The spectacle of the human figure on film is hardly a new thing. One of Thomas Edison’s first images back in the late nineteenth century detailed the flexing muscles of French bodybuilder Eugine Sandal. The bare torso of Steeve Reeves dominates the poster of Pirates of Malaysia, as does that of Reg Park in Hercules the Avenger. Commando acts as an extended advertisement for Arnie’s bulky physique, beginning not with a calm wide shot of green vistas but an extreme synecdochic close up of the actor’s ripped bicep. The camera is the perfect vessel to exhibit the human body in all its physicality.
Action films frequently utilise the camera to emphasise the raw physicality of their heroes, but few have presented such a unique take on the body in relation to its violent potential in recent cinema as Love Lies Bleeding, Road House and Monkey Man. At first glance, there’s little similarity between these three works. The first is the sophomore effort by arthouse darling Rose Glass. The second is Prime Video’s commercial hit, currently holding the accolade for its most successful original film. And the third is the brutal revenge directorial debut of Dev Patel. Yet each film engages with the body in a particularly visceral format, eschewing the use of conventional action fodder like guns and explosions in favour of more tactile and visceral displays.
Let’s start off with LLB. You’ve already got the unconventional and refreshing female gaze as Lou admires Jackie. It’s already been reported numerous times that actress Katie O’Brien is a body builder in real life, but this adds a level of nuance and lived experience to the performance. Sure, guns are involved are numerous points in the film, but it’s the most visceral, gory scenes that are played out solely with the body. The central murder that kicks off the tension is carried out entirely through physical means, with the bloody consequences witnessed on camera. Although LLB could simply be seen as a crime thriller with a touch of romance (bodies are on full display in the film’s intimate sex scenes, although not from the standard male perspective), it could be described as a horror flick just as easily. Body horror elements come into play whenever Jackie decides to take steroids, with the camera zooming in on her muscles as they increase and every painful crack is heard. The surreal climax makes it clear that bodies are name of the game, emphasising strength as synonymous with power, even if this great power isn’t always used with great responsibility.
As for Road House, you’d be forgiven if you thought you were just going in for some fairly dumb action fare. On paper, Rick Dalton, a literal muscle for hire, could be quite predictable and forgettable role. In the hands of Jake Gyllenhaal, however, Dalton becomes a much more compelling individual, adding a refreshing take on the silent hero brand (assuming that you’re willing to accept that he’s not exactly silent for most of the running time). You’ve got the mysterious set up as Dalton is introduced at an MMA fighting arena in tracking shot. When he gets ready to face his opponent and removes his shirt, he’s recognised and his potential assailant refuses to engage, leading to Dalton winning the prize money automatically. He’s known, he has a past, but we’re not allowed to learn what this is. Dalton gets stabbed as he returns to the car park, but barely seems to acknowledge the flesh wound. Like all good heroes, he’s got that invincible aura. He finishes off a gang with his bare hands, but he’s courteous enough to drive them all to hospital. When asked who he is by a potential employer, he tells her he doesn’t want to know him. The silent hero tropes of taciturn masculinity are firmly in place. Director Doug Liman lets you know this is a man that can’t be reckoned with, displaying Dalton’s ripped physique as he pulls up on a boat half naked in true ‘gun’s out sun’s out’ style. Gyllenhaal shed 5% of his body fat for the role, amping up his training regime from his already impressive physical regime in Southpaw. Road House has garnered criticism for its VFX-assisted combat, in which action shots are sped up to create the illusion of more intense fighting. It’s not in doubt, however, that Gyllenhaal packs a wallop as a guy capable of both compassion and intense physical violence when the time calls.
When it comes to Monkey Man, that intensity steps up a notch. The only 18-rated film on display here, the film leans into physical violence from the get-go, with Patel’s laconically named Kid spitting out a bloody tooth following an intense boxing match. Images of bloody hands appear (a continuing motif in the film), and his employer informs him that he’ll only get full pay if he bleeds. The body – and bodily pain – become a literal currency, with Kid presenting his CV to a woman in the form of his scarred hands (Patel fully committed to the role, ending up breaking a hand, some toes and his shoulder as he worked alongside fight coordinator Brahim Chab). The film itself is steeped in action pop culture, with one character referring directly to John Wick, but you won’t find many guns on display here. When Kid initially tries to take out the man responsible for the death of his mother with a gun, he fails. Every subsequent kill that Kid performs is carried out with his body. During an interview with Deadline, Patel stressed his wish to deviate from action movie tropes, and that he ‘wanted to give it real soul, real trauma, real pain’. Patel improvised many of the gruelling action shots, including the moment where he takes out an attacker with a blade held in his mouth. The sheer level of violence in the film proved to be a problem for the Indian market, with Netflix refusing to fund the film, leading to Jordan Peele and his studio Monkey Paw stepping in to provide financial help. The depiction of on-screen violence remains a constant and compelling source of controversy and censorship in the cinematic universe.
All three of the films discussed use the body as a weapon of destruction, bypassing ‘easy’ weapons that end the fight too quickly. Whether it’s Katie O’Brien’s bulging muscles, Jake Gyllenhaal’s pecks or Dev Patel’s raging fists, in film, the bulky body is back in business.