The Action Genre: Backround Research & How It Pertains To Us

The roots of the action genre can be traced right back to the birth of cinema; the silent era was filled with many examples of the earliest subgenre- 'Swashbucklers'. The term itself derives from olden day fighters who carried swords and a 'buckler', a type of small shield. They were often based on romantic costume novels and usually abided by the following formula;

- a heroic sword fighting character
- renaissance western Europe setting
- lavish costumes
- clear-cut morality
- a damsel in distress and a romantic element
- as film evolved, triumphant, thrilling music also became a prominent feature

The films of Douglas Fairbanks are considered to define the genre, and Errol Flynn was another pioneer that followed. Notable swashbuckler films include: The Mark of Zorro (1920), The Three Musketeers (1921), The Adventures of Robin Hood (1922) and The Scarlett Pimpernel (1934).

As technology progressed, so did the action genre; swords and shields became guns and gadgets, and in the 1962 James Bond burst on the scene, popularising the modern day action film for a new generation. Early American action films at this time tended to centre around the police force, such as; Bullit (1968), The French Connection (1971) and Dirty Harry (1971). This period of action film was characterised by quick cutting, car chases, fist fighting and more elaborate action sequences than had previously been seen. These techniques are therefore worth considering, if achievable, for our piece.

Despite its success, the action film genre didn’t become a dominant form in Hollywood till the 1980s, when it was made famous by big name stars like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson and Bruce Willis. 'Die Hard' in 1988 was a particularly influential on the development of the genre that followed that decade. Consequently, the new wave tends to require a big budget and include numerous explosions and complex stunt work. This could prove to be a problem with our limited budget but by paying attention to detail on other aspects (camerawork, editing, sound etc) i believe we can still be successful.

While action films have traditionally been aimed at male audiences, from the early teens to the mid-30s, many action filmmakers from the 1990s and 2000s added female heroines in response to the times, glorifying the strong female archetype. This is an indication of our trailer being contemporaneous, in the present day there is an open reception to the 'girls with guns' subgenre thanks to such films as 'Lara Croft' and 'Kill Bill'. It is encouraging to know we have a tried and tested formula and an established target audience. It is no longer incongruous to have a female lead.

Current trends include CGI, terrorism dystopia, intertextuality with the sci-fi and humour genres among others. Our idea outlines a 'sexy action' incorporating a possible romance narrative, i think this is a strong basis to work around because it reaches out beyond our assumed target audience- which is primarily men -and gives some appeal to women thanks to the suggestion of some kind of love story. The vulnerability of our character will make her easier to relate to but whilst sticking to other typical features of action and 'girls with guns', men will still be interested. In a way we are linking back to the early days of action before it became a male orientated genre.

Because of their expense, action films are often regarded as mostly a Hollywood genre, although a significant number have emerged from Hong Kong, these are mainly modern variations of martial arts films. Hollywood tends to indulge in expensive special effects whereas Hong Kong focuses on the quality of the fight scenes. Again, our budget may restrict us but with good editing and camera work we can improvise!