Amongst the longest action sequences in film history, the town battle at the end of 13 Assassins (2010) is astonishing in many ways.
Category: Japan
Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One (2023) is at once a reboot of the original 1954 Godzilla film and a homage to the first installment of the franchise. This relationship between the two films is most strikingly manifested during the Attack on Ginza sequence – a composite of the first two Godzilla attacks on Tokyo in the original – where a number of parallel moments arise. Yet, Godzilla Minus One reconfigures this attack in a pivotal way by placing its central characters, Kōichi and Noriko, directly within the devastation, thereby dramatically raising the stakes. This contrasts with the principal characters in the first film, who witness Godzilla’s rampage but from a far safer distance.
Seven Samurai (1954)
Amongst the most influential action films ever made, Seven Samurai (1954) is also significant for its sheer epicness concerning its story as well as its duration. With a story duration of over 3 hours and 18 minutes, the Seven Samurai manifests a staggering 54 distinct action moments that generally grow in length as the film reaches its climax.