Opening Scene Analysis

1. The Dark KnightRises –OpeningScene Analysis
In the openingscene of “The Dark KnightRises”,the directorusesdifferenttypesof cinematography
inorder to representthe charactersandthemesof the film.
Thisis immediatelyconveyedasthe conglomeratesare portrayedwitheachbeingshroudedinblack
and white.Thisimmediatelysuggeststothe audience thatthe filmwill be more unique –suggesting
that the worldisseparate fromcommonreality – as well asgoingagainstcommonconventionsof a
crime thrillerfilm.The use of the blackandwhite alsosuggeststhatthe audience isenteringintoa
worldwhichhasbeenconsumedbydarknessandwhere itisdifficulttodistinguishwhothe good
guysand the bad guysare, immediatelyofferinganarrative enigmatothe audience astheyquestion
whotheycan trust.
The theme of the worldbeingawayfromrealityisfurthershowninthe nextscene,withthe use of
the establishingshot,showingthe lonelinessandemptinessof the area,andthe fact that the area is
nowhere nearnormal land,furtheremphasisesthe detachmentbetweenthe worldandreality,
allowingthe directortoincrease the tensionwhichthe audience feels.Thisisfurtherdone through
the use of the non-diegeticmusic,whichstartsoff low-key,creatingasense of unease fromthe
audience andmakingthemwonderwhatisgoingtohappen.
Anotherinterestingpartof the openingshotisthe use of the zoominon the plane,showingthe
sense of powerandscale whichthe plane has,and immediatelydirectingthe audience toits
importance.The factthat the directorthencuts away toa mid-close-upshottoashady character,
suggeststhatthe two aspectsof the scene are interlinkedtogether,withthe use of the close-up
immediatelysuggestingthatthe twocharacters are importantto the eventsof the scene.The scene
thenprogressestoa low-angle wide shot,allowingthe audience tosee all the eventshappeningin
the scene.Anotherinterestingaspectishow the coloursonthe wall of the plane are eerilysimilarto
the coloursusedbefore the plane scene,suggestingtothe audience thatthe characterson this
plane are easilydistinguishable andportrayinghow corruptthe characterson the plane are,making
the audience feel animmediatelackof sympathyforthe characters.
Throughoutthe scene,itisnoticeable how the secondcapturedcharacterisalwaysinfocusinall
scene onthe plane,withthe cameraalwaysonlevel withhim.Thisallowsthe charactertobe
representedasamore mysterious character,while alsosuggestingthatthe characterhas a sense of
powerandauthorityto him,heighteningthe senseof tensioninthe scene forthe audience,and
creatinga slightsense of concernoverwhatthe character’s purposesare.Thisalsomatches withthe
shotsoutside of the plane,witheachoverheadshotof the plane becomingfurtherdistantfromthe
plane,suggestingthatthe authorityandpowerwhichthe people have isslowlyfadingaway,and
portrayingthemas insignificantto the audience,andhintingthatthe threatto the audience lieswith
the man underneaththe hood.
As thisisprogressing,the non-diegeticmusicslowlybeginstorise towardsa slow crescendoasthe
camera slowlybeginstodrawitsattentiontowardsthe manin the mask,furtherhighlightinghis
importance inthe film,andthe slowsense of powerwhichthe maninthe mask isslowlydrawing,
matchingthe musicof the scene,andsuggestingtothe audience thatthe importantelementsof the
scene are linkedtothischaracter, creatinga sense of tensionanduneasinessforthe audience. The
fact that the musicin the scene maintainsitseerienature asthe camerafocusesonthe manin the
mask,createsan uneasinesstowardsthe character’snature andplan,furtheremphasisedby the
close-upshotof the character as he mentionsthatthe whole scene waspartof “the plan”,withthe
use of the close-upallowingthe characterto dominate the scene,while alsohintingthatthe

2. character isin control of the entire situationinthe scene,withthe use of the high-angle shotonthe
character facingthe man inthe maskshowingthe lackof powerwhichthe character has inthe
scene,contrastingtohiswords.The fact that the directoralsoplacesthe othercharacters inthe shot
comparedto the man inthe mask’sshots where the charactersare barelyinfocusappearsto be a
deliberatemove bythe directorasit conveysthe lackof control the characterhas in termsof the
situationcomparedtothe man inthe mask,and furtherportrayingthe sense of confidencethe man
inthe maskhas overhim.
The scene thencuts awaytowardsa long-angle wide shotof the plane withthe factthatthe plane is
far largerinsize and dominatesmostof the scene reflectsthe dominance the plane andthe
characters relatedtothe plane have overthe charactersin the otherplane,displayingthe scale of
threatthe manin the maskhas, as well assuggestingthatthe characterwill displayaparticular
threatto the titular“Dark Knight”inthe film.
The fact that at the endof the scene,the weatherhasbecome slightlydark,suggestingtothe
audience thatthe happinesswhichwasprominenthasfaded,relatingtothe sense of lightatthe end
of the tunnel,suggestingtothe audience thatall hope maybe lostforthe world,andthat the world
has re-enteredintodarkness,withthisallowingthe audiencetofeel the sense of fearandbe
concernedforthe realitytheyhave entered.The factthat the musicin the scene isbarelyprominent
and has fadedout,allowsthe directortoemphasisethe impactandallowsthe audience tofeelthe
impactof the scene theyhave justwitnessedandmakesthemquestionwhathe isupto, and
whetherhe canbe stopped,creatingthe keynarrative enigmaof the film, andthe factthat the
scene fadesintoa blackscene,allowsthe directortokeepthe audience onthe edge of theirseats
and wonderingwhattheywillsee next.