Lord of War opening scene analysis

The lord of war intro is very interesting as it starts of with Nicolas cage explaining how many guns there are but then says that there needs to be more, this would make an audience feel very uneasy about this character as they are unsure whether he is a good guy or a bad guy, the camera angle shown is a low angle shot which gives him all the power, and suggests he is the most important man, it then changes to a close up and he directly speaks to the audience this would be a weird thing for the audience to see as they are rarely spoken to directly by the character and it suggests he is trying to tell them something or advertise the production and usage of guns in the real world. After he is done speaking the music begins in a very relaxing way showing the journey a bullet goes through in its life, this is very odd as the relaxing music is not what we would expect as an audience to this kind of film and the camera perspective is of the bullet itself so it gives the audience the idea of what bullet manufacturing is like, the music is in the background possibly to add contrast to the very grim deals going on in front of the bullet, and the dark world of the African Civil wars. The journey could also be used to tell the audience that this film will include action as there are fighting scenes in the last few seconds of the opening, and it gives the audience the idea of what the film is about, weapon dealing, as the bullet travels through multiple hands it suggests there are lots of exotic locations used especially Africa, this is also backed by the extreme poverty and the exotic plants also help to suggest that this film is based in Africa. The clothing Nicolas Cages character is wearing is very expensive this juxtaposes with the bullets and violence around him and suggests he is selling violence and chaos. The costumes also in the clip suggests the bullets are traveling across the world with clothes ranging from Russian Army uniforms to the rugged clothing worn by African fighters. This also suggests that htis film will have multiple locations. The titles are used between shots when the screen goes black, this could be so that the audience doesn't get distracted from the footage being used, it also lets the audience read who was involved in the making of the film, as it stands out on the black background. The general theme in this film is weapons, Guns and the effect they have on the War-torn countries they arrive in, this indicates the film fits into the conventions of crime/war film as there is the theme of war in this clip and the main character is involved in crimes during war-time.

V for Vendetta opening analysis

The opening scene is very good, it starts with the sound of a TV anchorman who is describing the state of the world at the moment, but the audience quickly realises they shouldn't believe everything they hear as he starts becoming more extremist and very racist, this would shock a British audience as the appearance of such a man on TV would shock them and make them think about how much Britain has changed. The scene however is most effective in the way it shows contrast between the main two characters, as they both appear to watch the same show while getting ready to go outside, this would make it look like they might be meeting somewhere but the difference in clothes suggests one could be going to some kind of party while the other looks like he might be preparing for a fight. the camera is in a first person view of the main protagonist V putting on his mask and looking at a mirror this would add mystery to  man and make the audience wonder why he wears it and what is underneath, it also portrays him as guy Fawkes which would make the audience believe he is some kind of revolutionary, it would also remind a modern audience of the Occupy protest movement. As the TV anchor says the word Judgement there is a quick cut away to V putting swords on, this could be suggesting that the TV anchor has something he is going to be judged on it could also suggest however that V is Judgement for all people who have done something wrong.  They also use a panning shot to switch between rooms, this makes the transition very smooth and makes it look like the protagonsists are living opposite each other, and it adds juxtaposition to each other as one is a vigilante and the other is a women getting ready for a night out. V appears to be a very traditional man, as he wears classic leather boots and a black costume, it looks like he is from the 1600's this could be to make the audience feel like the government between the 1600's and the movies setting are both very totalitarian and they both require a Guy Fawkes kind of character to fix the situation. The TV in the background of both rooms suggests that they are likely to meet each or they have some kind of link between them, this is a theme throughout the scene and suggests they will be important to each other. I believe that this film is aimed at 20-40 year old men and women as the film, because they have a female protagonist and it is likely that the weapons that are shown and the clear cut bad guys being the government would attract a male audience. The use of weapons and tense music suggests that this movie is a action/thriller as the they are most associated with violence and tense scenes, which are both conventions in those genres

