In what ways does Kathryn Bigelow undermine the conventions of action cinema - Essay Example

How Kathryn Bigelow undermines conventions of action drama in the movie Point Break Kathryn Bigelow is a renowned film producer, film director, television director and screenwriter. Her films embrace the concepts of the road movie, the western culture, the thriller, the cop film, the science fiction film, just mention but a few. These concepts in her films are considered to target a predominantly male demographic. She has successfully directed movies such as Hurt Locker, Near Dark, Point Break, Strange Days, Zero Dark Thirty, among others.

All these movies have been watched by several viewers from all over the world. In this paper, we shall pay special attention to Point Break, as we seek to find out the various ways in which failed to adhere to the conventions of action drama in the drama. To begin, several critics have argued that the cast chosen by Bigelow prohibits the movie to be considered as an action movie. This is attributed to the fact that action movies as that time were expected to manifest pugnacious super-masculinity in the kind of super-muscled stars such as Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Having such characters in an action movie would give the film its ‘action’ status a meaning. However, Bigelow deviated from the norm of action movies and decided to cast Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves, both of whom were linked to other roles (Bigelow). For instance, at that time, Reeves was casting as slacker-dude and a boy-man while Swayze was casting as a dancer and oily lover. It is evident that both of them lacked the masculine look that characterized male characters of action movies.

Bigelow also centered the movie on extreme sports in in many scenes where she could have incorporated action sequences. In an action movie, one expects to see several scenes of shooting and car-chases. However, in Point Break, the director laid emphasis on skydiving and surfing to provide main action set pieces. It is also worth noting that ‘extreme sports’ as an extension of action movies was unknown as at that time. In this case, it can be considered that the movie did not clearly portray the conventions that are characteristic of action movies.

Action movies were also centered towards the notion of police fighting the bad guys and arresting them. However, in Point Break, we see something that is of the contrary to this convention. Johnny while pursuing the “Ex-Presidents” after their botched robbery, he had clear shot of Reagan, one of the thieves, to the extent that he locked his eyes with him; he failed to collect himself together to shoot; thus, leaving Reagan to escape (Bigelow). Towards the end of the film, Johnny also acted in a manner that is not expected of a police officer.

After tracking down Bodhi at Bells Beach, and managing to handcuff him, Johnny sets him free to enable him surf in the ‘fifty-year storm’. In as much Bodhi’s chances of coming out of the storm alive are zero, he could have apprehended him to face the full arm of the law. In this respect, Point Break undermined the convention of action movies since the he police officer did not bring the bad guy to face justice. In conclusion, it is evident that Kathryn Bigelow’s movie, Point Break did not adhere to full conventions of action movies.

However, it is still a thrilling movie for all movie-lovers since it plot buys into the macho mysticism to produce an endless bummer.Works CitedBigelow, Kathryn. Point Break. 20th Century Fox, 1991. Film.