Spider-Man: No Way Home is the final film in the trilogy, released in 2021, earning approximately $1.9 billion worldwide. The opening scene is an action scene where Peter Parker and MJ, played by Tom Holland and Zendaya, are trying to hide after Spider-Man’s identity is revealed. They go through the streets of the city, avoiding the people and trying to get to a safe place, meanwhile, the characters face some challenges.
The sequence effectively captures Peter Parker’s desperation, fear, and stress as the world finds out and has negative comments. The scene takes place in New York City, with changes of scenery and movement showing the protagonist’s vulnerability. As David Bordwell explains, Hollywood uses fast cuts and dynamic framing to better immerse the viewer, and how the dynamics of the sequence and giving it that touch of action with quick cuts and camera movements during the scene, the sequence is seen to have approximately 30 to 50 cuts, showing the perspective of Peter, MJ, the crowd, and supporting characters. This type of editing shows each character and their perspective.
Another notable aspect is the camera movement as the scene uses a mix of handheld shots, crane movements, and CGI-assisted sequences, especially when Peter is swinging through the city. These movements immerse the viewer in the action by perceiving the camera movements from MJ’s perspective as Peter swings through the city. Lisa Purse (2011) states that action movies are the ones that make the most use of CGI for stunts, maximizing the digital effects in the real world. This integration shows each character’s adrenaline and personal experience in the situation. In this way, the combination of the various camera techniques and visual effects make the scene more exciting and impactful, where the audience feels the speed and emotion of each movement more personally.
The film uses the contemporary approaches of storytelling cause the film is a combination of action and personal conflicts of the characters, mostly Peter Parker, creating an emotional and exciting narrative. This combination of elements is shown in the scene, given that Peter is in action, going through the city while he is having an emotional crisis. Another point is that the participation of MJ is more active than that of other women in superhero movies. Unlike the classic dame in distress, MJ is an active character who is part of the solution to the conflict.
The film had a huge impact at the ticket office, positioning itself as the highest-grossing film of 2021. However, the biggest impact the film had was cultural. A study by Madundang (2023) explains that the film recreates very well the adolescent struggle over personal identity and societal expectations, showing Peter Parker’s identity crisis effectively. This depth within the film allows audiences, especially young people, to connect with Peter personally. In addition, the participation of Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and some villains created great happiness and nostalgia in the fans, as it made fans of the old trilogies watch the movie and create a huge impact for all the public.
Although superhero movies are viewed as entertainment, they have real-world implications, especially in the public’s perception of violence and behaviors in the face of eminent danger. Some studies have concluded that the continuous explosion of high-intensity action sequences can have a negative impact in the perspective of violence. In the film, they try to emphasize the responsibility of morality with the famous phrase “With great power comes great responsibility”, showing that each action has its consequences.
In conclusion, Spider-Man: No Way Home uses the elements of production, editing and visual effects to create an action film, where within the first scene all of these elements are used to give the audience a sense of excitement and introduce the other characters with their perspectives, as well as address questions of identity.
References
BORDWELL, David. 2006. “The Way Hollywood Tells It: Story and Style in Modern Movies.” JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctt1pn74s.
Madundang, Rex G. 2023. “An Analysis of Identity Crisis Problems Experienced by Teenagers in the Movie Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) by Marvel Studios.” Fakultas Ilmu Budaya. https://fib.unsrat.ac.id/an-analysis-of-identity-crisis-problems-experienced-by-teenagers-in-the-movie-spider-man-no-way-home-2021-by-marvel-studios/?utm_source=chatgpt.com.
Purse, Lisa. 2011. “Contemporary Action Cinema.” JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctt1r22sf.
Thompson, Kristin. 1999. “Storytelling in the New Hollywood: Understanding Classical Narrative Technique.” JSTOR. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1nzfgkr.
Kyrlle Fiel
I would agree with many of Maria’s evaluation points, especially the focus on editing, camera movement, and the emotional impact of Spider-Man: No Way Home’s opening sequence. Particularly when talking about the use of quick cuts (30–50 edits), shifting points of view, and engaging cinematography, she provided a solid critique. The references to Lisa’s and David’s research also successfully support this research, demonstrating a grasp of how modern action movies employ editing and CGI to engage audiences. But it doesn’t talk much about more general theme analysis, including how gender, ethnicity, and ability are represented. Although these components were mentioned, it was either ignored or simply overlooked. I think more commentary on character roles, identity, or the influence on viewers in real life would have contributed to the analysis. The image she captured is an action defining moment in the film, however it doesn’t entirely match the analysis of MJ’s participation in the movie. Despite it keeping with the tone and intensity of the genre, the image seems to perpetuate the typical “damsel in distress”. However, this is in contrast to how MJ is presented in other parts of the movie, actively helping Spider-Man along the way. Overall, Maria’s analysis is strong and shows a strong grasp on how the film was made.