How Kingsman Pulled Off One Of The CRAZIEST Fight Scenes In History?
Kingsman: The Secret Service, is Matthew Vaughn’s ultraviolent and stylized take on classy British espionage, heavily influenced by the James Bond films of the ’70s and ’80s. It’s fast, it’s slick, and it’s oddly charming. All of the elements that make those classic spy films great are amplified to create an almost perfect caricature of the genre, told from a modern perspective. While the film is filled with really amazing moments,
This hyperviolent church brawl stands out as the most impressive and memorable sequence of the film. It’s four and a half minutes of delicately choreographed but absolutely brutal chaos that took seven days to shoot and required over 100 performers and even more crew members to pull off. It’s often the first thing people talk about when discussing *Kingsman*. In four and a half minutes of the film, Harry Hart kills over 40 members in some pretty intense albeit entertaining ways.
Who remembers this crazy church brawl 😮🔥scene? Or do you even know which movie this is from?👀#kingsman #kings #action #actionfigurephotography #moviescenes #kingsmanthesecretservice #entertainment pic.twitter.com/BMN7BxSnUp
— Action Vista (@ActionVista) March 13, 2024
The way in which Matthew Vaughan was able to pull off one of the most captivating fight sequences of the 2010s is an example of the right elements coming together at the right time. The music, the editing, the acting, the choreography, and the pacing all come together in the beautifully grotesque symphony of violence set to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird”.
Kingsman: The Secret Service was based on a comic book titled The Secret Service, which was written by Mark Millar. For those of you who don’t know who Mark Millar is, he is a comic book author known for bringing a sense of conventionalized action to his work. He is responsible for bringing us properties like Wanted and Kick-Ass, both of which also had adaptations directed by Matthew Vaughn. Miller also wrote the Civil War series for Marvel Comics.
The Secret Service was illustrated by Dave Gibbons, who is one of the most prolific artists in comic book history. He’s known primarily for his work on Alan Moore’s Watchmen, but his body of work spans Marvel and DC Comics as well. The point is these comic book guys are known for creating stories with not just big moments but enormous moments. You can show a lot more in a panel of a comic book than you can show in a frame of a film.
Kingsman editor, Eddie Hamilton, is no stranger to what makes an action sequence captivating. He cut together some Vaughn films like X-Men: First Class as well as both Kick-Ass movies. In the fight sequence, he cleverly utilized the bodies of people getting thrown across the screen as a way to blend clips together to make this fight sequence feel like one fluid shot. It really makes us feel like we are inside the church right along with Harry, immersing ourselves completely in the action of this scene. Another little touch from the editing department is this constant vibration of the frame that goes on throughout the entire sequence. You may have noticed that the screen is shaking almost the entire time. This is just another subtle element that makes the scene pulse with energy and excitement. It gives the scene a feeling of being completely out of control and provides us with the sense of unease as we watch it. I can sometimes feel like it’s a little too much to handle. There are some sequences in The Bourne Ultimatum that can feel, at times, like Matt Damon is fighting in the middle of an earthquake. But Kingsman seems to implement this effect to the viewer’s benefit. It feels really exciting to watch. Another element that makes this scene so gripping is the fight choreography itself. This whole sequence seems like a stuntman’s fever dream. The fight scene is just right.
The finished product isn’t just something you are watching and admiring from afar, either. The filmmakers created something that you can feel, and it’s a reminder that a sequence that feels almost out of control can actually require the highest level of control to pull off.
