The action film texts that I am going to be comparing are the James bond films. The most recent of these films is called Quantum if Solace, starring Daniel Craig.
To start the comparison I am going to look at iconography. One of the most iconic things in the James Bond films is James’ Gun.
These DVD covers have James Bond holding the Gun that he is going to be using at some point in the film. One of the tings that I have noticed is that the guns seem to get bigger and “badder” as the films progress. This connotes the films also getting bigger, better and more exiting. It may also represent the films having more killing in them and there being more action and there is therefore a need for a bigger gun.
Also James’ dress codes are icon and conventional. They are iconic of him and his films, but they are also conventional of the action genre. This is because they want the main character to look superior and more important and sophisticated than the other people in the film.
Another conventional thing of action genre films are the girls that they have them. In these kinds of the films Propp’s theory can easily be applied because there is always a hero and he always has to rescue the princess. These films are no exception. On most of the DVD covers the girls that are in the film appear on the front cover of the DVD.
In conclusion I think that all the Bond films have a lot of iconic things in them that have been kept alive throughout all the films and I think that they wont be changing any time soon. I also think that the Bond films are very conventional of the action genre due to all the guns, car chases and beautiful women that always need to saved.
Dom Aitken
