What are we looking at when we choose a movie? Most people probably look for familiar faces and actors they like. A lot of people are certainly guided by beloved characters, franchises or worlds that seem interesting. Sometimes it’s the poster that catches our eye.

Of course, all of these aspects are equally valuable elements of a film. However, most people ignore the central and key person (from an artistic point of view) – the director.
He is the author of the film, he dictates the atmosphere and style. It is up to this person to decide on which aspects of the film the main emphasis will be focused. S/he transfers her/his sensibility to the tape and is the one who guides the actors. By paying attention, for example, to brush strokes, we can recognize the author of the painting. In the same way, directors have their characteristic tricks and elements that distinguish their creations.

Directing has always been very close to me, and that is the reason why I came up with the idea for this series of articles. My goal is to increase readers’ sensitivity to these artists in the context of film as a work of art. From time to time I will present profiles of more or less famous directors and try to show what distinguishes them by presenting selected titles from their filmography.

Matthew Vaughn

The choice of the first name was dictated by the upcoming release of the film Argylle. The director of this production, Matthew Vaughn, has already managed to make a name for himself in modern popular cinema with his original screen adaptations of comic books.

Asked in an interview about his inspirations, he mentions Star Wars, Indiana Jones and the Bond films. What he valued most in these productions were the expressive characters. British filmmaker believes that it is the emotions of the characters, with whom we can resonate, that are the most important part of the story, and they are the reason we remember the films. The filmmaker’s works are also distinguished by British, and sometimes a bit vulgar, humor. It allows the relationships between characters to shine, and the audience to understand the dynamics of the characters more quickly.

His productions are marked by high pace. What is worth noting is the fast, aggressive and innovative editing in his films. For example, in fight scenes, the last frame before impact is often cut out, which enhances the feeling of momentum and imitates the viewer’s feeling of impact. In addition, frames in which a gunshot happens are colored with a yellow filter which creates the impression of a flash. Speaking of action scenes, these are brilliantly planned, have interesting and expressive, choreography, and are shot in a unique way. The aforementioned montage, on the other hand, is distinguished by transitions between scenes that make unconventional use of the elements of the following shots.

First steps

His first steps in the film industry were as a producer of Guy Ritchie’s films. It was Ritchie who convinced him to direct his debut film: Layer Cake. Matthew recalls that on the first day of shooting he mentioned to everyone that he had never looked through a camera lens in his life. Hearing this, the actors were horrified. It later turned out that he has a talent for not only the business part of cinematography, but also the creative one. The aforementioned Layer Cake is a story about a drug dealer who decides to retire. In order to do so, he must complete one last task for his boss. Already in this film we can see the director’s characteristic transitions and montages.

His second film was a screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s book called Stardust. It is a fantasy tale taking place in England separated by a wall. On one side there is a world similar to ours, while on the other side we meet witches, magical creatures and sky pirates. It tells the story of young Tristan, who, in order to get a falling star for his beloved, chooses to travel beyond the wall to a fantastic land.
Due to the source material and genre, Vaughn’s style is the least noticeable in this film. You won’t find aggressive editing or crazy transitions here. However, this does not mean that the film is boring. The style of showing the story is more similar to classic epic Fantasy films. However, it does not lack humor and a laid-back approach to the genre. After all, Vaughn’s inspiration for directing this film was The Princess Bride.

Kick-Ass

The next feature is a screen adaptation of a comic book – Kick Ass. Mark Millar’s original is a parody of the superhero genre. It tells the story of teenage Dave, who, despite his lack of special skills, puts on a fancy costume and decides to fight crime.

Here for the first time he showed his madness in full glory. The color palette of the film is vivid and full of contrasts. With full acceptance, the director has embraced his love of original transitions, thanks to which this and the following films gain the smoothness of storytelling. In addition, they enhance the comedic value of the work. It was also the first time we saw Vaughn’s original approach to action scenes, which later became a recognizable aspect of the filmmaker’s films thanks to their unique dynamism and “aggressiveness.”

Vaughn created a pastiche of comic book cinema. Brilliantly finding himself in a comedic approach to genre clichés. At the same time, he refers to many iconic scenes and handles the theme with respect. You can see in his work an understanding of the genre, which is important when you want to play with convention.

Creating in an existing franchise

The director stuck with comic book cinema for a while. This time realizing a soft reboot of the X-Men in the form of First Class. The story takes place in the 1960s and shows the first years of mutant school and the beginnings of Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr’s relationship. They must stop a conspiracy whose goal is to escalate the Cold War into another world war.

This time the artist turns to a much more serious tone. Of course, he touches on the fundamental theme of the series: problem of intolerance and the lives of those who are different. In addition to this he touches topics related to the victims of the Holocaust and the aforementioned Cold War. The first one is presented in the story of Erik, who, on the path of a personal vendetta, tracks down Nazi officers hiding in various corners of the world. There is, of course, no lack of complex and honest relationships between the characters and an emotional approach to the subject matter covered.

