John Wick 4: The Art of Action

The John Wick 4 franchise exemplifies how mise-en-scene can transform action films into rich visual and thematic experiences. It aligns with Hollywood media conventions with details from lighting and set design to editing and camera movement. It works together to create a cohesive narrative that enhances the emotional and visceral impact of its action sequences.
This screen grab of John Wick mid action depicts a striking distinctive visual style. The environment features shattered glass and artistic paintings, providing visual evidence of the preceding violence. Wick’s stance is both calculated and tense. This image, when placed within the broader context of an action sequence, displays the key elements of mise-en-scene and how they work in tandem to enhance the action and story. In this scene, the gallery’s pristine, high-art setting is disrupted by the chaos of combat, creating a striking juxtaposition between beauty and destruction. The degree of violence includes high-impact gunplay, martial arts, and weapon combat, all executed with precision. The speed of violence makes each move fluid and transitions between different combat styles, ranging from hand-to-hand combat to katana duels. The lightning heightened the stylized nature of the violence while also reflecting John Wick’s internal conflict.
The characters are diverse in terms of gender, race, and ability. The racial representation in this scene is significant, as it is set in Japan and incorporates Japanese aesthetics and combat styles. The tactics highlight traditional Japanese martial arts, blending cultural authenticity with cinematic flair. The arts serve as both cover and weapons, while the lighting and layout create opportunities for dynamic choreography. The lights shift in intensity, emphasizing the frenetic energy of the battle and symbolizing the chaos engulfing the once-pristine environment. The portrayal of gender and race avoids tokenism. Akira’s role as a fighter and leader complements Wick’s without reducing her to a sidekick.
The focus on Wick in the image draws immediate attention to him as the focal point, while the surrounding chaos provides context for the intensity of the scene. The use of symmetry, a recurring motif in the series, contrasts with the disorder of the action, highlighting the tension between order and chaos that defines Wick’s world. Wide-angle shots, like the one here, are a hallmark of the franchise, allowing the audience to fully appreciate the choreography and spatial dynamics of the fight sequences. Keanu Reeves’s commitment to performing his own stunts adds authenticity to the action, making the movements feel both fluid and deliberate. The sequence in the gallery features a blend of martial arts and “gun-fu,” the franchise’s signature fighting style. Each movement is carefully choreographed not only for efficiency but also to reflect Wick’s personality.
Editing is equally essential in shaping the audience’s experience of the action. In a one-minute sequence, there might be 30-50 edits, each timed to emphasize key moments such as a gunshot, a defensive maneuver, or the impact of a strike. The editing in John Wick strikes a delicate balance between clarity and intensity, ensuring that the audience remains immersed in the action without becoming disorientated. Long takes are used to display complex choreography, while faster cuts heighten tension during moments of heightened danger. The pacing of the edits mirrors the rhythm of the fight creating a dynamic flow that keeps viewers engaged. In this scene, the camera might shift between wide shots that establish the spatial dynamics of the gallery and close-ups that capture Wick’s focused expressions or devastating impact of his actions. Tracking shots could follow Wick as he moves through the environment, creating a sense of continuity and momentum. While the camera movements feel seamless and natural, there are moments where I became aware of the camera’s presence, such as during dramatic pans or deliberate zooms, reminding me of the stylized nature of film. The John Wick 4 franchise produced by Chad Stahelski is shown to be a successful production with high grossing and according to Box Office Mojo, John Wick 4 had a domestic opening of $73,817,950, Internationally it had $253,048,469 and worldwide it had $440,180,275.
Point of view shifts dynamically throughout the sequence, alternating between objective wide shots that highlight the stunts and subjective close-ups that immerse the viewer in Wick’s perspective. The editing and camera work, while mostly seamless, occasionally draws my attention to their own artistry, such as reflective surfaces or exaggerated lighting, reminding the audience of the constructed nature of the scene. Films like John Wick can desensitize viewers to violence by glamourizing combat and weaponry but they could also inspire interest in martial arts or stunt work.
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