Topic: My concerns with B13

[.Nico]

So after seeing B13 in the Atlanta screening on the first, i have a couple things to say about it.

First of all, great movie, great camera work, [edit: plot was actually good]. I especially liked how they showed Belle training and taking care of himself, to show that he is not superhuman but just someone who trains hard.

However, i am concerned about non-traceurs seeing this movie. For a non-traceur, it is very unclear what is real and what is fake, what is possible and what is truly dangerous. The movie blurs the line between parkour and tricking (Cyril's gainer for instance), and also parkour was portrayed in a very "hard", "thug" kind of way. I hope that people will not associate parkour with violence because of the movie.

I think for a non-traceur there will be two reactions to the movie.
First, "wow, that action was really cool, but there is no way that guy just dodged 50 bullets. And that huge gap jump was cool, but it was insanely stupid and i would never be able to do that." So people will see that the bullets are fake in the movie and dangerous in real life, and assume that the parkour is fake in the movie and dangerous in real life, too. They wont understand that everything Belle and Cyril did is possible with the right amount/kind of training, and will see parkour as another extreme daredevil sport which is done without thinking or preparation.

The second reaction would be, "wow...if I do parkour I will be able to dodge bullets!!!!!" This is even more dangerous.

Are my concerns valid? Or should I shut the f*ck up and stop worrying about the future of this discipline?

[Mike "Pyro" Araujo]

Well they never mention parkour in the movie. So if someone just saw the movie, they wouldn't come out thinking parkour. But if someone looked up the background of the movie, then they find out about Belle. And what better way to learn about parkour than reading about it through a biography about David Belle. Of course there are going to be dumb kids though. But if someone thinks they can dodge bulets then they need to get their head examined.

[willgrind747]

never stop worrying about it, just be prepared to deal with it. I'm gonna go ahead and quote myself from an old thread, because i feel the same works well here.

Everyone has the potential to grasp true parkour. How many of us learned about parkour by seeing belle do gainers over busy streets? a lot. How many of us do that? probably none. The people who will approach our sport with a unwavering recklessness were that way long before they ever heard of parkour, and will be that way long after they forget about it.  What we need to make sure of though, is that as long as there are people willign to learn, we are willing to teach.  How we handle newcomers will echo into the next wave of potential traceurs. Before you know it, the newbies are goana be "old members", and they are goana treat others as we treat them.

[Corndogg]

never stop worrying about it, just be prepared to deal with it. I'm gonna go ahead and quote myself from an old thread, because i feel the same works well here.

Everyone has the potential to grasp true parkour. How many of us learned about parkour by seeing belle do gainers over busy streets? a lot. How many of us do that? probably none. The people who will approach our sport with a unwavering recklessness were that way long before they ever heard of parkour, and will be that way long after they forget about it.  What we need to make sure of though, is that as long as there are people willign to learn, we are willing to teach.  How we handle newcomers will echo into the next wave of potential traceurs. Before you know it, the newbies are goana be "old members", and they are goana treat others as we treat them.

hear hear.

[Quazar]

Well, the Casino scene, you know was really more Extreme Martial Arts then Parkour

and any thubngishness was the effect of the setting which the movie was placed in, the philosphies aired between Cyril and David though were anything but thuggish, they were responsive to a thuggish problem and philosophicaly positive and responsible.

That and maybe I'm missing something, but I wouldn't say the plot was mediocre, not for an action movie.
I think it portrayed alot of interesting concepts and presented a grandiose from of the escalating dilemmas that are already here in our world today.

Sorry for the word usage, I have Big-Worditis

[Tyson Cecka]

Sorry for the word usage, I have Big-Worditis

The word is "bombastic"

And Nico quit worrying, you are taking this too far, Parkour is not mentioned in the movie, and the chase scene is one of the best depictions of Parkour there is. If people do do further research then just worry about your own local scene's knowledge and intelligence.

[JumpOff]

Or honeslty...they'll be like, "WOW. ANOTHER HOLLYWOOD MOVIE WITH COOL STUNTS AND SHOOTING!," and be like, "what the hell is parkour?"


I think your worrying a little to much

[Quazar]

Yes well, unfortunately telling me that does nothing to help my "bombastic"...itis"

[The Manilla Gorilla]

On a side note about the Thuggish thing. Parkour did devolp In Lisse (a Parisian Suburb) The suburbs are basiacly the eqiuvalent of Projects. And they are inhabitated manily by immigrants of Ex french colonies (mainly North Africa). Its wierd because the Immigrant youth hasn't adopted French Culture, If anything they have adopte the American Hip Hop culture(which explaind the Thuggishness). Also If you think those police checks in B-13 were un realistic that is somthing that the People who live in those suburns have to deal with. They police frequintly Check ID's and detain people for hours. Which is why those two kids ran into that electricty plant. Their deaths sparked the riots. In these Suburbs there are ridiculously high crime rates, ands Gangs virtually rule the streets(Sort of like in B-13 Research it more if you want to, I just think its wierd that so many of us Praticice Parkour and are totaly unaware of whats happening there.

When people talk about soccer's popularity one of the main things that comes up is how it can be praticed anywhere, by anyone.  Even in the most ruin down of places. I think Parkour has even more potential then that. When you think about all you need is yourself. You dont need 90 dollar shoes, It be nice, but you dont need them. Think how big parkour could get. With football you need a field and like 20 people. With baseball you need a feild, and a ball. With Basketball its the same. Parkour can be a world wide thing. Just type it in to google vidoes and you get vidoes from argentina, eastern europe,... etc. Ohh man im getting ahead of myself. ypu guys see where im going with this....

[ERI1044]

yep...the message just has to be spread!

[houston]

after some losers at my school see it then see me and my friends practicing they'll think were a bunch of losers that want to learn to dodge bullets and that wont be a good thing. they wont under stand what parkour really is. (half of that is becuase they are losers.)

[M2.]

right, so why concern yourself with what they think of you?

[houston]

your right, i didnt think of that

[.Nico]

Guys, i said i was "worrying" but I am not. I am merely thinking critically

You're right, the plot was not mediocre for an action movie. I went ahead and edited that. I like your ideas about this and I think it says a lot about the parkour community. Now that I think about it, I myself was attracted to parkour with the big jumps and flips in various movies, and I had to learn myself what parkour actually was. The only main danger to this movie is for people who are easily influenced and naive in general. Apart from them, yes you guys are right, Besson did do a good job of portraying the parkour attitude - i am fully aware of the police checks in France, and whatnot.

By the way Teddy, I agree with you completely about the potential of parkour. What if children in the future were encouraged to keep on playing in playgrounds as they got older, instead of having to learn to "grow up?"

[The Manilla Gorilla]

Then the world would be a better place my friend.....

[EL]

I saw it at G-town on the premier day and I regardless of what I thought about it...I really appreciate
the invte and oppurtunity to see the movie for free. Good Looking out M2 and Fam...El is grateful...

[M2.]

Nice one, glad to have you!!

[goldie]

just found a review of the film which kinda relates to the topic


"Both Belle and Raffaelli are stuntmen who are specialists in the French acrobatic fighting style known as Parkour. The fights are extremely exciting and well choreographed (by Raffaelli)."

but i agree, if people are interested enough they will do more research and learn... hopefuly

[Nick]

oh boy, the last thing we need is for people to think were training to beat peple up at jams

[M2.]

aren't we?