1. Film Analysis
Iron Man 3.

2. Shot Types
In the very first scene of when we are introduced to an animated form
of Iron Man, we see a medium shot of him standing firm with fists
clenched. This instantly tells us that he is the protagonist and holds the
most power. Furthermore, the way this shot is lit suggests to the
audience that this chapter of Iron Man’s life will be more serious and
darker. We can also identity that this character is the hero.
Here we are shown a medium close up of Tony Stark with another
female who is grasping on to his face in a dark, quiet environment. This
suggests to the audience that we will get to see more of his personal
life. Moreover, the fact that it is the female who is holding on to his face
suggests to us that he may be wanted by her.
Close ups of cars and other fast modes of transport with Tony Stark
driving them himself are genre signifiers of action films as we expect to
see flashy cars in films such as this. It also drags in the attention of car
lovers who may not already watch films like this.

3. Editing & Sound
The title sequence of Iron Man 3 moves along fast, the shots that go
on from single to split screen gives us the idea that the film will be
action packed and fast paced. It also constantly switches from an
animated version of Iron Man to a normal, human form of him. We
expect to see this as Marvel have always represented him in this
way in pervious Iron Man films and comics of theirs.
The styling of the font being yellow, bold, italic and sans serif on a
background with a red tint again ties in with the typical way Marvel
have always represented Iron Man. Titles also flash in and out fast,
this will keep the audiences’ focus while watching the film as there
may be a chance of missing something.
Music is used throughout the title sequence in the opening of Iron
Man 3. The non diagetic music consists of mostly brass and
percussion instruments, it is fast paced and lively. It helps to create
an idea of the type of film and also builds tension and suspense as
gradually more instruments are added in.

4. Narrative
From the opening of Iron Man 3, we can identify that the storyline consists of Iron Man
designing ands putting on a new suit to in order to attack a villainous mad man known
only as the Mandarin.
In this shot, we are first introduced to the Mandarin. We know that he is the villain due to
the low lighting which connotes wickedness in this case. His facial expressions also show
him looking down, this suggests he can be proven as a weak character.
Todorov’s Equilibrium Theory:
Equilibrium: Tony suffers from insomnia coming up with new prototypes for the Iron Man
suit
Disruption of Equilibrium: Mandarin attacks LA
Restored Equilibrium: Iron Man restores peace
Levi Strauss’ Binary Oppositions:
Hero vs. Villain
Iron Man vs. Mandarin
Roland Barthes’ Enigma Codes:
- who is Iron Man after?
- what is the Mandarin’s plan?
- why has he damaged the city?
Through the opening of Iron Man 3, Vladimir Propps’ theory of characters having a
specific role can be applied . For example we can identify that Iron Man is the hero as he
is shown in the establishing shot. However, we can also identify that the Mandarin is the
villain as right after we are introduced to him, there are shots of destruction.

5. Mise-en-Scene
Settings:
Open roads in the state of North Carolina are used in the opening
of Iron Man 3, this suggests that this big hit block buster will live up to
the audiences expectations of seeing amazing car chases on these
open roads.
Props:
There are also various shots of iron man flying through and into the
sky with some sort of pack allow him to fly attached to his back, this
gives off the idea that he is our hero therefore needs such special
powers, his metallic grey armour made from iron allow him to do this
as his armour is special. Every suit has a self-contained environment,
assorted onboard weapons systems, enhanced strength, flight, and
various communications arrays and sensors such as radar and radio.
Body language:
Iron Man’s facial expressions and body language show him to be a
an unemotional, serious character who looks determined and ready
for any action. This is evident in the straight face he has on when
wearing his mask/armour, his strong forehead lines suggests that he
may always be thinking about or planning his next action.