In today's lesson we looked at the opening scenes of three films and tried to analyse them. We were then set the task to analyse three openings to films we had selected ourselves. Below are my notes from class and the analysis of three films. These are shown in this post.
Harry Brown
In the opening scene to this film we can see that the genre of the film is a hybrid between teen, horror and action. The scene shows a group of teens taking drugs and then cuts to a scene of two teens riding a moped and eventually killing a woman. The beginning of the scene is set in a dark ally, the darkness helps the audience connote that the film is which dark. The scene then cuts to a housing block where there is graffiti on the walls which symbolizes negativity. The scene is extremely gloomy even when the characters are outside, this shows helps display how the film is part horror. One of the main icons of the clip is the gun which symbolizes how the film is going to be action packed. Other icons such as the drugs and the graffiti display that the nature of the film is quite grimy and could help to show how the teens are bad characters. The clip is filmed from a POV camera which makes the audience feel as if they are actually there which makes the clip seem even more frightening.
Guardians Of The Galaxy
In the opening to this film we can see that this film is a hybrid between Sci-Fi and Comedy. The scene shows a man walking/dancing around what seems to be a space cave. The cave seems quite dark and gloomy however it is brightened by the sound of the cheerful 70's tune being played in the background of the clip, the song takes away from the serious look of the cave making the film seem comedic. There are a few icons in the clip, the first being the small alien rats running around inside the cave displaying that the film is Sci-Fi, the rocket space boots also display that this film comes from out of space as his technology is advanced. Another example of his advanced technological equipment would be his ball of light, which could represent that this character is good and not bad. The character in the scene is instantly likable, we see him dancing and singing into a space rat as if its microphone, these features also add comedy to scene emphasizing that the film is a comedy. The text at the in the scene is very bright and bold, it is also yellow which could represent happiness as comedies are designed to make people happy.
What Lies Beneath
In the opening scene to this film we can instantly tell that it is a horror film. In this scene we see and middle ages women wondering around her house terrified of strange events which are happening around her. The setting of the scene is in this woman's house this makes the scene scary as people usually feel safe when they are in there homes. The theme of the scene is created by the music which creates wild tension but builds into an anti-climax. The main icon in this scene is the writing on the mirror which appears as if by magic in the bathroom, it makes the audience scared as we know there is some kind of spirit or force among her in the house.
Point Break
In the opening scene to this film we can tell that the genre of the film is going to be an action, crime film. The setting of the film is at an FBI training facility displaying the film will be crime based. The theme is developed by the triumphant music in the background of the scene which sounds as if the film will have a heroic plot. There are icons such as the gun showing that the film could be violent, there is also a man surfing, which shows that the film could have something to do with surfing, but both icons display that the film is going to be action packed. The scene shows a likable handsome character, who displays lots of skill, we can tell from this that the story is going to be a good vs evil kind of film from this.
The Dark Knight
In the opening scene to this film we can see that this film will be filled with crime, we cant however see that the film is a superhero movie. The setting of this opening scene is in a bank, which gets robbed and shows that the film is crime based. There are several icons in this scene such as the guns which give away that there will be a lot of action in this film. The people being killed in this scene are also an icon which correlates to the brutality of the film and also how there is action in the film.
Sin City
In this film opening we can tell that the film is a of the genre's Crime and Thriller. In this film opening there is a man and a woman standing on a balcony talking, the man wins over her heart with his words and then kills her. The scene is in black and white which could suggest that the film is set in the 50's, the only colour that shows is the red dress on the women and her red lipstick. The colour red is the only colour possibly because there is love in the film, or it represents the blood that will be shed in the film. The main icon in the film is the gun which shows that the film is crime based and possibly suggests there will be action in the film.