Bullet Train: How tight spaces contributed to the Badass Fight Scenes Of The New Action Movie
While certainly more spacious than airplanes, the average train isn’t exactly a vehicle that offers a whole lot of room for passengers. Benches and seats are arranged to maximize the number of people who can ride at a time, and extras like tables don’t exactly help. Because of this, one might perhaps not consider it an ideal setting for a big action movie featuring characters beating the ever-loving hell out of one another, but the stars of David Leitch’s Bullet Train would disagree and argue that the movie’s limited space enhances the enjoyment of the characters.
As you can see in the video at the top of the article, I interviewed Bullet Train stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Brian Tyree Henry, who were joined by Hiroyuki Sanada and Brad Pitt at the virtual press conference for the movie. I asked them all about their ability to perform the crazy actions required in tight spaces during the film’s production. Taylor-Johnson said that the lack of space was an advantage for the job, because it required creative solutions. The actor said,
That adds to my opinion. I like having boundaries and limitations. It allows you to use the environment around you. That’s what I believe we did. David Leitch would have us lean in that direction, I believe. It adds layers.
The movie is based on the book Maria Beetle by Kōtarō Isaka, and its main ensemble are all killers, hit men, and assassins who board a bullet train in Tokyo heading to Kyoto. Each character has their own goals and motives for riding the high-speed rail. Often, intersections lead into violent conflict and confrontation.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson pointed to an example in Bullet Train featuring Brad Pitt and Brian Tyree Henry going toe-to-toe in the titular transport’s quiet car, and he noted that the limitations enhanced both the action and the comedy:
These two had an amazing fight sequence in a controlled space around the table against each other, but in a quiet car. That adds an additional element to the fight, so they need to keep everything quiet. The perfect balance is comedy and action.
Riffing on his co-star, Brian Tyree Henry noted that an interesting chemistry came as a result of the space being limited and the fact that Brad Pitt apparently isn’t a person who deals with limitations. He laughed.
You can be flexible and work with people who are like you. [Pitt] It creates a whole new kind of visual element like a kamikaze. It’s hard to think of how to function in a situation like fighting on a train, killing someone with a tray table or beating someone with an armrest.
Playing The Elder, a character who makes a big entrance into the movie late in the second act, Hiroyuki Sanada didn’t spend as much time on the bullet train as his co-stars, but he still definitely got to have his own experience with the cramped quarters, and was impressed by director David Leitch’s work in the space. Said Sanada,
Sometimes [it’s] the train was narrow and difficult. However, I found it fun and easy to verify with the coordinators and stunt guys. Then there was director David [Leitch] So, he knows a lot about action. [it’s] It was easy to create unique choreography and corroborate each other. Every day was a blast.
Brian Tyree Henry echoed the sentiment about working with David Leitch. He explained that there were times on set when he wasn’t sure how certain scenes would actually work, but the fact that they do is a testament to the director’s talent:
It turns out that it is one of the most crazy, fun theme parks you have ever been to. It’s like you’re wondering, “How is the camera going to get down this aisle?” How will we hide in this toilet? It’s all. It’s all. David Leitch’s imagination is a testament to his ability to think of all sorts of things. He’s brilliant.
Bullet Train features a stellar cast including Joey King, Andrew Koji, Sandra Bullock, Benito A Martínez Ocasio, Masi Oka, Karen Fukuhara and more in addition to Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Brad Pitt, arrives in theaters this Friday. Tickets are on sale now, and if you’re a fan of the movie’s stars, you should most definitely check out our Upcoming Brad Pitt and Upcoming Brian Tyree Henry guides.
To learn about all of the other films set to hit theaters and streaming it what remains of the year, our 2022 Movie Release Calendar has the information you’re looking for.