Analysing the hot fuzz intro

1. ArthurBlackwood
Analysing the Introduction to Hot Fuzz
The use of soundoverthe openingtitlesshowsthe audience the progressionof the evolutionof the
police force assoundchangesfrom a whistle and anair raidsirento the typical sirenwe hearcoming
frompolice cars inpresentday.Notonlydoesthisshow thisfilmisaboutthe police force andwhat
it hascome to,but it alsothat the filmissetinpresentdayas the last soundoverthe studiosis a
presentdaysiren.There isthena soundbridge of a slamming“boom”soundtoaid the cut intothe
start of the film.Here we cutto silence brieflybefore we hearfootstepsbuildupasNicholasAngel
movesfromtowardsthe camera froma longshotto a close shot. Angel isblockedcentre screento
showthat he is the mainfocusof this montage.Havinggone fromthe evolutionof the police force
to Constable Angel the audience cangauge fromthisandhisrigid,purposeful actingthe audience
may be able to inferthathe is ‘the nextthing’inthe police force’sevolution. The cameraalsotilts
slightlyupwardstocreate a slightlow Angel shot.Thisplaceshimabove the audience showinghis
importance andpower.
At the veryendof the firstpart,a monologue byAngel beginsandcontinuesthroughthe montage to
introduce andgive detailsabouthimself asthe mainfocusof the film.We know he isaddressingthe
audience ashe takesoff hishat, looksdownthe camera(the audience’spointof view) andshows
the camera hisbadge and thenbeginshisvoice over.We thencutto the nextpart withseveral cuts
ina shortspace of time setaside fast,upbeatmusictocreate a sense of actionand urgency.This
showsthe genre andengagesthe audience withthe keyinformationof the voice over.The audience
seesAngel inapolice uniformwalkingthroughanoffice thatseemsslightlytintedbluetoshow that
Angel isat workin a police office asthe colourblue createsmeaningforthe audience of the police.
A trackingshotis usedto followAngelashe iswalkingandkeepshimcentre of screenthe whole
time.All othercharactersinthe scene are walkingthe otherwayto Angel aswe track himgivingthe
appearance thathe ismovingfaster/more dramatically(aidedbythe extensiveuse of cuts) andthat
he standsout from the restof the force.
Followingthisthereisthena wipe cut where we change scene toa gym.The camerasweepsaround
Angel,keepinghimasa centre pointandthencuts againto a mid-shotwhichthenzoomsinagainto
a close shot.The voice-overdialogue “police training”issynchronouswiththisscene asitissetina
gym,all characters are wearing‘physical education-type’blue poloshirtsandboththese things
connote to training.
There isthenanotherwipe cutto Angel showing“fieldexercises”–anothershotsynchronouswith
the voiceover.Inthisscene there are still manycutsina short space of time asthisscene isshowing
action.The camera tracks Angel againwithseveral punchbagsobscuring the actorputtingthe
audience inthe scene andmakingthemfeel the actionof the sequence.Atall times Angel isahead
of the othercharacters.Whenactors are exitingthe punchbagswe primarilysee Angelata mid-shot
leavingthe bags,thena wide shotof the whole teamleavingthe bagsfollowing Angel,thenfinally
Angel runningoutof shotto showthe rest of the groupbehindhim.Thisshowshimassignificantly
betterthanthe other characterswhile keepinghiminfocus.
Yet againa wipe transition isusedtomove tothe nextscene of “urbanpacificationandriotcontrol”
scene.The same transitionisusedoverandoverto show a close linkbetweenthe scenesinthe
montage.Behindthe voice-overwe hearflamesandbombssoundeffectsalongside ConstableAngel
witha riot shieldanda‘heavyduty’costume toreinforce genre and Angel asthe hero.
Sceneslike thiscontinuelikethiswiththe wipe transitionalmostlike Angel’sshow reel.He isalmost
alwaysblockedinthe centre of the shotand hisvoiceoverisalwayssynchronouswiththe scene.This

2. ArthurBlackwood
may alsocreate a slightimpressionthathe istooself-centredtothe audience aswe alwayslookfor
a hero’sflawas itis mostlikelysignificantinthe plot.Thisisreinforcedbythe songthroughoutthe
montage called“GoodyTwoShoes”by AdamAnt.
Anotherof the film’sgenresispresentedinthe “advanceddriving/advancedcycling”part.Comedy
iscreatedhere by juxtaposinghimdoingadriftina car thenturningto the camera, andhimdoinga
drifton a bicycle thenturningtothe camera incomical gogglesalmostsarcastically. We alsosee
elementsof comedywhenhe explainshimgettingstabbedinthe handbya manin a Santa suit.
Comedyiscreatedhere ashe pausesdramaticallyasif he isgoingto say somethingdramatic
between“amandressed…”andthensays “…as fatherChristmas”as thisisthe last thingthe
audience wouldexpectfollowingthe seriouspause.