The opening scene of The Dark Knight establishes the Joker as a character with an unclear identity due to his mask, leaving the audience with questions. It introduces the Joker, revealing his chaotic beliefs through dialogue and showing him to be mentally unstable through his actions and disheveled costume. The pace of the scene starts slow and builds to fast to establish the film will have intense slow and fast parts, with quick cuts creating tension. The unsettling, disorienting music and shifting high-key and low-key lighting set the movie's mood and tone.

1. The Dark Knight opening analysis
Code and
Conventions
Findings Textual Evidence
Creation of
enigma.
Masks make characters have an
unclear identity, also the last living
clowns motivations are unclear. His
revelation of his strange face leaves
audience with questions as to why he
is like that.
Prop – Masks
Movement – Clown kills other
clowns
Close up – revelation of Joker
Introduction to
characters
Joker is introduced at the end of the
opening and his diegetic dialogue
reveals his personal beliefs and his
actions indicate his mental state. His
costume also indicates his wealth and
state of life. His gun prop also
indicates his role in the film.
Diegetic dialogue – ‘Whatever
doesn’t kill you simply makes
you stranger’
Prop – Gun, dangerous
Costume – crumpled suit, poor
and living unhealthily
Villain stock character
Setting up Plot
Money stolen, hero goes after villain?
Villain has mental health issues and is
dangerously psychotic.
Prop – Money
Stock character – villain
Pace and rhythm
Editing/mise en
scene/camera
shots
Pace builds from slow to fast, then
slows again for ending. The beginning
starts slow but soon becomes fast
suddenly; telling the audience about
the pace that this film will have and
that some parts will be slow but
intense and then it will go straight to
fast and intense situations.
Slow pace editing – beginning
and end
Fast pace – actual heist in
middle
Continuous editing
Jump cut – Harsh nature of film
Establishing shot – setting and
pace
Quick cuts – tension and pace
Props – guns and money, pace
Mood and tone
(non diegetic
music)
The music is quite mechanic and
disorientating, directly jumping from
rhythm to rhythm and sometimes
making scratching noises. The
ambient and high key lighting that also
goes low key at points indicates tone.
Non diegetic music – eerie and
unstable, villain
Lighting – High key and low key,
chiascuro.

2. The Dark Knight opening analysis