A classic of action cinema from Ravenside: Olivier Gruner. Part one

14.04.2017Ravenside

Olivier Gruner, perhaps, can be compared and placed in the same niche with Gary Daniels. Moderate on-screen fighting technique, in films he is mainly a kicker, although he can do much more, a fairly even temperament, not particularly bright appearance, the acting potential is average, although Gruner, it seems to me, is much higher than Daniels. The character, based on external data and the same temperament, does not project alpha-maleness from the screen as Van Damme or even some David Bradley in a leather jacket and Hawaiian shirts, not a cutesy handsome guy Lorenzo Lamasa, who compensated for his fighting woodenness with his appearance as a representative of the MacLeod clan, does not make the fireproof appearance of compressed buns like Steven Seagal. Gruner came to cinema from sports and military service, so his hero is often a former military man and is always quite strict. And what is very important is that there is a school. I don’t mean a specific martial arts, but in general, as I call it, the craft of fighting, professional confidence in movements.

I will not describe Gruner’s entire filmography, since not all films make sense to recommend, and the article will be too huge. In addition, much can be read in the previously published review from Uran.

"Savat" (1995)

The central and most decent film by Gruner, I think, is the film "Savat" 1995 director of the year Isaac Florentine ("Rebel", "Ninja 1,2","Close quarters", "Indisputable 2,3").

If you look closely, you can see that "Savat" - this is a kind of progenitor "Undisputed 3". Of course, within the framework of Florentine’s activities, since both films themselves do not shine with originality. Judge for yourself:

• championship, which takes place in the rope ring;
• the presence of fighters of different nationalities with formally different styles;
• the fight of the main character with a representative of capoeira (Eric Betts);
• in the finale the main character fights with an injured leg.

Why it's interesting to watch:

• The film clearly aims to be something more than just another low-level action movie with fights. Of course, Florentine is not McTiernan or Coppola, and Gruner is not Willis or Pacino, but it is clear that a lot of work was done and, most likely, the maximum possible for the film crew at that time. I would say that in terms of material and technical base it is at the level of films with Van Damme of that time.
• For that time, a very decent casting: James Brolin, Donald Gibb, R. Lee Ermey, Mark Singer. Hence we have a fairly high overall level of acting.
• The aesthetics of the Wild West was taken as the basis, although to be more precise, the period of the American Civil War. The main character is not an American, as we are used to, but a Frenchman, an officer of the French Expeditionary Force in Mexico Joseph Charlegrand (the name is probably a free mix and deformation of the names of Savat figures - Charles LeCourt и Joseph Charlemont, also, by the way, a former army instructor). And he doesn’t know karate or kung fu, as we are used to, but the French martial art savate. Hence, the character has, no matter what, a distinctive feature, and the film as a whole has a characteristic historical flavor, in which the selected and constructed locations and music played an important role Kevin Kiner, who clearly tried to write like Morricone.
• There is a script, although it does not carry much historical accuracy, there are well-written characters, there are bright and varied scoundrels, with memorable quirks and mannerisms. Of course, the film couldn’t do without typical tricks like the kidnapping of a girl or the death of a friend (even two) at the hands of a villain, but what can you do? In the 90s, this was accepted, but it’s a different matter when it’s the 2000s, and films still use linear moves from 20-30 years ago - this is depressing.
• There is a short but quite sufficient backstory of the main character and at the same time the backstory of his final opponent.
• Ziegfield's final opponent, Von Trotta, is played by an actor, not a fighter (Mark Singer), but he does it quite convincingly. You won’t see any special equipment, shock cords or anything else, but he did an excellent job with the role of the “big and scary final boss”, which added to the list of similar characters in action films of the 90s. It also needs to be emphasized that he has distinctive features and weaknesses, which Charlegrand will ultimately take advantage of. This is very important, since the film will not feature the magical resurrection of the main character and his sudden inconclusive victory, although it must be admitted that magic is indispensable, and his wounded leg heals at the most necessary moment. Well, this is the law of the genre or the law of the genre, whatever you like.
• Together with Florentine, he choreographed and staged stunts in the film. Koichi Sakamoto ("Drive" с Mark Dacascos, "Broken Path" с Johnny Yong Bosham), who played the episodic opponent of the main character in the film - the Comanche. Despite Gruner's ascetic capabilities as an on-screen fighter, in the sense that he does not have rich acrobatic skills and a variety of combos, the choreography was decent for that time. First of all, this was achieved due to correct camera work and competent editing (which would later become a characteristic feature of fights in Florentine’s works), and the peculiarity of the concept of savate. Of course, Savate is not shown 100% plausibly, neither from a historical point of view, nor from the point of view of the arsenal of the martial arts that is now taught in sections. In the film, sawat is basically amplitude combinations of two or three high kicks, most often those that are called mawashi-geri in karate, usually ending with a spinner. But they are performed either with a carry, more with kickboxing and even thaiboxing techniques, or in a manner reminiscent of taekwondo, when they fencing with their feet rather than hitting. Occasionally, the hero uses kicks to the middle tier, low kicks and sweeps. Aerial kicks are standard strikes for Gruner. There are almost no punches, although in savate they are actually present in equal volume with the legs. In general, we can say that based on the skills Gruner showed in earlier films and acquired in real service in the French army (knife defense, grabs, throws), Florentine and Sakamoto “cut off everything unnecessary” and left a certain set of techniques from who sculpted the final concept, which had to look good on camera and be cinematic.
• The Greek master plays a small role as Philip, a friend of the main character. Takis Triggelis, whom you could see in the films “In Search of Adventure” and “Legionnaire”. His career as a screen fighter was very short, he will appear as an extra "Batman and Robin" along with Michael Bernardo from "Strongest blow", appeared in several TV projects, at one time was a coach Michael Jai White, but eventually disappeared. I regret that he disappeared, he could have turned out to be a very interesting and intelligent screen fighter.

