2. The Pursuit Of Happyness
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjLbVMZS
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• Introduced to setting, main characters
• Establishing shots
• Titles – Actors, companies, title
• Music – helps set the scene
3. Inception
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
VXkUzf1et4
• Company logos – linked to film
• First shot – should be at the end
• Confuses us
• “He knows” – what does he know?
• Introduced to main character
• Music – forceful, crescendo when time or
setting changes
This opening scene is highly effective as it introduces us to the setting, along with the two main characters using establishing shots and not giving too much away about the actual plot of the movie. It also has titles over the top to let us know the main actors, the main companies behind the film along with the actual title of the movie which appears half way through the opening scene. The music is very ambient and helps to simply establish the setting in a very calm manor.
This opening scene is effective right from the start where it links the production company logo’s into the movie itself, making everybody curious already. The first shot is confusing (as is the rest of the film) as it seems like it should be at the end of a film, not the start. This confuses us straight away, and from watching the whole movie, that is, in a round about way, the main aim. When it changes from DiCaprio talking to the old man to him talking to a younger man, this adds to the confusion and when Arthur says “he knows” it makes us ask questions – what does he know? Only introduced to the main character, through him talking about his job, none of the others are introduced. Music is forceful and gets louder and louder until it reaches a crescendo when the setting or time changes, sort of helps us understand the chronology.
I like this opening scene because it gets straight into the storyline – where he says “I am”, this is powerful because it leaves us asking all sorts of questions like why is he saying that if he’s not actually dead? Is he going to kill himself? Why? Etc. Music is solemn, played with only piano notes, to go along with the idea of suicide – depressing. Sets up the story when he says “in seven days God created the world, and in seven seconds I destroyed mine”. This also leaves us wanting to see the film to find out how he ruined his, what he done.
