🎬 #172 Practical Action.
I love action thrillers that feel practical, that are more boots on the ground - and this week’s two films are great examples of that.
Happy choosing, happy viewing
Bry
FILM ONE: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
1996 Dir Brian De Palma
1 hr 50 mins
I remember seeing this in the cinema in Manchester when it first came out and being blown away, especially by the iconic scene where Ethan Hunt (played by Tom Cruise) breaks into the CIA vault - a moment that has been aped and imitated many times.
It's a rare film, that is billed as an action thriller, but there are only six gunshots in the entire film, none of which are fired by the lead character. And yet it feels intensely taught, propulsive, and full of action. This was Tom Cruise's first film as a producer, and he delivered it on time and under budget, despite the many different shooting locations and the technical complexity of the climactic chase sequence on top of the train going into the channel tunnel.
What's also fantastic, is that it's got a very European feel - not just because of the locations. But because of Brian De Palma's less expected framing and pacing, intense, tight close-ups, dutched angles, the backlit Prague streets. In many ways, it has the aesthetic of a film made by a European director in Europe. It feels gritty, it’s mysterious, and it makes espionage feel a bit more tactile. It’s a brilliant opening to the franchise and worth a revisit, as the ‘final film’ in the series is opening in cinemas.
*Available for a small rental fee on Apple and Amazon in the US and the UK.
Fact: The iconic scene, in the frame above, was inspired by a scene in Topkapi directed by Jules Dassin.
FILM TWO: THE BOURNE IDENTITY
Dir Doug Liman
1 hr 59 mins
Doug Liman coming off the back of not very action-heavy films seems to be an unusual choice to lead a new action franchise, but precisely because he hasn't been steeped in that world, he gives the film an injection of fresh energy. He transforms what it means to be a spy on film— by given it a more down-to-earth, tactile quality than the genre had been used to up until that point.
It’s much more about process and tactics, much more about the human [not superhuman] physicality of the job. In fact, the whole thing feels more like a job. You get a mission, show up to do it and carry out the task till it’s done. Again the film feels much more European than American, in sensibility and approach. The rawness of the camera work, the wider angles for action sequences - it’s all in service of making this all feel more physical - more practical. It’s not James Bond.
*Available for a small rental fee on Apple and Amazon in the US and UK.
Fact: Liman wanted the camera operator to feel ‘late’ reacting, so he never allowed them to watch rehearsal. When they came to shoot, the operator wouldn’t know which actor would speak or when.