Speed (Jan de Bont, 1994)

How is the main character constructed? What filmic tools are used to accentuate and highlight that construction? What are the objectives, desires and challenges s/he faces?

Speed is a film that literally showers its audience in intense chase scenes, thrilling fight scenes and nail biting situations. But these qualities are what we expect in any action film, so what makes this film so special? Not only are we spoiled with not one, not two but three action packed scenarios (the elevator rescue, the bomb on the bus  and the subway chase scene) but our main protagonist in the film played by Keanu reeves becomes the heart and soul of this film. He is a very likable character who time and time again pulls through and saves the day, even when he is really pushed to his limits.
Jack is first depicted as just your average member of the Los Angeles bomb squad, he follows orders and gets the job done. But we soon discover jacks ability to think outside the box, especially when he is presented with a scenario by his college henry. His response to shoot the hostage isn’t the kind of answer expected from a member of the police force, however his reasons make scene.
Henry: Gunman with one hostage. He's using her for cover. He's almost to a plane. Your 100 feet away. Jack?
Jack: Shoot the hostage
Henry: What?!
Jack: Take her out of the equation. Go for the good wound and he can't get to the plane with her. Clear shot.
Henry: You’re deeply nuts you know that?
 
Alongside his unique way of thinking jack proves to be a strong, courageous man whos main priorities in the film are keeping everyone safe and catching the bad guy. All the qualities we expect in a hero. He handles an entire bus of hysteric people when discovering theres a bomb on board and even manages to spark a romance with a passenger at the same time.

We also see jacks softer side with his reaction to the death of his good friend and colleague, his serge of anger and rage shows how much he cared for his friend and also, to the villain,  his weakness. He is a hero who literally never gives up until the job is done, even after attempting and failing to catch Howard Payne, our relentless bad guy, numerous times he still persists in the final scene on the subway. But this time it’s personal when the life of his newest romance is at stake. When all is lost and they seem truly doomed he still sticks by her rather than fleeing to let her die, showing him to be a true hero and gentleman.