Analyss of Chase Scene in "Point Break"

This 1991 action/crime thriller film explores the reasoning behind dangerous action. In this scene, FBI Agent Johnny Utah is chasing a masked surfer who is part of group involved in bank robberies. Thus, the typical chase between the cop and the criminal is established.

The style used in this scene creates intense suspense. In particular, there is a lot of shots in narrow alleys. The sudden direction change the camera makes adds to that feeling of anticipation. There is a lot of bland colors used which sets the tone for a unfavorable situation. The scene is limited in dialogue and relies on natural noise and additional music. The lack of dialogue allows the audience to maintian its  entire focus on the action surrounding the scene since that is the scene is particularly the chase between the agent and the masked man.

The surpise element of this scene comes from the ending, in which the "good guy" is unable to defeat the "bad guy". This is an unexpected conclusion to the chase because the audience follows that the agent follows the masked man very closely and seems to reach him in several instances. The hero's downfall in jumping from the wall is very tragic for the viewer. When the agent draws his gun to shoot the man, the directs inserts two extreme close up shots in a row to get the audience ready for the agent to shoot the masked man. However, in the shot following this, the agent realizes that he won't be able to catch the masked man and becomes frustrated. The direct then, shocks the viewer by creating  a certain expectation and then reveals the opposite of what the audience expects.