Over the past century of cinematic art, action cinema has undergone a tremendous evolution, and the most iconic set pieces of each era serve as proof of this development. While comedies and dramas may not always resonate in countries with different cultural sensitivities, the best action films speak a universal language, which is why they achieve great success worldwide. From thrilling car chases to blood-soaked conflicts, no action scene requires translation, and this characteristic has allowed Star Wars films and the early works of Steven Spielberg to captivate global audiences and shape the evolution of blockbuster cinema.

The action genre has almost always existed since its inception, and a clear line can be drawn from John Wayne's Westerns to John Wick's relentless waves of enemies. While staging impressive, effects-heavy set pieces is important, ensuring that audiences care is an entirely different matter. The best action sequences are not only technical masterpieces but also propel the story and characters forward, and the examples on this list have succeeded in both aspects.

Viewers inspired by Tom Cruise's physical feats in the Mission: Impossible series must see the works of Buster Keaton. Keaton's masterpiece, the 1926 film The General, features his character's struggle to reclaim a locomotive stolen by union spies. Although the film is classified as a comedy, the surprise stunts performed by Keaton himself remain incredibly impressive even a century later. Particularly noteworthy is the scene where Keaton's character, Johnnie, runs in front of a train and must clear the tracks of the watchman's tools under the threat of death. How Keaton emerges unscathed from this scene has remained a mystery to this day.

Stagecoach is the film that made John Wayne a star and solidified John Ford's reputation as one of the successful Western directors. The work features a dramatic story that connects viewers as a group of diverse characters (including Wayne's outlaw Ringo Kid) must travel together. Ford later shoots an intense action scene during the Apache's coach attack, where the main characters unite to survive. While the rear-screen projection moments are striking, the real surprise work and tight editing electrify these scenes.

In the early years of Hollywood, action films did not exist in their current form. While a contemporary action film may contain multiple chase or conflict scenes, a film labeled as "action" in the 1940s might have had only one or two action scenes. Despite limited budgets and effects capabilities, the works of this era captivated audiences with creative cinematography and bold surprise stunts.