ACTION SCENE ANALYSIS

The action scene that I have chosen is the ending fight from Kill Bill volume 1.
The scene starts with an establishing shot of an outdoor Japanese garden. The camera moves down to he feet of O-Ren Ishii (one of the main antagonists) who steps out of her shoes to show that she is preparing for comabt. Beatrix, the main protagonist, draws her sword and O-Ren Ishii shows her blade. We see Beatrix flinch and O-Ren Ishii's expression is one of delight as she realizes she has intimidated her enemy. We see that O-Ren Ishii is a villain from her smile and body language, portraying her as menacing and aggressive fighter.  Beatrix however is seen as somewhat less hate fueled and we see her as the hero, one who is trying to stand up against the powerful, intimidating villain. 

O-Ren Ishii begins to pull her blade from its case and we can see the subtle fear on Breatix's face. Music begins to play, which slowly builds up and creates tension for the protagonist. We begin to feel that she will not win this fight and the tension rises as the villain pulls her sword out. The camera shows her as being a tall, empowering figure who stands straight and menacing as the white snows falls behind her. Her face is smirking as she realizes she will win. As the two raise their blades the song "Don't let me be misunderstood" plays and it creates a different feel from most final fight scenes. While the expressions as well as the fight itself is climatic, the music creates a sense of fast paced modern fighting, as if it is a style or art rather than combat. The fighting heats up and becomes quicker and quicker, the music becoming more rapid and intriguing. The villain wields her sword as well as its case in order to create as sense of her having the upper hand. 

The fighting becomes more intense as the camera angles move to show different view points of the fight. An above shot as well as a shot, reverse, shot are used to create a sense of fast paced fighting. The character begins to lose as the villain gains the upper hand. We start to feel a sense of impending doom for Beatrix. However she lashes back at O-Ren Ishii and the villain shows an expression f hatred on her face. She becomes more vicious and Beatrix begins to become more overpowering. Beatrix's destroys the villains case to show that she has become just as strong as her, and the two are now equally matched. 

The camera moves from the villains blade to Beatrix's face, showing that how afraid she is, but also how brave she is being. This continuous to   show her as a hero, while the villain merely shows  hatred and aggression on her.

We begin to see the determination on the main protagonists face as she attacks the villain with more force and bravery. The two swords collide together and we see them look into each others expressions face to face: a comparison of the good and the bad.

The music heats up into a thrilling climax and the camera angles become faster and more intense, as do the expressions of the characters. The the fight ends with a final duel, and the villain is defeated. We see the relief on Beatrix's face as she, against all odds, has won. The music is silent and a final shot shows the defeated villain.