film opening analysis

1. EmilyMorris – Pre production
Film Analysis – The Graduate(1967)Directed by
MikeNicholls
The filmbeginswithaclose upshot of the protagonistandzooms
out to show a wide shotof what seemstobe the inside of an
aeroplane.Hisfacial expressionremainssolemnthroughoutand
he nevermakeseye contactwiththe camera because he’s
constantlylookingintothe distance suggestingunhappiness.This
lack of eye contact alsosuggestsavoidance andactsas a device
to signal tothe audience thatthe characteris tryingto avoidthe
future.He looksentirelyplainand,apartfromthe fact that the
camera initiallyfocusesonhimina close upshot, he completely
blendsintothe crowdas if he has no importance. Asthis
happens,the diegeticsoundof the pilotcanbe heardwhich
furtheranchorsthe notionthat the character isin a plane.
However,upongettingoff the plane,the non-diegeticsoundof backgroundmusicstartsto play
whichisinterspersedwithvariousdiegeticsoundsfromwithinthe scene. The backgroundmusicis
‘The Sound of Silence’bySimonandGarfunkel.The title of thissonghasconnotationsof loneliness
and isolationwhich,combinedwiththe characters’facial expressionthroughoutthisscene,anchors
the ideathat he’sunhappy. Varioustrackingshots constantlyfollowsthe charactersuggestinghe’s
the maincharacter throughout.He’sshowntobe constantlylookingintodistance whichsuggests
that he couldbe consideringthe future andwhattodo next.He’snevershowntobe lookingstraight
intocamera whichisindicative of the factthat he possiblydoesn’tknow what’scomingnext andis
tryingto avoidit.He stepsontoa conveyerbeltwhichispushinghimtowardsmetaphorical future
withno falteringwhichsuggeststhathe isbeinghurtledintohisfuture nomatterwhat.People rush
past as if theyknowwhattheywant andwhere they’re goingbut he doesn’t.The blandbackground
makesthe entire scene seembleakandalmostasif there’snohope.
The onlytime that he isn’tinframe is whenwe see hissuitcase.Thisisgreyandplainjustlike him.
There’sa flashof redon it whichcouldrepresentanelementof fearandsuggeststhathe’sscaredof
what’sto come next.Thisisshortlyfollowedbythe sign‘dotheymatch?’ whichcouldbe seenasa
relationshipsymbol,foreshadowingthe ideaof alove interestlaterinthe film.
The mise enscene presentshimas wearingasuit togo home whichsuggestshe isnot comfortable
there.Outside the airport,everyoneispairedwithpeople apartfromhimwhichemphasisesthe fact
that he’salone andpossiblyfeelingquiteisolated.
He getshome and his face isstill solemn,suggestingthathe’s unhappytobe there.Fishtank is
indicative of containment,asif he feelstrappedbyhispredicament.
Althoughthisfilmdoesn’tfall underthe genre of psychological thriller,Ireallylike how the actorhas
beenpositionedwithinthe shotsandthe use of symbolism(muchlike withthe fishtankwhichis
usedto representconfinement) toshowa sense of isolation.These are techniques thatIwouldlike
to incorporate intomyfilm because Ican make themfitwell intothe conventionsof apsychological
thriller.