Great action scenes involve a lot of hard work and planning. The film-makers create these complex set pieces for our entertainment. Sometimes they do miss by a wide margin, but then, there are those which hit you right in the gut. Watch these three great videos of some memorable and intricate action scenes in world cinema.
Children of Men: Alfonso Cuarón stuns us with one of the most inventive and memorable scenes in recent cinema. The scene starts out slow and gradually builds tempo, before exploding in our faces. We were totally unprepared for the death of one of the principal characters. And it made us realise that, this is not one of those light-saber wielding, sissy sci-fi movies, but truly something special. It is only at the end of the scene, we understood the ingenuity and craftsmanship of the Director, who created something special enough, to inspire many budding filmmakers – who are probably still in school. The whole thing looked like it has been shot in one take and we were asking ourselves, “did we really see that ?”
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0ejnQfYXtk]
OldBoy: Disturbing. What else can I say ? Also, one of the most original films of our time. The movie has to be seen, to be experienced. Also has one of the coolest fight scenes ever. “The Corridor Fight”, brings out the unbridled rage and hate of our protagonist, locked away for 15 years. The corridor scene looks like a side scrolling, video game sequence. Only, this is set in the darkest recesses in sub-urban hell. It’s raw and brutal. And we thought the ‘Matrix Corridor Scene’ was cool. We cheer on our Hero, only flinching occasionally at the havoc created by a Hammer. This is no Thor, he bleeds.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAjVSUkkef0]
Tom Yum Goong: This Thai Movie is the story of a man and his search for his missing Elephants. No, I am not making this up. Remember, Elephants are sacred to Thai people. Tony Jaa excels in this four minute sequence, which was reportedly unedited. The action takes place at a frenetic pace, moving from floor to floor. Though it looks like Swan Lake, those kicks must have hurt. Don’t come between a Man and his Elephants.
[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K06wDn3XsZE]