Opinion New York Film Critics Circle awards S S Rajamouli Best Director: Why Western critics love action films like RRR

In its own way, RRR seems to have liberated over-the-top, spectacular action — of the kind that one has come to expect from films — from the grip of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even if only temporarily. Since Iron Man came out nearly a decade and a half ago, the action movie genre in the West has been dominated almost entirely by MCU films. While there is no denying the slickness and technical virtuosity of these films, especially when it comes to action sequences, after a certain point (Captain America: Civil War in 2016, to be precise) it became increasingly hard to tell them apart. The visual effects kept getting bigger and more spectacular, exciting new directors were roped in and more and more stars jumped onto the MCU juggernaut (perhaps to avoid being crushed under it) but the fight sequences — the core of these action films, one would imagine — ended up being the dullest thing about them: workmanlike, predictable, shot with almost no panache, never mind the director calling the shots. Part of the trouble with these films is that when you have enhanced super beings fighting on screen, no matter how big and loud the action, the stakes seem low because, well, how much pain can they feel and how much blood can they shed, compared to actual human beings?

Of course, the two heroes of RRR, executing incredible physical feats, may seem superhero-like, but that’s it. Within the universe of the film, they’re still just humans which is why, for example, in Alluri Sitarama Raju’s (Ram Charan) opening scene, when he fights a whole crowd to catch one man, it makes an impact. The viewer can see him being beaten, dragged back and, briefly, immobilised, but he soldiers on. Added to this is the scene’s minutely-choreographed, richly imagined and admittedly epic action and it starts to become clear why RRR made such a splash with Western critics. There’s an undeniable flair for action on display here.

In fact the sheer audacity of the action, including its scale, marks out Rajamouli as a director unafraid of seeming outrageous or ridiculous, brimming with such confidence that he actually pulls off what might have been one of the most disastrous sequences of the film. Far from being ludicrous, the scene where Bheem (Jr NTR) lets loose a truck full of animals on a party at the British governor’s house becomes a showpiece for Rajamouli’s gift for elaborate, almost balletic action sequences.

There’s also a clue to the West’s fascination with Rajamouli’s film in one of the many tributes it has attracted from other filmmakers: Joe Dante, the director of the well-loved 1984 horror comedy Gremlins, said that RRR “often recalls John Woo”. In the action movie world, this is amongst the highest of praises, considering the lasting impact that the Hong Kong filmmaker has had on the genre. His work influenced some of the greatest Hollywood action movies of the last three decades, including The Matrix series, Kill Bill Vol 1& 2 and the John Wick series. In Rajamouli’s highly stylised action there is a clear affinity for the “Gun Fu” pioneer, a love for elaborate choreography and graceful, almost dance-like movements depicted in slow motion. One might even argue that his ability to root the action in deep emotion/melodrama recalls Woo’s films from his Hong Kong era, including the 1992 classic Hard Boiled.

This is not to say that Rajamouli is the next John Woo, that he too will revolutionise the action genre. Rajamouli’s greatest asset — his fearlessness about big set pieces and bombastic action — is also his greatest weakness, rendering him unable to look beyond the admittedly breathtaking surface of his films. Western critics might be enthralled by the slick action of RRR today, but the best action movies transcend their genres. Is that something RRR can do?

Write to the author at pooja.pillai@expressindia.com