Furious Seven
[Identify three actors from your film and classify each according to the types of actors listed in your text.]
Vin Diesel – Personality Actor
Paul Walker – Star
Jason Statham – Personality Actor
[Explain your reasons for classifying the actors as you do. Use specific references to the film and pay special attention to how these decisions impacted characterization. Also, consider the impact of any realistic or stylized portrayals within the film.]
Vin Diesel is characterized as a personality actor. This is due to him playing similar styles of roles in most of his career (fast and furious franchise). Vince Diesel playing the character Dominic Toretto which is a basic role. I believe his role was vital in the film, but he could easily be replaced with another actor with a similar style.
Paul Walker is characterized as a star. I chose this characterization due Walkers various movie roles and styles. I believe his role in the film was instrumental to its success, pretty much without Walker there is no franchise.
Jason Statham is characterized as a personality actor. Statham never comes out of his comfort zone and in doing this he plays the same role over and over again. This leaves the audience entertained if that’s what they enjoy, but it also leaves them wanting more. Maybe if Statham stepped out into a different role, then he would become star status. Instead of me never remembering his characters name (Goodykoonze, B.& Jacobs, C, 2014).
[Focus on one of the actors you’ve discussed. Based on other films the actor has been in, would this actor always be placed in the same category? If so, what does this say about the category or actor? If not, what can you infer about the flexibility of these categories? Provide evidence (references from other films, including film clips and stills) to support your argument.]
I will use Jason Statham again for my example. Statham plays the same role in every movie (witty, action hero/villain). I think in doing this some directors and movie critics question his talent, seeing him as a one dimensional actor.
This another one of Statham’s films Crank. In it, he plays a witty, action hero, again continuing his similar role and displaying lack of depth.
References
Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2014). Film: From watching to seeing (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Fast & Furious. (2014, November 1). Furious 7 – Official Trailer (HD). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skpu5HaVkOc.
thecultbox. (2010, December 5). Crank (2006) – Official Trailer. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rvYrVTnSWw.
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