a complete analysis of action genre

1. GENRE ANALYSIS
ACTION

2. ACTION?
Action films are basically films where there are either couple heroes or
one hero who is driven into a series of chaotic challenges that involve
physical feats, gun play, explicit fights, and succession of different
frenetic chases. Action films ramp up the tension and create thriller
scenes which makes the audience involve deeper into the movie and
produce a storming end to the sequence. Add to this action films have a
character struggling against incredible odds such which are death
defying and seeming impossible than the one before with victory
attained in the end. Characters are developed along the way as the story
progresses. Action genre can further be hybridized into sci-fi, romance,
adventure etc genres.

3. EXAMPLES OF ACTION FILMS

4. HISTORY OF ACTION GENRE
The Action genre arise in the silent era’s films around the time of Edwin S.
Porter’s classic action western film The Great Train Robbery 1903.During the
1920s and 1930s, action-based films were often "swashbuckling" adventure
films in which Douglas Fairbanks wielded swords in period pieces or Westerns. .
The 1940s and 1950s saw "action" in the form of war and cowboy movies and
Alfred Hitchcock Albert R. Broccoli’s spy espionage along with action
arose.1960’sThe long-running success of the James Bond series (which easily
dominated the action films of the 1960s) essentially introduced all the staples
of the modern- day action film. The "Bond movies“bought a new breed of
action to the table with larger-than-life characters, such as the resourceful
hero: who was able to dispatch villainous masterminds and their somewhat
awful henchmen. The Bond films also utilized quick cutting, car chases, fist
fights, a variety of weapons and gadgets that had never been seen in the
action genre before.

5. HISTORY OF ACTION GENRE
In the 1970s, Bond saw competition as gritty detective stories and urban crime dramas
began to fuse themselves with the new action style, leading to a string of maverick
police officer films, such as those defined by Bullitt (1968) also the Asian-influenced
"You Only Live Twice", martial- arts-themed action movies exploded onto the western
cinema screens with Bruce Lees Enter the Dragon (1973), and his imported films like
Way of (or Return of) the Dragon (1972). The 1980s would see the action film take over
Hollywood to become a dominant form of summer blockbuster; many actors such as
Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis and Chuck Norris. Steven
Spielberg and George Lucas even paid their homage to the Bond-inspired style with the
mega-hit Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). In 1982, veteran actor Nick Nolte and rising
comedian Eddie Murphy smashed box office records with the action-comedy 48 Hrs,
which is credited as the first buddy-cop movie. That same year, Sylvester Stallone
starred in First Blood, the first installment in the popular Rambo film series. Action
films further expanded in the mid 80s and 90s, with the growth of special effects
techniques and in response to jaded audiences who demanded faster plots (coherent or
not), greater violence, and stimulation. The ability to use CGI (Computer Generated
Imagery) able films to have such spectacular graphics: 3D computerized graphics. These
are used to make computer generated movies, which allows fine art and to create pure
fine detailed, surfaces textures and brilliant picture to the filming world.

6. CODES AND CONVENTIONS
Missions waiting to be completed
Gun play, explosions ,car chases ,outbursts ,fights
Often hybridized with Sci-Fi/Adventure/Romance
Use of close up/Insert shots/High Key Lighting
High production values including CGI FX. Fast
paced editing
Dramatic non-diegetic sound

7. The codes and conventions of the action genre include high production
values including fast paced editing styles with the use of CGI FX, green
screen, IMAX 3-D etc with dramatic non diegetic and diegetic sounds. Use
of close up/insert shots and mostly High key lighting are notable in
action films. Action genre follows the classic Hollywood three act
narrative structure with usually predictable chain of events. To maximize
the youth audience’s the genre is further hybridized with Sci
Fi/Adventure/Romance etc genres. Usually the action films contain the
romantic sub-plot to entertain the audience and have humorous
dialogues with the use of new technologies to entice them. Action film
mostly targets the male audiences, thus the representation of males in
dominant roles is inevitable.

