Class film opening analysis

Skyfall

This will help me as it will let me explore the key themes which are presented by a popular mainstream film opening. This gives me an idea of what a mainstream audience would expect from a film opening.

Genre

• Action - daggers and guns
• Drama -death references (skulls, blood, gravestones etc) 
  

Narrative

• Camera - Low angle shot of protagonist in water (enigma code)
• Womans hand - drags him down (connotations of women causing issues and bringing him down) 
  
• POV High angle - protagonist falling down what looks like a plughole - not in  agood state of mind - makes the viewer question his destination
• Continual journey in water - connotation of him having far to go
• Target cut out of protagonist floating in water with wound where he was hit on the train - foreshadowes injury in this film?
• Shooting his own shadow - afraid of himself?

Character

• Protagonist looks vulnerable - loss of consciousness
• Also looks weak - dragged down by woman's hand - extremely small in comparison to hand
• Often aims his weapon where he is walking - afraid of enemies - cautious
• Close up shots of protagonist's face - personal - looks tired and worn 
  

Atmosphere

• POV shots - makes certain sequences feel more personal 
  
• Underwater - everything floats around - feels unnatural
• Shadows - much of the screen is usually filled with darkness/shadows - feels claustrophobic - low key lighting

Themes

• Death - repeated imagery of weapons (guns and knives), blood, shooting targets
• Internal conflict - protagonist shooting his own shadows, mirrors and seemingly overly cautious
• Conflict - woman aiming pistol (a Walther PPK, the protagonist's iconic weapon of choice; suggesting she obtained it from him -betrayal?) at camera - Fire underwater - contrasting colours - shooting targets in place of fish 
  
• Stag/deer - hints to later in film

Setting

• Underwater - some appears as if it were filmed on the seabed - some looks like underwater buildings 
  
• Water - drowning - death
• Buildings - appear abandoned - solitary, alone

Sound

• Water can be heard flowing at start (and then protagonist being submerged) - diegetic - only non-diegetic sound after that point
• Dramatic and sudden violins begin as he is submerged - signals start of sequence
• Lyrics begin with "This is the end" - ironic - beginning of film vs "end" - death connotations?
• Lyrics often link to what is being seen - "but you'll never have my heart" - blood-red skull and structures which look like arteries/veins - "we will stand tall and face it all" as protagonist/camera (POV shot) looks/tilts upwards to see reflection of standing protagonist and multiple other silhoutted reflections 
  

Titles

• All of the titles are white (except some nearer the end, when they are on a white background and so change to black) - purity - contrast to largely dark backdrop
• Titles appear either when the scene changes or/and at the same time the pace/section of the song changes
• Titles remain in place on screen regardless of what is happening
• Size of titles remains the same, as well as the font
• Names are always in capitals whilst titles (Co-Producers etc) are lowercase 
  
• Main 'SKYFALL' title is only slightly larger than the others and partially covered up as protagonist falls/is pulled - understated
• Main title is stylised (some areas faded, different font etc) - matches posters, cover art etc