May. 14th, 2016

redfiona99: (Thinking)
The case for the prosecution:

The Transporter 3 is a bog-standard action film. This is not meant as a complaint, just a stated fact. That, in many was, is it's job. It's existence is to provide practise for the Luc Besson Finishing School for French Film-makers (and allied trades).

Aforesaid Finishing School is responsible for an awful lot of good action films, and certainly most of the action films you have loved in the last 20 years (the only exception I can think of is 'The Raid'). At a time when Hollywood films focus on superheroes and CGI, the Besson-group films give us stuntmen doing their thing.

There's also not the queasy thing of Hollywood films going 'violence is bad' and then having lots of violence. These films tend to go with 'if there's a job needs doing, this is the man with the skills' (e.g. the famous quote from Taken).

However, much though this produces some cracking action set pieces (the fight scene in the garage in The Transporter 2 is one of my favourite fight scenes ever), it sometimes leaves other parts of the film lacking a certain something.

The Transporter 3 is, in many ways, a retread of the first Transporter, with the main difference being that Valentina, personality-wise, is almost the exact opposition of Lai. It lacks a certain freshness. Frank Martin is also a little too invulnerable for my tastes.

The Scene Itself:



Sadly with really bad sound and annoying frames, and cutting out before the end.

Why The Scene Is So Good:

The scene, particularly the beginning, is shot from Valentina's perspective, and the camera practically caresses Jason Statham's figure as Frank Martin's clothes come off. That sort of sexualised gaze* directed at the male lead is rare in Hollywood films (although hat-tip to Casino Royale and the Thor films on that one).

And it is a sexualised gaze, it's not me reading things into it - when I first saw The Transporter 3 it was with my (straight male) housemates who complained about it.

My glee at discomforting my housemates aside, that isn't why I love the scene.

No, I love it because its made quite clear that the reason for shooting the fight that way is that Valentina is terrifically turned on by Frank's body and his competence at violence.

Now, not only does that mean the sexualised gaze is character-driven (which is rare) and is part of telling the story, but for once its the good girl with the kink for violence.

That really is unheard of.

Normally, if a female character enjoys violence she's the bad girl e.g. Xenia Onatopp or Lola in The Transporter 2. But Valentina isn't. Even in this part of the film where we've only had the chance to see her at her worst (spoilt, empty-headed hedonist, incapable of dealing with the seriousness of the situation she finds herself in), it's made clear that she's not bad, just young and with too much money.

It's so refreshing.

*I will be using this phrase throughout because "male" and "female" gaze make certain heterosexist assumptions.

Profile

redfiona99: (Default)
redfiona99

June 2025

S M T W T F S
12 34 56 7
8 910 1112 13 14
15 16 17 181920 21
2223 242526 2728
29 30     

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 1st, 2025 11:32 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios