When talking about anything that’s changed in the past 100 years it’s usually important to realize that the level of technology has increased in such a way that what was only a dream or not even considered back in the day has become almost commonplace now despite being advanced to the point that it might boggle the minds of many individuals even if it’s explained. Car chase scenes have come a long way since they first started, especially when it comes to the prep time and the overall danger that’s represented. It’s an eye-opener indeed to think that at one time there was no way to control the extras on the street and that actors, stunt drivers, and everyone else involved had to simply work around those that might inadvertently blunder into the shot. Back in those days, it feels likely that consent might not have been as big of a concern since it feels as though filmmakers were able to get away with more when it came to filming a movie. For The French Connection in particular it sounds as though things might have gotten a bit dangerous a time or two and whatever was filmed needed to be taken as it was at times. Plus, the number of cars that have been wrecked over the years is enough to make a lot of people cringe since the money that has to go into each stunt, not just the movie, but into each individual stunt, is simply nuts. But when safety measures need to be taken and everyone wants to come home safe at the end of the day, it’s necessary to take every precaution available.
Over the years the tricks used to get the shots desired have continued to advance and evolve as cameras have been made smaller and mounted in various ways to give different shots that enhance the experience, cars have been fitted with more and more safety features to see to the safety of the drivers, and stunts now take months to plan out in order to keep anyone from getting seriously injured or worse, killed. There are still bound to be accidents that will happen since this is unavoidable. The stunts are being designed by human beings after all, and no matter what anyone wants to say, human error is going to find a way into anything no matter how airtight a plan becomes. But the point here is to minimize the level of risk while being able to provide the type of footage that people will pay good money to see when it’s incorporated into a movie. The more interactive the movie is, meaning the more that people feel that they’re in the action, the more likely it will be that they’ll be to enjoy what they’re seeing, and want to see more. This is something that’s been evident for quite a while actually since people want to be entertained, and those in show business have picked up on this in various ways over the years as they’ve continued to perfect their techniques when it comes to car chases.
As of now, the gold standard appears to be the Fast and Furious franchise since no other series of movies has even come close to being as impressive to so many as these movies have. And yet, for all that, people don’t really care that a lot of what is done in the Fast and Furious movies defies the laws of physics and the integrity of the actual vehicles that are being depicted in the movies. The thing is that people might actually realize this, but they don’t care. When it comes to thrills and chills, people only care about what looks impressive and how awesome it appears on the screen. Anything else is just a lot of detail that can be discussed later if they have the inclination to do so. Car chases have been a staple of many action movies over the years since they offer a level of danger that excites the average viewer and allows them to really get into the movie. When using the interior camera angles and various other tricks it only makes things even more impressive since it does give the impression of being inside the car with the driver, which might give some people anxiety but can very easily excite and pump up the rest of the audience. At one point, as some people might be ready for, it could be that the driving experience we saw in Black Panther might be akin to what people will expect, but for now, it’s impressive enough to see everything that’s been done when planning out a car chase in an action movie. Just imagine what might happen in the next century if things continue to progress. That might be a sight.