And yet the darker tones of the production do not limit the director’s style. In fact, they enrich them. The characteristic elements of his work are only intensified by the created contrast. All of this achieved with a masterful sensibility.

The Secret Service

Kingsman: The Secret Service is the third comic book adaptation for the screen by a British director. It is also the second where the original was written by Mark Millar.

The film tells the story of the British secret spy organization – Kingsman. Its members names themselves after the Knights of the Round Table. In the course of their missions, they use the skills gained during the extremely demanding training and gadgets hidden in the elements of the “outfit of a modern gentleman” like watches, umbrellas and suits.

The main character here is Eggsy. A young Londoner who, through a difficult situation at home, slowly begins to enter the criminal path. However, he is stopped from following it by Harry Hart – Agent Galahad, who introduces himself as a friend of the protagonist’s father. He confesses that Eggsy’s father belonged to the secret service and was killed on a mission. He then convinces the boy to follow in his footsteps and join Kingsman.

The director uses here the experience he acquired with his previous works. In this film Matthew uses all his characteristic tricks, which he has mastered at this stage. It is here where the editing gives the smoothest and most spectacular effect. Thanks to this, he tells the story in an incredibly innovative and unprecedented way, creating a modern cinematic classic.
The film turned into a successful series, which was made entirely under the guidance of the filmmaker. It consolidated his status as one of the leading creators of modern cinema.

Kingsman franchise

For two consecutive productions, Vaughn worked on expanding the world of Kingsman on the silver screen. The 2017 sequel titled The Golden Circle continued the adventures of Eggsy and Harry. This time, however, moving the story to the United States. As a result, we got to know the American equivalent of the agents. Dressed like cowboys, the Statemen took their names after … the liquors. That is why our heroes are joined in this part by Jack Daniels, nicknamed Agent Whiskey. The film, of course, provides even more similar treatments and entertainment as the first part. Sometimes playing with the form even more and pushing the boundary.

Four years later, we received The King’s Man, which told the origin story of the organization. The plot follows Orlando Oxford and his son Condrad, who must prevent a conspiracy involving such people as, for example, Rasputin. This project is Vaughn’s return to heavier topics, as it takes place during World War I. The film is a critique of the war and all aspects related to it. To show its horrors he was not afraid of violent scenes or shocking plot twists. It is the artist’s darkest work.

Newest creation

This Friday we will be able to see the filmmaker’s new work on cinema screens: Argylle. It is an original idea that the filmmaker hopes will start a new cinematic franchise. He came up with the idea while watching movies with his kids during the pandemic. After showing them Charade and Romancing the Stone they asked “why doesn’t anyone make movies like this anymore?”. This question motivated him to be inspired by those movies in his next production.

It is a spy intrigue in which we follow writer Elly Conway. In her best-selling series of books, she foresaw the plans of real secret organizations. She finds herself in danger because of this. These events will make her meet a real spy – Aiden.
The plot of the film interweaves the events of the writer’s world with those that happen in her book.

Future projects

Besides his plans to continue the Argylle franchise, the director announced that he is working on the culmination of the Kingsman series. The script for the third part of this story is already mostly completed. The 1st and 3rd acts are ready. So the artist knows how the story will begin and end. He only needs to finish the 2nd act.

On Josh Horovitz’s show, he was asked about his interest in working on a saga that inspired him – Star Wars. The Brit replied that he would only be interested if he could fully reset the universe. So the chances for that are probably impossible, and the question itself was more of a loose thought thrown in by the presenter.

From time to time the author’s name comes up in the context of James Bond. Especially now that the reboot and the introduction of a new actor playing the role is in front of us. Connecting him to this franchise is absolutely logical due to his filmography beeing rich in “spy” themes.
However, the filmmaker, asked in an interview, debunked rumors about his participation in future installments.

But, his involvement in another project is much more frequently mentioned in the rumors. These addressed his potential directing of the film adaptation of the comic book The Authority. The DC’s graphic novel tells the story of a team of superhumans who have a very violent approach. Because of that they look more like a violent special forces unit than heroes. Thanks to this the comic book touches on themes related to morality.
The production is part of the of the highy anticipated new cinematic universe: DCU under the leadership of James Gunn. The project itself is generating tremendous interest due to its unique direction, which is supposed to focus on artistic freedom and that “the creator always comes first.” Such working environment is attractive to any artist. In addition, Vaughn over the years, many times, has spoken about James Gunn and movies directed by him with admiration. Both men also represent similar values in their art.
He was asked about these rumors as well and… did not deny them. He only expressed a tremendous interest in working together with Gunn.

Whatever Matthew Vaughn takes on in the future, we can only be sure that he will provide us with brilliantly presented stories full of creativity, passion and unique ideas.