8. CHARACTERS
The characters in action adventure films tend to be
believable despite the film itself being unrealistic. Time
periods are stereotypically in the not too distant past or
fictional storybook worlds. The main protagonist tends to be
a ‘normal’ guy who discovers a hidden power or talent. The
hero is always helped by a team of innocent characters who
get caught up with the action. Humorous dialogue is often
used to diffuse situations. Mortal danger arises as a twist in
the plot and the characters take it seriously. Exotic
locations, mind boggling chases and hair raising adventures
keep the audience on their seats.

9. MISE-EN-SCENE
Costume- in action films usually the Wealth, scene ‘damsel in
distress’ wears fairly nice authority. Clothing, The hero has a
range of costumes, sometimes they could be dressed in a smart
suit and other Jason Statham times they could be in quite rugged
in Transporter rough clothes possibly after a fight. The villain
usually wears similar clothing to the hero but maybe darker.

10. MAKE UP
The hero will have quite Casino Royale natural make up,
but when he experiences a fight or a car chase, his make-
up will make him look bruised and bloody. The female will
have quite innocent and vulnerable look, natural pretty
make-up innocence .The villain may have quite dark eyes
portraying evilness.

11. CHARACTERS PORTRAYAL
Characters -Hard looking man with big muscles, -strong, quite
stocky with a mean look about brave, him. The hero is a likeable
character protective and can make funny or witty comments
giving the film some Bruce Willis in Die Hard humor - a pretty
woman playing a damsel in -vulnerable, distress beautiful Kate
Bosworth as Lois Lane, in Superman Returns - A villain is usually
similar build to the hero. The villain is meant to be -Evil, devious,
disliked by the audience, so through nasty Heath Ledger as the
his/her comments and body Joker in The Dark Knight language
make him/her have ‘that look’ about them. Also they may have
quite menacing make up.

12. LIGHTING & EXPRESSIONS
In an action film the lighting is mostly natural as the setting is
Drama, fast mostly outside. But possibly if the paced action
audience is shown the villain in his/her inside it may be quite low
Top Gun key lighting. Actors- The hero’s facial expressions will be
quite stern at times. Their body language will be powerful and
dominating, they will be able to communicate with others in
sometimes a calm and captivating way and other times may be
quite aggressive. The damsel will be very pretty and her facial
expressions can range from a sexy seductive look to possibly very
worried and scared, her body language will be quite posh and ‘lady
like’, she will communicate with others in a polite and sensible
way. The villain’s facial expressions will have an evil, menacing
look. He/she will communicate with others in a violent way unless
he/she needs to pretend to get what he wants.

13. PROPS & SOUND
Guns, knives, fast cars, ‘blingy’ jewellery. Settings-Big, busy cities
for the car chases or a posh boating dock if there is a boat chase. If
there is a Fast and Furious fight it may be in a dark alley way.
Hancock Iconography Guns, speed, drama, fast expensive cars, big
cities, wealth, I Am Legend Narrative Usually the hero experiences
threats, challenges, gun fights, car chases etc. The villain tries to
make the hero’s life hard, usually the ‘damsel in distress’ is
kidnapped or gets caught in the middle of the hero and villain. There
may be a murder, or somebody getting seriously injured. Themes
Violence, quick scenes, fast editing, big gun fights, car chases,
Sounds Gunshots, skidding cars, screams, Anger, explosions, loud
bangs, sirens and violence.

14. TROY
ACTION, WAR, ROMANCE
Troy is an epic war film released on 14 May 2004. Written by David Benioff and
directed by Wolfgang Petersen is loosely based on Homer’s Iliad. The film was
nominated for Academy Award for Costume Design. The plot follows the year
1250 B.C where two emerging nations start a clash after Paris, the Trojan prince
takes Helen, Queen of Sparta away from her husband Menelaus. Menelaus
brother Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power and to rule Troy while
getting back his brother’s wife. With the help of Achilles the Greeks set out to
defeat Trojans however they face the opposition by Hector Prince of Troy.
Throughout the movie the battle situation and foreshadowing of fate is shown
with bit of romance in it. The movie is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures with
a budget of $175 million and $177 million directors cut with domestic total gross
of $133 a box office of $497,409,852.

15. TROY

16. CREATED BY:
ABDUL WASAY RAO
-MEDIA STUDIES A2