SUMMER GLAU'S Fight scene in Serenity

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

Saturday, January 14, 2006 12:18 AM

And joss tosses off a comment like "there's minutes more footage" of the fight.

WHERE IS IT?

HELLLLOOOOOOO~ concept of extras!?
Makes me crazy. simply torture.

DONCOAT

Saturday, January 14, 2006 12:26 AM

As far as I can determine, the Reaver fight scene is 100% Summer. Maybe I missed a something, though.

The Maidenhead fight scene is about 95% Summer. The exceptions are a couple quick bits of wire work - when she does a flip from the stairs back to the floor, for instance.

But she gave and took real hits in those scenes, because Joss wanted them to be continuous shots, not a series of cuts between "over the shoulder" camera angles. When you shoot the scene the way Joss did, the actors (and/or stunt performers) have to actually hit each other, not just wave their fists in the air and pretend they were hit.

Summer has talked about going home bruised and sore on those days -- but she stuck with it and gave us these incredible scenes.

I remember reading a quote from one of her martial arts trainers, who said that Summer picked up the moves very fast due to her ballet skills. When they went from no-contact to actual hits, she clocked a couple guys pretty hard -- but only once. The trainer said that she immediately "got" the moves, and controlled the contact perfectly from then on. He also said that once they went from training to actual filming, both the speed and intensity of the fights went way up.

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I don't disagree on any particular point.

SAMEERTIA

Saturday, January 14, 2006 12:26 AM

We'll get the extras, I'm sure. We must be patient patient mice!
And YES, Summer is poetry in motion.

CARTOON

Saturday, January 14, 2006 1:06 AM

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

I don't say this as a Browncoat, but as an objective viewer of films, and I legitimately believe I would say as much even if I didn't care for the "Firefly/Serenity" verse.

I think her performance in this film as a whole, was extraordinary. Her character required a touch of insane innocence (or innocent insanity ), heartfelt sorrow and anguish, as well as heroic steadfastness. I don't know many (if any) actresses who could pull off so many emotions in a single film, while simultaneously portraying part "Rainman", part kick-butt action hero.

That she also performed the majority of her own stunts is nothing short of amazing, given the latitude of her dramatic performance.

Oh, and I forgot the comedic bits. She also delivered some incredibly humorous lines.

I'm awed by her performance in this film -- which exceeds the great job she did in "Firefly".

BTW, I also think Nathan is worthy of a nomination for the simple fact that he played a rogue (who did some quite despicable things), yet leaves you liking his character, nonetheless. Not easy to do.

"I'm no good with words. Don't use 'em much, myself."

CHRISTHECYNIC

Saturday, January 14, 2006 4:27 PM

I have always been amazed with Summer, Firefly was her second job in acting, and her first was apparently playing a Ballerina (which she is anyway) on a single episode of Angel. (If you can't tell I have not actually seen the episode.)

So, the way I look at things, that means her first significant job was Firefly. Just look at her there. Right from the start I can not imagine better acting. Part of me wants to say, "If this is her now imagine when she's had ten years to the trade," but I really can't even imagine an up for her to go to.

I accept that I could simply be lacking in imagination, but I really think she started out at the top, and all she needs to do to say there is make sure she never gets worse. Like River she seems to be a prodigy.

I also hope she stays humble, it is extremely annoying when there are characters you love completely but the person who brought them to life is an arrogant ass. I hope none of our crew ever comes close to being like that.

NINAH148

Saturday, January 14, 2006 5:02 PM

Too bad they voted against the Oscar for stunt coordinator...that might have been Serenity's best shot...I bet they would give extra points for doing it with the actual actress. I wonder if Serenity might rock the MTV movie awards if people remember long enough...they have awards for stunt sequence or fight sequence or something. I found the comment about recruiting action stars from athletes to be interesting. I think Jason Statham is one of the best action stars, and he was an Olympic diver. I expect grace and balance are particularly key in that sport as well. Otherwise, I can only think of action stars from football (Bozworth, Howie Long), wresting (the Rock, Hulk Hogan), and of course martial arts.

FREELANCEPILOT

Saturday, January 14, 2006 6:18 PM

Dancers make better fight scenes in movies than actual martial artists sometimes. As a guy who has done martial arts for some time, i know that choreographed fighting, kata (forms), and fighting are very different things.
Dancers make good fight scenes because a movie fight scene has more akin to a choreographed dance than a street fight. Street fights aren't pretty.
a good half-way point, if any of you are aspiring fight-actors, is wushu. Now here is the thing, Kung Fu is merely chinese for "hard work" (or something close to that) and wushu merely means "martial arts" so be careful, but wushu, for the most part, is a very flowing beautiful martial art. It has many flips, jump kicks, and more grace than power. It will also get you beaten into the ground if you try it against someone who knows how to fight.

Anyway, Summer is awesome.

Wash: Yeah, but psychic? That sounds like science fiction.
Zoë: You live on a spaceship, dear.
Wash: So?

THEONETRUEBIX

Saturday, January 14, 2006 6:48 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Dewrastler:
The first time I watched the BDM I was disappointed that there was no music in the background of the bar fight scene, like there was in the trailer, mainly because I like to see fight scenes done to music. But every other time I've watched it since then it is just a more powerful and emotional scene with just the sounds of River smashing people's skulls together.

Uh, there's music during this scene. It's just not the music form the trailer, which would not have fit, because the scene isn't supposed to make you go "yay! kick-ass fight scene!" as it's happening. It's supposed to make you unsettled because River is suddenly assaulting people for no reason.

CHRISTHECYNIC

Saturday, January 14, 2006 7:27 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by FreelancePilot:
Dancers make good fight scenes because a movie fight scene has more akin to a choreographed dance than a street fight. Street fights aren't pretty.

Action movies don't really have a place for a realistic fight, which is because of what they are. That is not to say that movies in general have no place for realistic fights, it's just that it's hard to take pleasure in an action movie when you're seeing the brutal truth of what it is really like.

Certain other movies need the not-prettyness to deliver on whatever they are meant to deliver.

CARTOON

Sunday, January 15, 2006 12:08 AM

So, are the OSCAR nominations out already? I don't know. If so, I'm assuming "Serenity" didn't get anything?

If so, that's unfortunate. I truly believe Summer's performance was worthy of their acknowledgement. They seem somewhat biased against sci-fi when it comes to noms for major categories, don't they?

"I can't!! Too much hair!!"

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