nov 10-14 2010 - Rehoboth Beach Film Society

sIdebaR: lights, Camera, aCTIon!
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sIdebaR:lights, Camera...aCTIon!
by Ramsey Furse
typically independent films, such as the ones that populate a film festival, are rarely
associated with action. they can be considered thought-provoking, sophisticated,
satirical, witty, picturesque, etc. but rarely are they considered full of action. While
this is still the “norm,” this year’s Festival also finds an especially high amount of pure
unadulterated action! the heart pounding, adrenaline rushing, and edge of your seat
style, action is the key component to several films. if you think action has no place in
an independent film festival, these films will make you think again.
One such pair of films that fall into this genre is Mesrine (PAGE
46) a set of biopics about notorious French gangster Jacques
Mesrine. Like many of the traditional gangster films that American
audiences would be more familiar with, these films detail the rise
and fall of Jacques Mesrine in a story that spans decades and
details many aspects of his underworld career. The films are shot
by a crew who has experience in general cinema and know how
to make their images stand out in the best traditions of artistic
filmmaking. However, despite this attention to a more definitive
set of details, the film retains the heart-pounding traditions
associated with the action genre. Mesrine was a larger than
life character, whose crimes and adventures would provide the
filmmaker with a large expanse of set pieces to draw from. From
bank heists, to multiple escapes from prison, these two films
(Killer Instinct and Public Enemy Number 1) are filled with event after
event that will excite audiences and leave them on the edge of
their seats. At the same time, the films deal with the moral decay
and deeper level of human understanding that Mesrine undergoes
during his decades in crime, yet they manage to take the audience
on an exciting thrill ride.
Another film in the Festival that covers similar territory is Largo
Winch (PAGE 43). The story of the unconventional heir to a
multinational corporation returning to rescue it from destruction is
jam-packed with scenes of corporate intrigue and sabotage, which
often leaves the boardroom and spills over into the outside world.
The title character of the film is a globetrotter, hoping from nation
to nation Brazil to Hong Kong to Croatia, in an attempt to uncover
the riddle at the film’s center. Along the way, as he gets caught
up in corporate intrigue, Largo and his adversaries participate
in several chase scenes, and other moments of suspense and
exhilaration. The film is not just an exercise in turning one’s brain
Mesrine:
Killer instinct
Page: 46
Mesrine PuBlic
e n e M y n u M B e r 1
Page: 46
larGo Winch
Page: 43
off however, as the context of these action scenes is completely
lost if one cannot understand the back story behind them. The
film also serves as a commentary, albeit an exaggerated one, on
the high stakes world of the modern business community. Hitmen
and spies are common parlance for the wheelers and dealers of
this film’s world, and while its characters might not always take
the structures of society quite seriously, the film still appears to
have something to say about those structures as well.
Animal Kingdom (PAGE 34) is another film which falls into the
action genre. This Australian film, set in Melbourne, tells the
story of a family of criminals, whose violent actions in the drug
trade are seen from the perspective of a 17-year- old member,
who is entering this world after previously being shielded from
his family’s violence. While the content of the film seems like
the typical action fare that one might see at the local multiplex,
the film itself seeks to separate itself from its more mainstream
cousins in several smaller ways. Reviews of the film coming out
of Sundance have described the style as “naturalistic,” and while
the content follows the typical action movie, things aren’t always
shot in the same way, nor do they unfold at the same tempo. This
is a film with a difference in style, portraying this genre in a new
context.
Finally the award-winning Israeli film Lebanon (PAGE 44) uses war
to mirror the ills of society. Taking place all within the confines
of the tank or views seen through the tanks scope, the films
claustrophobic vision makes for compelling viewing. While action
is at every turn, amongst the booming of tank fire and searing
rounds of gunfire, the psychological rigors of war and the battles
raging inside the heads of the soldiers take center stage.
aniMal KinGdoM
Page: 34
leBanon
Page: 44