Case Study 2: Point Break

Institutions:
An FBI agent goes undercover to catch a gang of bank robbers who may be surfers.

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Writer: Rick King

Cast:
Patrick Sawyze : Bodhi
Keanu Reeves: Johnny Utah
Gary Busey: Pappas
Lori Petty: Tyler

Production Company: JVC Entertainment Networks, Largo Entertainment

Release Date: 22 November 1991 (UK)

Country Where Made: U.S.A.

Box Office Return: $43,218,387 (USA)

Budget: $24,000,000 (estimated)

                                         

Audience: This is a film for anyone who is a fan of the thriller/crime genre, it has action but also retains some emotional performances and an area of romance for the main protagonists.

Audience Reception:

No.1: Quaint in its depiction of an alternative lifestyle, yet still an above average, really quite vicious action thriller.

No.2: While it can accurately be described as an action film, a heist movie, or even simply a thriller, Point Break is also the first "extreme sports" movie

No.3:  Bigelow's adept handling of the action elevates Point Break to guilty pleasure status.

Rotten Tomatoes:

Tomatometer: 67%

Audience: 47%

Technology:

The technology in this film is not as up to date as other more recent films, thios also means however than it can be more realistic, such as Keanu Reeves actually had to learn how to surf in this film, which is a key part of the plot as he must infiltrate the gang, which means it was real as opposed to using a blue screen. Apart from some occassional explosions the film is relatively CGI free with the director choosing to use stunt men and stand ins for scenes such as the skydiving one.

Representation: 

The main protagonist in this film Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves) is played as a "fresh out of training, college football jock" which makes him a very tenacious character as he still has the enthusiam necessary to defeat the protagonists. Pappas (Gary Busey) however is the opposite as an old detective coming close to retirement and has been trying to catch the bank robbers for a while and has nearly given up, until Johnny Utah comes along. Bodhi (Patrick Swayze) is shown as a man who would seem at first glance to have been riding along with his life not making much money. However he is an adrenaline junkie, whos looks decieve him as he is a smart clever and ruthless bank robber, but at the same time to everyone around him, very likeable. This is a problem for Johnny as it is his job to get close to him and take him down.

Codes/forms and conventions of the thriller genre:  

Location:

The location of this film is an integral part of the story, as it is how the FBI agents eventually track down the Robbers and try to join the "pack". It is set in LA, mostly on the beaches, the criminals are tracked down via the chemicals in some hair which they track down to a certain beach.

Character Types:
The detectives are shown in two different ways, Johnny Utah is shown as an enthusiastic law enforcement officer whereas Pappas isold and looks like he cannot be bothered anymore. Bodhi is shown as a man who looks like he may have been riding along for a while not bothered about anything, whereas he is actually an intelligent criminal who organises everything in military precision.

Costume:
The costumes throughout are varied. For instance at the beginning the police all wear suits and tieswhich is very formal. This changes throughout to a casual look as going undercover plays a big part of the operation. Most of the cast wear beachwear throughout because the beach is anintegral part of the story, Except when the robbers are doing the banks, they wear suits that match the masks they wear, which are of the previous presidents.

Objects:

Most of the objects that are sent into the bank play a big part of the story and vice versa, as there are many bugs and traps throughout this film that are used to con each of the "sides". Also when it comes to the weapons in the film they also play a vital part towards the end of the film.

 

Sound: When it comes to sound most of it is diagetic with much talking, shooting, music inside of the story on speakers, etc. But there is a low amount of non-diagetic sound, as most of this movie if filmed in a handheld way and having no sound effectg music or orchestra sound makes it seem more realistic.