Photo by Summit EntertainmentDirector Kathryn Bigelow knows action. From the Western vampires in "Near Dark," to the surfing bank robbers in "Point Break," to the millennial hysteria of "Strange Days," she has delivered kinetic thrills with a distinctly gritty feel. Her new film, "The Hurt Locker," puts viewers on the front lines of the Iraq War with a bomb disposal unit as they do the most dangerous job imaginable. It's a movie that literally starts with a bang and doesn't let up the tension for two hours.

We asked Bigelow to give us a list of her ten favorite action scenes in movies. Click through to see which films inspired and thrilled her the most.

Everett CollectionTHE WILD BUNCH (1969)

"The opening sequence of the great Sam Peckinpah western started a revolution in filmmaking that is still unfolding -- and still pretty hard to top. For sheer energy and visceral punch, it's a landmark that never gets old. Plus, 'if they move, kill 'em' is a great example of character melded with action."

Everett CollectionTHE BATTLE OF ALGIERS (1967)

"The entire film has a reportorial urgency that married great action-filmmaking with strong characters, and thought-provoking material. Shows not only that entertainment and substance can go hand in hand -- but that they can grab you by the throat and never let go."

Photo by Orion Pictures, Everett CollectionRAN (1985)

"Kurosawa's masterpiece is a study in frame-by-frame perfection. The entire movie is about as good as it gets. A must see."

Photo by Warner Bros. Pictures, Everett CollectionFULL METAL JACKET (1987)

"The sniper scene in the last twenty minutes of Stanley Kubrick's war epic is like a cinematic heart-attack. A perfectly calibrated drumbeat of dread and doom that puts you right in the combat zone."

Everett CollectionONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1969)

"The opening sequence. Proved for all time that action and suspense can go hand in hand, and that sometimes, the slow, steady build is the deadliest of all."

Everett CollectionMEAN STREETS (1973)

"Scorsese's drive-by hit has a nervous freneticism that emulates the character's shattered state of mind. Action and personality become one hyper-intense reality."

Everett CollectionTHE TERMINATOR (1984)

"The Terminator appears onscreen as a mysterious being and then proceeds to introduce himself -- and us -- to a group of unwitting punks. He doesn't say much. But he doesn't need to. We've just seen the Epic (a futuristic robot) collide with the Everyday (a group of thugs) in a way that rocks your world."

Photo by 20th Century Fox, Everett CollectionTHE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)

"A car chasing a train! What more can you say. This is the stone tablet for nail-biting, edge-of-your seat story telling. I can still hear those screeching brakes and see the smoking tires, even after all these years."

Everett CollectionNORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)

"Only Hitchcock could turn a crop duster into an instrument of terror. Cary Grant's expression as he flees from the infernal machine, running for his life, made cinematic history."

Everett CollectionRASHOMON (1951)

"The two samurai hunting each other in the forest is a dizzying display of filmic prowess. Since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, its no wonder that this sequence gets quoted all the time."