At the first ever Oscars, an award was given for Best Title Writing, specifically to recognise the work done on intertitles, the image of written text that would show dialogue in silent movies. Given that silent movies were very much on the way out at the next Oscars, this category was removed (The Red Mill won by the way). And whilst there is something of a campaign to recognise title design, it can be agreed that we do not need an Oscar for intertitles. Many specific aspects of filmmaking are given awards – sound editing, costume, and so on. These parts of a film are not as eye-catching as acting, directing, but are an important part of what makes a film great. So why is there one area that is always overlooked when it comes to the Oscars – stunts?
It’s worth remembering that stunt performers die doing their work, and this is not just a thing of the past; Joi Harris died in a motorcycle stunt on Deadpool 2. And of course, there are non-fatal but devastating injuries they can sustain. Some actors may give a lot for their art, but death is not usually part of it. Stunt work goes back to the beginning of cinema; one of the things people liked to see was danger and exciting incidents, and that meant stunts. The legendary comic performer Buster Keaton also performed very dangerous stunt work in the pursuit of laughs. Steamboat Bill, Jr features a stunt still held up today as one of the best ever. The whole front of a house falls forward, seemingly going to crush Keaton, only for him to survive as he just so happens to be standing in the spot where there is a window. There is no double for Keaton, and it is essentially carried out by precise measurements. Eventually, Hollywood decided it would be best to have trained professionals doing this because a) actors typically aren’t trained to do these things, and b) if your star breaks an ankle and you can’t film that’s a big problem.
Keanu Reeves is an actor who does a lot of the rough and tumble work of his action films, but has stated “I don’t do stunts, I do action” meaning that if he’s doing it, its not a stunt, an example he’s given is that he can do some of the fight choreography but when John Wick gets hit by a car, that’s his stunt double, and Reeves has shown enormous respect for the work done by stunt performers. Tom Cruise is an actor who has perhaps gone a different direction, seemingly intent on not only doing as many of his own stunts as possible but trying to do ever more impressive stunts.
Mad Max: Fury Road gave a lot of work to stunt performers. The majority of the film is a car chase, and a car chase featuring car crashes, car explosions, car crushings and more car-based carnage. The film was mainly done with practical effects, with CGI used to remove seatbelts and other safety features. These were stunts that could involve five, six, seven or more vehicles, with stunts involving going from one moving vehicle to another. Even with all the safety precautions, it was both dangerous and technically difficult.
So stunts can be breathtaking, exciting, scary and even funny, but they are more than just window-dressing. There is verisimilitude; the film feels real, good stunts create the sense of jeopardy, and they add weight to a character’s struggle. We can see the hits they take, the struggle they pursue for a goal. When scenes in a film don’t look real, it can spoil the scene or even the whole movie. Few would deny that the body language of an actor, how they move, and their expressions are a hugely important part of the performance, so why should this stop when another performer steps in to do the dangerous part of that for them? Of equal importance is the team behind the stunt performer, those who design and make these stunts. No one would see it as odd that both an actor and a director get an Oscar each, so why not the stunt performer and stunt crew?
Of course, stunts aren’t just jumping off buildings and getting set on fire. Something as straightforward as a character jumping over a gate is a stunt. George Clooney’s The Descendants has ten people credited for stunt work for what is essentially a film of Clooney running around Hawaii in flip-flops, and this film still needed a whole team. People who are essential to every type of film should be recognised for their contribution and talent.