Children of men opening analysis

This scene is very effective because from the onset the intro is telling us what is happening in the world, to give us some background about this movie. The film is also quick in introducing the main character as he is scene walking in the centre of the shot going through people to make his way to the front, this allows the audience to quickly  identify him as the main character and it gives them time to relate to him. The sound of the music in the background along with the sound of people crying gives the audience the idea that it is very emotional moment and is very saddening for the people in the scene. There is also a quick contrast in environment from the quiet claustrophobic cafe to the much noisier outdoor city streets, this change signals to the audience a possible change of scene, it also increases the amount of chaos in the scene for the audience to look at, they also as he emerges identify the location as London, so people know where the movie is set, they also give a date so the audience is aware that the movie is set in the future. In the final seconds of the film the noise in the city quietens until the explosion occurs, this is effective because it is like the quiet before the storm and it is something the audience would not have expected. As the mist clears the audience gets a glimpse of what looks like a women holding her arm, this shows the audience that the country is in chaos but it is cut shot of fully showing us because it cuts to the title this is effective as it leaves the audience interested to see the rest of the film. The clothes the people are wearing are commonly seen as suits, or there wearing jackets and trench coats, this also gives the audience the idea that this film is based in a city, which we later know is London, The room they are in appears to be a cafe as there are people with coffee and a sandwich bar in the background, this could be used to give the scene a bit of fimiliarity to the scene as many people go to cafes during there normal day for breaks and lunch, they would be shocked by the terror attacks inflicted on the people as they would know what it feels limke to be in a cafe. The look on the faces of those in the cafe show a number of emotions which suggest shock, disbelief and concern, this I believe would be the natural reaction to an event such as the one depicted, and it gives the audience an idea of what emotions they should be feeling. They tend to use long shots in this scene, this allows them to show a lot of people and things happening in the scene, this is to make it look like a normal scene and that no one in the scene is important. They also use match on action to show what the main character is looking at when he is in the cafe, this makes it more personal and we get to see what is grabbing everyones attention. The movement of the cameraman around the main actor creates a great view of everything around him and provides a view of the explosion when it goes off, this is so that the audience can see the action unfolding.

Saving Private Ryan opening scene analysis

This clip is from near the beginning of the film. The costumes actors Tom hanks and the others are wearing are that of US GI's during WW2, this makes the audience feel like they are actually going back through time as they don't like modern soldiers, it would also make them feel, like this film is set during WW2 like the introduction before would have shown, also the green uniforms are easier to distinguish from the German soldiers who appear to be wearing more grey uniforms, this makes it easier to know who the antagonists are. The ocean behind him has been turned red, this gives the audience a feeling of the losses inflicted already and gives them an idea on how bloody this film is likely to be, it would also be a feature of war/action films to have blood in the film to show that people have been killed. The debris around Tom Hanks includes bits of soldier, such as arms and helmets, this would shock an audience and adds distress to the film as faint-hearted people might find the sight of this very upsetting, but the director probably wanted this so that it would stun the audience to make them think about the loss of all those men. The sound used near the start implies that the captain has trouble hearing, this impacts the audience as they have little audio to listen too and it makes them concentrate more on what is going on visually, it also adds the feeling like they are the captain on the beach as they are experiencing what he felt, this makes the story more personal and immerse for an audience watching. The sound of gunfire and explosions in the background adds to the realistic sense that this is a battlefield, and the sound of bullets zipping by would fill an audience with adrenaline because they don't know where the next soldier will die. The camera in film is using the shaky cam effect, this would be udes to show the brutality and intensity of the battle scene, it also immerses the audience further into the reality of the film making them feel more for the character, they also use a combination of long shots, close ups and medium shots in the sequence to help show the intensity of the fighting and to help show the range of action going on in the beach, it also helps show the emotions of injured and dying soldiers as they lay on the beach. They also use camera shots taken from Tom Hank's point of view which allows the audience to see what he is seeing and also adds to the immersive nature of the film, they also use a panning shot as they run up the beach this helps to show the scale of the fighting and  to give the audience an idea of the distance they travel, it allows them to experience more of the action taking place on the beach. The pace of editing is relatively slow during the deaf ear section, this makes it look like the scene is in slow motion and we get to see the devastation for longer, however as the scene goes on the pace of editing speeds up as Hanks recovers, this makes it a convention of war/action films as they would usually have a fast pace of editing during an action sequence to make the scene appear more chaotic then it might be if the pace was slower.

