environment that leads to conflict. The typical target audience is adults and teenagers seeking thrill, escapism from reality, adventure, and feeling the adrenaline. Uses a large number of specific movements leading to heroic endings. The use of weapons is usually included in battles between evil and good.
Action typically adds a wide use of advanced special effects. It includes long shots to give context to the scene and show full movement. It also incorporates close-up shots and Dutch angles. This shows specific movements from a closer and specific view to create an impactful effect on the audience.
Now let's talk about its institutional conventions. Action films are usually marketed by adding more high-intensity fights and dangerous but exciting actions. This makes the viewers feel a type of enthusiasm mixed with stress while knowing that nothing bad will happen to them. This type of film sometimes will start with an introduction to the main conflict or an impactful event to engage the audience as in its trailers.
Here’s one action film that you could check out if you are interested in learning more about this genre.
Top Gun by Tony Scott (1986) is a film that shows the world of naval aviation with the pilot Maverick who strives for excellence while he faces professional and personal challenges after losing his best friend in an aircraft fight.
This film is a great example of the action genre firstly because its aerial combat sequenced scenes are followed by a soundtrack called “Danger Zone” as it reinforces the idea of risk and thrill-seeking with its lyrics with pulsating rhythms of living on the edge while also taking chances. This film also mixes the intense circumstances of loss and gain in dogfights (aerial battles) with emotional human interactions which causes an adrenaline-pumping feeling in the audience because of the many different emotions created in the viewer. This film left an unforgettable mark on the action world and cinematic history.
Another of the best films in the action world is Fast and Furious by Rob Cohen (2001). It is about Dominic Toretto, a fugitive who has a passion for streetcar races and finds out that Brian is an undercover cop who is trying to get his trust so that he can take him down.
Mainly, this film embodies the genre as it uses crucial and special techniques; from the long shots showing the adrenaline-street-fueled races, moving to the Dutch angle of explosive action sequences, to the close-ups of emotional actor’s reactions to the impactful events. Although this movie emphasizes family and loyalty importance, it shows the risky life that the characters have throughout the film by using quick cuts and significant transitions to keep the intensity of the action sequences. The costume designs play an important role in creating context and giving a more realistic action environment with mainly street clothes. Sound is another important factor here as it gives a continuous focus on the heart of the action by creating screeching tires, revving of engines, and explosive crashes. The mix of electronic and hip-hop music in the background is also important to convey energetic shots. Overall, they create an enduring appeal with immersive experiences for the audience.
If you want to learn more about the action genre, here is a list to check out and get more involved in this heart-pumping world.
The Terminator by James Cameron (1984)
Rambo by Sylvester Stallone (1982)
Mission Impossible by Christopher McQuarrie (1996)
The Equalizer by Antoine Fuqua (2014)
Taken by Olivier Megaton (2008)
John Wick by Chad Stahelski 2014
Olympus Has Fallen by Antoine Antoine Fuqua (2013)
