1. 3 Film Opening Narratives
Batman Begins- The opening sequence starts with no titles, just thousands of
bats flying, and it the background and the famous logo, this is to immediately
show that the film is an action film associated with the famous character batman,
this can be told, because batman is known in the modern day film industry as an
action hero, therefore he becomes a character convention of action.
It then goes into the background of a large mansion, with two children, one
chasing the other, with a dramatic orchestral music, making the music seem
more intense than it should be, this could be to represent that childhood is a key
element, and the events of childhood affects the characters in the future. It then
leads to the boy running off with the arrowhead they found (iconography for an
action film), and running off with it. The music goes up in a quick crescendo,
when he falls down the well, showing how this element could be a key aspect, as
immediately after bats in the cavern attack him. It then cuts to a man waking up,
the boy grown up, in which he replies to a man asking about his dream,
“Nightmare” proving that what happened then, affects Bruce now, it then shows
that he is in an Asian prison, showing contrast from the Mansion he once lived in,
this is kind of a convention of action, being in a foreign prison or camp having to
defend from attackers. It then goes to show Bruce defending himself from
attacker, which is quickly shown to him brutally beating them up, which leads to
show how much stronger and more dangerous he has become, because of that
one event of childhood has changed his life. The scene ends with him being
dragged away by the guards.
Lord of The Rings: Fellowship of the Ring-The opening credits roll on in almost
silence, showing the companies very quickly. Then it scrolls to a dark screen in
which a very proper English voice over is given, in which the voice actor uses old
English, and talks about realms, and elves and dwarves, this immediately gives
the genre away as a fantasy, as they are all conventions of the fantasy genre, and
wouldn’t really be seen outside the walls of fantasy, it is also a hybrid genre,
showing some aspects of action, in which it is shown a large battle takes place,
with very wide camera shots, showing entire armies fighting it out, with a lot of
death, and set to a dramatic orchestral score using bursts of symphonic choral
singing in the forte dynamic, both conveying the action of the scene as of the
music being loud bursts, but the fantasy as well, as of it being played on classical
music, that instruments can be considered as reminiscent of/ or associated to the
fantasy genre.
The narrative of this scene is very clear, and very apparent, having the title,
“Lord of the Rings” appear on the screen, then it going into a scene completely
controlled by narration, all the acting and visuals on screen, are the story being
told about the origins of the one ring, giving the idea that the ring is important,
and is the item of the most evil throughout the entire movie, as of it being
described as created from malice, and is designed to control all of middle earth.
All the camera shots of Sauron, start with a shot of the ring, showing that
although Sauron created the ring, ultimately the ring is the worst thing. This is

2. because the main focus of the film series, is the destruction of the Ring, and this
leads to show it’s importance in the film, without giving it away straight away.