Dark Knight Rises Opening scene Analysis

The opening of the dark knight rises starts with a long shot of what appears to be a desolate wasteland, with very few features, this implies that there is a lot of travelling done in the film and they are in a exotic location, it could also imply that they are there for a reason. There is a quiet build up in music which suggests to the audience that the scene is building up to something. Inside the aircraft the soldiers and the interrogator all have Guns but the unidentified men don't, this suggests that the men are prisoners and are the main antagonists, but it also shows the audience who has the power in the scene, it also suggests that this film is a action film. As the interrogator takes of Bane's cover there is suddenly a change in the music and it begins to build up a lot of tension with the main Bane theme, the camera shot is also giving Bane the most power in the scene, while the other man is shown from a high angle giving the audience the power, this shows the audience that Bane could be planning to do something and it shows that he is the most dominant person in the scene. Bane also begins threatening the interrogator, which would show the audience the power Bane has and it shows them that he always wanted to be caught. The scene quickly cuts to another aircraft approaching with very tense music playing to tell the audience that some action is going to occur. Bane appears to be wearing very rugged clothing with what looks like armour on, it also appears that he has some kind of breathing problem as he wears a mask to cover his face, it intimidates the audience and the people he is talking to, as we can not see his facial expression and it is like talking to a machine, it might even remind an audience of Darth Vader from Star Wars, as he also appears to have a mask on and he intimidates the audience and those he talks too. The other characters in the aircraft appear to be soldiers as they are wearing army camoflage, this should add the idea that Bane is a dangerous character and he needs a lot of guarding, it also suggests to an audience that there is likely to be some kind of action, as it would be common in films for soldiers to be in action films like the Dark Knight Rises. The interrogator appears much smaller than Bane, which means he doesn't really have much of a presence in the audiences view, he also appears to be wearing casual clothes which suggests he is not apart of the Army, it also suggests he is very casual, which could suggest he is trying to fit in to civilian environments, which would explain his role in the CIA and it suggests he isn't expecting any trouble. There are no titles in this introduction which builds tension in the audience as they await the titles and the actors credits. Overall the editing uses a lot of fast pace 180 rule, this helps the audience follow the conversation between Bane and the CIA operative and it provides a good action sequence as the plane is brought down, they also use a lot of close ups which allows the audience to see facial expressions and to see who is talking when.

Quantum of Solace opening analysis

2.00 minutes only

The opening of Quantum of Solace is heavily based towards a male audience, this is because there are a number of props in the scene such as the very fast car in the aston martin, which is seen as a classic Bond car and many fans of the series would be very excited to see Bonds car, they also use of guns and gadgets, which is a key convention of the action genre, this would be very attractive for fans of this genre and the male audience as they usually enjoy seeing action with guns. The clever use of the tunnel lighting allows the transition between shots very smooth, this makes the sequence very mysterious as we aren't sure what's going on, as the audience doesn't see everything in shot. The editing between shots is also very fast as the scene becomes a fast pace car chase, which is what we expect from action film like James Bond, this adds tension and danger as the audience would want to know what happens next. The camera shots used include an establishing shot, this helps the audience see the setting to be in an exotic location, but we aren't sure where, this is adds mystery to the scene as we aren't sure where he is until later in the clip, this is a key convention in action films as we like to think that special agents are far away on exotic islands. They also use a number of close ups on James Bond, this helps the audience see his fascial expressions and we also get the idea of how he is driving. The costumes used by Bond are very sharp and suggests that he is very important, and it also shows that he is clearly a spy as we would expect them to be paid well or given suits to let them blend in, The bad guys are wearing black clothing suggesting to the audience that they are basic antagonists and are not important to the storyline. There is also a lack of dialogue in the scene, this takes our attention to the action that is going on in the scene rather than anything the characters might be saying or doing.

Skyfall Opening Analysis

In the opening scene of Skyfall it starts very dark and blurry, with a unkown figure in the background, this sequence is very effective because it adds mystery, and tension to the scene, as the audience doesn't know what's happening. Then the figure is identified as James Bond, this will excite the audience as they know the film will feature things like Guns and car chases. The scene is very dark and it shows there is mystery behind Bond as a character, the close up shows a concerned look on Bond's face and shows the audience he is very professional in his job. As he enters the room there are a few bodies lying on the ground, this suggests action in the film, which would be expected from a James Bond film. The voice on the radio would be easily recognizable to James Bond fans as M, suggesting the film has major character's in it. However the room seen is very dark and it doesn't give away the location, so the audience doesn't know where the location is, this adds to the idea that the film is a spy film with secret locations and unkown killers. James then quickly moves outside to unveil that he is in Turkey which shows the audience that the film takes place in exotic locations. The music in the scene also builds tension as it is very quiet but it makes listen to what is being said and what is occurring, as the scene progresses and Bond approaches the door the music quickly changes to some middle eastern music to tell the audience that there is a change of scene. Bond is wearing what appears to be a very expensive suit, this is can be considered sterotypical for a foreigner unable to adapt to there unfimiliar surroundings, the suit also makes Bond standout later in the scene where everyone else is wearing similar clothing, this makes the audience focus on him because we know he is our main protagonist. They use shallow focus near the start of this film, this makes it difficult for the audience to pick details out of Bonds silhouette and it focuses the audiences attention on Bond. They use a number of shots including an over the shoulder shot, in responce to the match on action, this lets us see what Bond is seeing and it puts the attention away from Bond and onto what he is investigating. They also use Medium shots very effectivly during the scene because we see what Bond's facial expressions look like and it helps the audience know what he is doing with his hands, like saving agent Ronson, we get to see the look on Bonds face as he tries to save the agent. This film I believe would be aimed at a more teenage-young adult male audience as this film contains a lot of action scenes and violence.