The Action Genre - Character types

Russian narrative theorist Vladimir Propp's establishment of character types and their narrative functions (in his discussion of Russian Folk Tales in the late 1920s) links directly to action films as these movies follow contain these typical character types to ensure the simple narrative plays out largely in the way the audience expects, and to allow the audience to understand and connect to the characters more easily.

The character types Propp identified and which commonly appear in films from the action genre include:

• The ‘hero’ - This is the main protagonist who faces obstacles and must go on a journey or 'quest' to “save the day”. The Hero is often strong, skilled and determined to reach his goal, which he will achieve by defeating the villain/foiling the villain's plane at the end of the narrative.

• The ‘anti-hero’ - In many action films, this is a more appropriate way to describe the main protagonist, particularly those who don't have typical qualities associated with a conventional ‘hero’ - such as being honourable, naturally brave or selfless. Instead they may be flawed, such as initially being selfish, or they don't follow the letter of the law, are cruel and manipulative. However, they still usually end up fighting for a good cause even though they aren’t the most perfect ‘hero’, undergoing some kind of redemption during their journey.

• The ‘villain’ - This is the main antagonist who poses a threat to the hero and may try and prevent the protagonist from reaching their goal (or have their own goal, in opposition to the hero. The villain is often powerful, brutal and sly.

• The ‘princess’ - Usually a woman who acts as a reward for the ‘hero’ achieving their goal. The ‘princess’ is usually used by the director as a plot device to spur the ‘hero’ on in their quest as they may need being saved. This character is often the cause of a dilemma for the hero, who may have to choose between saving the princess, or saving other characters (testing the hero's will and values when they have to make a sacrifice).

• The ‘sidekick’ - A character whose role is to support the hero in his quest. Therefore they bring a unique set of skills and knowledge to the team (and are often less serious than the hero, adding a comic element to the narrative).

• The ‘mentor’ - An experienced character who guides or trains the ‘hero’. Therefore, in certain action sub-genres (such as the spy film or the action-comedy) this role is crucial as the mentor has to prepare the ‘hero’ for the challenges they may face. The mentor usually gives the ‘hero’ great insight due to their own experiences or acts as a 'donor' by giving them an important object that may save them at a crucial point in the narrative when all hope appears lost.

• The ‘comic relief’ - A character who provides humour (often, but not always, the 'sidekick'/sometimes the 'princess' or even the 'mentor') to lighten the mood especially during intense scenes. This character helps to keep the film engaging and gives the audience a moment to relax from the non-stop action, and is especially important in the action-comedy sub-genre.

• The ‘maverick’ - A character who likes to do things independently and goes against the rest of the team. They are usually highly skilled and confident, and they usually take risks which could put everyone else in danger. This is a common character type in 'ensemble' action films which feature multiple characters (such as 'The Avengers', 'Thunderbolts', and 'The Expendables').