Chase Scenes In Action Films

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From on-foot to motorcycle to car, chase scenes constitute an essential part in action movies. Not only do chase scene reinforce a sense of danger and thrills in movies, but they also allow audiences to enjoy in moments of speed and actions as they identify with the protagonist. In this paper, I will examine chase scenes of action movies from five different cultures: Hong Kong, Thailand, France, U.S. and Canada, and compare the differences with regards to cinematography between these movies and discuss the significance for such differences. In the famous bicycle chase scene from Jackie Chan’s Project A (Hong Kong), the scene employs a full body shot of the protagonist to showcase his actions. Throughout the whole scene, the bicycle chase occurs at a narrow alley in which the camera applies deep focus. The extended depth of field gives the scenes a 3-dimensional quality, showing multiple planes of action at once. It also allows the producer to demonstrate the tension …show more content…

In this scene, the camera does not follow the protagonist’s action as he runs in and out of the frame to demonstrate a sense of urgency, followed by the chasing of the antagonists. Moreover, instead of showing the facial expressions of actors, the camera zooms in whenever the protagonist needs to go over a physical obstacle and zooms out to show the action he takes to overcome the obstacle. Another this movie is different from other films is that it shoots the same action sequence in multiple angles. One part of the scene illustrates the agility of the protagonist by showing a front shot of him passing through a loop, followed by a side shot of the same action. Also, whenever the protagonist is performing a stunt, the editing slows the action down for the viewers to be amazed at the difficulty of the stunt. Hence, the speed of this scene could be inconsistent at

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