``Project A'' From Chaplin to Harold Lloyd, from Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan. Cause and effect of the reincarnating action comedy

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2019.09.23Samurai Isao

Legendary action, falling from the clock tower

``A man in dire straits, hanging all by himself from the clock hands of a skyscraper!'' This is the climax scene of `` You Need to Know '' (23), starring Harold Lloyd, a star of the silent era.

Lloyd is a reluctant salesman in the fabric section of a department store. Lloyd's idea to the company president was to have his friend, a steeplejack, climb the wall of a 14-story department store, offering a reward of 1,000 dollars if he succeeded in attracting customers. However, as a result of a senseless prank, the friend ends up being chased by the police, and Lloyd himself ends up climbing a building under public surveillance.

Lloyd's work is basically a comedy, but there are some spectacular action scenes that are comparable even today, such as riding on the roof of a runaway tram, jumping from a collapsing carriage to a horse, and continuing the chase. It's full of. Why did Lloyd lean toward action?

Couldn't that be because of Charles Chaplin? By the time Lloyd was just starting out, Chaplin was already a big star, and Lloyd was apparently asked to imitate Chaplin's character ``Tramp'' when he debuted. In order to surpass Chaplin, Lloyd may have incorporated some radical action.

The homage scene of Lloyd hanging from the clock in ``Yoshin Muyo'' is the scene in which he falls from the clock tower in ``Project A.'' In Jackie's case, she hangs onto the hands of a clock approximately 25 meters high, falls from there, and continues her performance without breaking the cut.

Jackie also has the experience of being forced to imitate the "god" Bruce Lee. It was fate that Harold Lloyd, who had once had the experience of imitating ``King'' Chaplin, adopted action in order to surpass ``God'' Bruce Lee. It is true.

Buster Keaton, whom Jackie admires, was Lloyd's debut character even later. He gains popularity for his fast-paced actions, with physical ability that surpasses Lloyd's and his expressionless expression. Just like Tony Jaa, who used physical abilities that surpassed Jackie's, gained popularity with extreme action.

Text: Samurai Isao

Designer by profession, film writer by profession. He is working hard to promote Indian films in Japan.

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