Stunt performers have been a part of American history for over a hundred years, but in all that time, they’ve been under-appreciated. When it comes time to shine a spotlight on those who play a part in the movie-creation process, the people who tend to get recognized are actors and directors, among a few others. While they deserve the attention, the members of the stunt industry deserve an equal amount of appreciation.
Stunt people are the ones who receive the physical risks in movies, putting their well-being in danger as they take on all of the most dangerous scenes of a film. When a character has to be lit on fire, jump from a building, or crash a car, it’s stunt doubles who achieve those feats. Without the stunt industry, actors would either have to deal with all the risks themselves, or the movie wouldn’t have those stunts included, making for a weaker film.
Some moviegoers misunderstand the level of hazard associated with being a stunt performer. They assume that, because there are protections involved—cables, nets, body pads, or fireproof clothing—the stunts aren’t dangerous, but that assumption is incorrect. There have been dozens of injuries and deaths from stunts over the years.
One of the more terrible accidents occurred in 1967, on the set of Shark!, directed by Samuel Fuller. A stuntman named Jose Marco was filming an underwater scene when a great white shark broke through the protective netting surrounding the area and attacked Marco. His injuries ended up being fatal. Despite the tragedy, the producers decided to use the accident for marketing and insert Marco’s footage into the film. Fuller was completely against the decision and tried to separate himself from the movie. This is just one of the many incidents that have occurred with stuntmen over the years—but this is one of the more awful ones because the creators behind the movie took advantage of the death.
The stunt industry is under-appreciated, which is why the new film, The Fall Guy is such a large step forward. The movie’s cast called this movie a “love letter to stunt performers”, and the intention and thoughtfulness behind the film are clear. Ryan Gosling addressed his opinions on stunt performers, saying, “I’ve basically had a stunt double my whole life. And there’s this sort of accepted dynamic where they come on set, they do all the cool stuff, they risk everything, and then they disappear into the shadows, and we all pretend as though they were never there. And you know, everyone else on set gets credit but there’s just some sort of unspoken understanding that they don’t.”
The perfect way to pay homage to the stunt industry is to make a great movie with a stunt double as the main character—and that’s just what The Fall Guy did. The film follows Colt Seavers (Ryan Gosling), a stuntman, who’s brought back into the stunt industry because the woman he’s in love with, Jody Moreno (Emily Blunt) is directing her debut movie. But he becomes entangled in something more sinister and dangerous than he originally signed up for.
The movie reveals different aspects of the stunt industry that had previously been unexplored. The story features a stuntman, Colt, who has to deal with the aftermath of an accident that led to a broken back. He spends a year and a half away from the industry, healing physically and figuring out who he is without his career. This detail shows how demoralizing injuries can be, especially in a job that depends almost solely on physicality. Later in the film, Colt performs a huge stunt—rolling a car eight-and-a-half times, which sets a new real-life record. The importance of this move was stressed in the film, revealing to the audience how significant the feat was. Finally, the movie also displays various safety techniques, such as using a cable system, a mouth guard, and an inflatable stunt mat. Overall, the film illustrates the complexities of the stunts performed and the safety features implemented while humanizing the failures that can happen on the job.
Not only does the movie shine a light onto all that goes into being a stunt performer, it is also simply an entertaining film. The movie has a refreshing balance of humor and heart and a large amount of action. Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt have an amazing amount of chemistry, making their romance something that the audience cheers for the entire film. With an 81% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, The Fall Guy has proven to be a fun and endearing action-romance that pays stunt doubles the respect they’ve earned after spending so many years out of the limelight.
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