The Italian job and mission impossible are both action films. The Italian job was directed by, F Gary Gray and Mission Impossible by Brian de Palma. There are several conventions associated with action films such as in the Italian job they steal a safe with gold and have a boat chase with guns being fired at them etc, and in Mission Impossible they have a hostage so they can find answers from him but he thinks his in a hotel room but he is in a ware house made to look like a hotel room.The narrative of a film is vital, as without it the audience wouldn’t watch it. In action films particularly, the opening sequence is important as it sets up the rest of the film. It needs to be effective to encourage the audience to want to continue watching, usually building up tension to leave the audience wanting to know more, in the Italian job it starts with a team in Venice Italy, trying to steal a safe full of gold so they can be rich, they use devices such as bombs to get the safe out through the floor of the building so it will land on a boat.
The team then rides of with the gold. While they’re trying to get the safe out of the building it plays slow music this is effective because it makes the film more tense to watch because if one mistake is made then the whole plan to get the safe and gold would be destroyed, where as when they get possession of the safe and are speeding away on the boat the music gets faster and more pumped. This is effective because they are on a chase and it makes it sound exciting and daring.In comparison, Mission Impossible begins with tense music leading into a man tied up as a hostage, there’s another person undercover trying to get answers out of the man, the man seems to be in a hotel room but it unveiled to be a warehouse where he is held hostage. The music is really slow and tense and this is effective because it makes the film nerve-racking and the audiences want to keep watching to find out what happens next. Camera shots and angles are used to impact on the audience.For example close-ups are used to show the emotions of the characters and long shots to show the setting of the film. Combinations of these types of shots are used to engage the interests of the audience.
In the Italian job they use long shots to show that they are in Venice in Italy so that the audience know were there beginning of the film is set, The camera is used as a key hole view at the start of the film to show the map of Venice as if it was being spied on, they also use medium shots to show conversations between people so it is visible to see who is speaking., the film also uses close ups to show thoughts and thoughts of the characters. In mission impossible they use long shots to show an action scene and they use it to show how the warehouse is disguised as a hotel room. They use close ups with the camera to show how the girl seems dead but isn’t and is also used to show how Tom Cruise reveals himself after being disguised with a mask. These techniques are effective because it helps to show the audience what’s going on.
Another important feature in action films is special effects.The audiences expect and want to see these, including technical equipment used. Each of the directors have included this in their films. In the Italian job they have to use special effects for the safe breaking and all the equipment they use during the robbery and the explosions, they also use special effects for the boat chase. In Mission Impossible they use special effects for the CCTV cameras there watching and the unveiling of the warehouse when it is thought to be a hotel room. Using special effects is effective because it makes the films more exiting and fun to watch.Music is also used to create tension and suspense in both films. For example, in The Italian Job they use rhythmic beat up to the robbery, this reflects the methodical planning, and it speeds up during the chase to give excitement.
In Mission Impossible they use rhythmic music at the start what is now a well-known theme tune. Music is effective because it creates tension and excitement for the audience and will probably help them to enjoy the film more. To conclude, both films use a variety of techniques to encourage the audience to continue watching.However, in my opinion I prefer the Italian Job because it had a better start to the film because of the way it is set out. It is a much more exiting start to the film and it shows more special effects at the scene of the robbery of the safe and the scene of the boat chase . I think the start of Mission Impossible was exciting but doesn’t compare to how well The Italian Job was planned out.
Mission Impossible was very clever how the warehouse was made to look as a hotel room but in my opinion the Italian job had a better beginning. Robert Wood.
