Todorov: Theory of Equilibrium
The Protagonist(Jean Claude Van-Damme): Frank Dux - Kickboxer who looks to compete in the Kumite for his sensei. He is not revealed until very late in the opening sequence, after all other main characters are introduced.
The Antagonist: Chong Li - Kung Fu fighter who is the first character introduced, emphasising his high status, and we believe that he could be the protagonist at first, but his portrayal is somewhat different, as he is illustrated for a short period, and he seems already prepared.
The equilibrium is the fact that all is well and balanced at first, evil emerges as Chong Li becomes jealous of Jean Claude Van Damme's abilities. We realise that the main characters are likely to be put up against each other later on in the film, but it is peaceful(as it should be) at first. The film begins with an establishing shot, making the audience clear of the surroundings and the plot of the film. Each main character is shown in predominately a Long Shot/ Mid Shot, however Chong Li is featured for longer, and Ray Jackson also has Medium Close Ups and a more variety of shots in his introduction. The traditional Kimono's used by a few fighters are an example of cultural code and are used to allow the viewer to predict this particular person's martial art. The lighting is used to illustrate the time of day in which training takes place, e.g. one fighter trains at night with lit torches helping him see and another fighter trains at mid-day, where natural lighting is used.
The disruption is very vaguely hinted at in the opening sequence. Ray Jackson(bearded man) looks to be the bad guy, but he is used as a false villain, because the real villain is Chong Li who has a rather evil look on his face, so this is the only hint to a disruption. Frank Dux's escape from the government also hints that something bad is happening/about to happen.
The introduction to the Kumite/dojo is a clue that a MMA tournament is being prepared, this is a major clue and outlines the rest of the film to the viewer. Chong Li is also told that 'tomorrow, you will fight in the Kumite'.
The equilibrium is restored by the villain/antagonist, Chong Li, being defeated by Frank Dux at the end of the film. The new equilibrium is the fact that Frank Dux has won the Kumite and brought greatness to his sensei.
Levi-Strauss: Theory of Binary Opposites
Never Back Down (Film)
'Never Back Down' is an MMA/Action film. The American Football opening hints at this as we see a fight spruce between the main actor and a leader of the opposing team. The MMA genre becomes clearer as we reach 07:50 in the clip; it shows a brutal undercover fight training event, in which the main actor protects one school member from being injured as he is being destroyed at this point in the fight. When the protagonist lands a vicious punch on one of the fighters, it is fairly clear that he will become a fighter or that fighting will play a key role in the film.
There are only two opposing forces in this film, and although the opening American Football scene makes the viewer feel that the villain will be the fighter in a black jersey, it is in fact the suspicious looking guy who handles the situation when the main actor stops the undercover fight. The film revolves around the protagonist; a misunderstood potential fighter facing problems, particularly with his mother, he is constantly abused by the antagonist ('villain') who is a great MMA fighter and proves too strong against the protagonist at first.
The main themes/binary opposites are:
Dark vs. Light: This is a very grim scene and has dark lighting, whereas casual scenes are much brighter.
Black vs. White: The protagonist is in white, whereas his opponents are in black.
Relaxed vs. Stressed: The main actor shows a relaxed approach to his fight, while his mother seems very angry and stressed about the incident.
Young vs. Old: The film revolves around young people, but old people are shown to be wise and persistent towards the young's incidents, e.g. the protagonist's teacher is very interested in making sure that the main actor is focused.
Success vs. Failiure: The successful are always rewarded/liked in this film and this is a key theme. For example the main actor's younger brother is much more successful in school/sport and whenever the protagonist does something spectacular the whole school loves him.
Male vs. Female: In this film the men are portrayed as very macho and fairly laid-back, whereas the women are often worried and unsure about things, e.g. later on in the film the main actor's girlfriend is worried about that he is going to do, while he is just chilled and ready for anything, when we know that he is very scared inside.
Conflict is mainly presented using the binary opposites mentioned above. Colour and attitude are particularly used to show conflict and the embarrasment of the protagonist protecting the fighter and his intervention adds to the conflict between the main characters.
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