It’s no surprise that action movies account for some of the biggest grossing films of all-time. Fans of these movies can’t get enough of the thrills, chills, and over-the-top craziness that the best action bonanzas bring to the big screen. But it does make you wonder — where did it all start? Are action movies a relatively new thing or do they have roots in the early days of cinema? The answer to these questions might surprise you.
Early movies often showcased madcap sequences of villains lording over damsels in distress all while the good guy finds a way to make things right. These silent films were accompanied by frantic piano music to help set the mood, and audiences loved what they saw. However, historians point to the 1903 film, The Great Train Robbery, as the first real action movie. In actuality, it was the film film to do more than just present action sequences.
The next few decades would see changes in action movies such as the introduction of sound, as well as more robust presentations. Still, it would be until the 1960s that a character named James Bond would chance action cinema forever. The 70s were another step forward, showcasing gritty films with more violence & less humor. You also saw greater boundaries pushed in terms of stunts and high-speed driving sequences that would become legendary.
Finally the more modern era of action movies brought in more of what we recognize as the blockbuster film. The stunts were bigger, as were the muscles and machismo. CGI became an inextricable part of the landscape, and more visionary movie makers found life in the comic books of yesteryear.
Action movies aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they do merit consideration as being the genre that allowed the film industry to become what it is today.
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