Disadvantages and what you might not like:

• There is no savate story told, no specific features formulated for the viewer, except for the moment when one of the characters says: “I’ve seen kicks like this before.” Well, we understand about the legs. The hero could have told his farmer friend, when he taught him to fight, in more detail about savate and what it is eaten with. His stories about distance can be applied to any other martial art. He showed that there is English boxing at such and such a distance, which means he has control over his hands, but why didn’t he use them in the film?
• It was stupid and strange that he did not check his horse and water in advance, nobly letting the bandits go home at the beginning of the film. It is clear that this is a plot crutch to bring Charlegrand together with other characters, but it would have been easier to make the beaten scum themselves retreat in fear, riding their horses.
• It is not very clear why Philip and Joseph did not stop Von Trotta when he killed civilians in Mexico in the past, but “only watched.” What stopped them is unclear. Flashbacks with Philip hanging over the well are made in the best traditions of Sergio Leone, but not only do they not explain anything, they only confuse even more and give rise to even more questions. Although from a cinematic point of view everything was done well: the intensity of passions, tragic pathos, suspense, music, a breaking glass... this is what Florentine, and all modern fighting movie creators, really lack now. Lacks cinema.
• The Chinese fighter is too discredited. The choreography of the fights in which Gruner does not participate let us down; this mainly concerns the tournament, which was essentially merged. On the one hand, the dull combat extras seem to extol Charlegrand’s skill, showing his rare virtuoso kicking skills, and on the other hand, they take up unnecessary screen time.
• The fight with a representative of capoeira could have been made more clear, varied, long and spectacular, fortunately there were opportunities. They could have easily sacrificed other fights at the tournament with various layoffs.
• For a modern viewer, the film, of course, will seem rather naive and not very dynamic. Take into account the venerable years, and the taste and color.

The central film in the filmography of Olivier Gruner, which is recommended for viewing by all fans of old-school action films.

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Tags: Savate, Isaac Florentine, Koichi Sakamoto, Mark Singer, Olivier Gruner, Takis Triggelis

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