SUMMER GLAU'S Fight scene in Serenity

POSTED BY: Windwalker
UPDATED: Monday, January 16, 2006 21:18
VIEWED: 14365
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WINDWALKER

Sunday, January 15, 2006 12:37 AM

We should have our own Academy of Brown Coat Awards ceremonies for our favorite actors.
I nominate Summer Glau for best actress in a SciFi series.
Any others?

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die.

GRIMLOCK

Sunday, January 15, 2006 12:46 AM

I used to be a figure skater and I did some crosstraining in gymnastics. It turns out that Ballet dancers also crosstrain in gymanstics. Unless you've worked with a Ballet dancer, you have no concept of the flexiblity and control they have. For the record, I'm a guy, and I was one of most flexible skaters in my age bracket, girls included.
These ballarinas made me look like a fricking ginger bread man!!!!

Seeing Summer Glau on screen is impressive but is really can't convey the what these men and women are capable of. Seeing a live performance is better but that still doesn't tell the whole story. Spend an hour stretching with a ballet trained danncer and you will see things you never thought the human body could do.

SAMEERTIA

Sunday, January 15, 2006 5:25 AM

The music choice during the bar fight was deliberate. The single backtone in the beginning clues us that River is in another space, where she's unaware what's happening to her; that she's outside of the fight and inside of her mind.

Then the sound comes back in to define the point that it isn't in Rivers head. That's when Mal & Jayne realize theres a fight and THEN music comes in to define the heroic moment of them attemting to stop her.

I think it's beautiful. As far as I can tell, I think only the gymnastic flips aren't Summer. Am I right there?

PROPMASTER2000

Sunday, January 15, 2006 7:56 AM

Hi Windwalker,

I just wanted to give my input about the fight scene with River (Summer) and the Reavers. I was lucky enough to be invited to the Universal Lot on the same night they where filming the Reaver fight scene on stage 17 and was totally impressed by the fact that Summer was doing the entire fight scene straight though, from when you see the close up of the Reaver (which she punches) until she gets thrown against the wall. I was able to watch the whole scene being filmed though many takes (along with Joss and Jack Green) sitting in front of video monitors.

After each of the takes, several of the Reavers would come off the set and watch themselves on the monitors during the playback for Joss.

They did that scene many times while I was there, and they really looked like they ALL had taken quite a beating, including Summer. That rotating back roll she does was awesome to see in "real time". No wires, green screen or CGI.
If you ever get the chance to meet Summer, tell her what a wonderful job she did.

Totally impressed....
Thanks Summer for a great experience.

NUCLEARDAY

Sunday, January 15, 2006 12:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by cartoon:
I know I've said this here elsewhere, but I honestly think Summer Glau deserves a Best Actress nomination (and win) for "Serenity".

I definately agree. I thought some of her best acting was even when she was working without dialogue. I thought the complex emotions she was able to portray in the silent reaction shots was always especially moving.

LOCRAY

Sunday, January 15, 2006 1:30 PM

Am I the only one who did not think her bar scene was THAT good? I don't think it was bad, hell! it was even amazing, but there is one thing that annoyed me. Her speed. She really isn't fast enough, no doubt the moves required lots of training and so on, but she was simply too slow to make it look believable.

LOCRAY

Sunday, January 15, 2006 1:30 PM

Edit: Sorry for double post

DONCOAT

Sunday, January 15, 2006 2:12 PM

I disagree about the speed.

The first moment or two of the fight was in slow motion (up until you hear the first scream). After that, it's real time. Everything from that point forward seemed to be just right.

One thing to remember is that River's a psychic, and that plays into her fighting style. She knows what her opponents are doing, so she never needs to rush a move. She can time her actions to apply the exact force in the exact place at the exact time. She moves just fast enough to make that happen.

That's why Summer's ballet-trained movements work so perfectly in this scene. As Kaylee put it in OiS, River just does the math. Summer's smooth motions portray this unhurried deadliness beautifully.

If there's one thing in the Maidenhead sequence that does seem a bit off-key, it's the very end of the fight, when Mal and River stand each other off with guns and Simon rushes in to give the safeword. I'm thinking, either Mal or River should have been capped right then and there -- maybe both. Neither of those characters is likely to have hesitated as long as they do (think of Mal and the Operative at Inara's school).

Chalk that up to storytelling, though. If it had happened any faster the viewer wouldn't have had any idea what just happened.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't disagree on any particular point.

CHRISISALL

Sunday, January 15, 2006 2:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by queenofthenorth:
I've been thinking about taking karate for a long time, but I think River just pushed me over the edge.

Ahh, my area of expertise...
If you liked what Summer was doing and would like similar movements I would suggest Praying Mantis Kung-Fu, it is flowing and beautiful, as well as having practical applications.
Combat Tai Chi (if you can find a teacher) would also work.
A good ballet class on top of that, and you'll be a weapon.

Martial Chrisisall:)

SHEPARD

Sunday, January 15, 2006 4:30 PM

What I got from the end of the fight scene was a pinprick of sanity penetrating the chaos of River's mind. Mal wasn't a stranger, or even someone she didn't particularly care for (Jayne). Mal was known, concerned entity, & I always thought I saw an internal battle for control within River as she tried to do what was right instead of what was trained. Mal, for his part, is too much a good-guy to shoot her without hesitation. It may have taken being shot by River to make him shoot back. He didn't shoot YoSaphBrig & she gave him a much better reason.

I like that the music is so understated in the fight scene. It emphasises the "creepy" factor and otherworldlyness of the scene.

Kicking a man in the back of the head around a pole deserves an award for itself.

Hell. It's Special.

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