This document provides a summary and analysis of the opening scenes of the 1996 film Fargo. It notes that an enigma is created around the car and its driver through limited visibility and unusual circumstances. No characters are formally introduced, suggesting the story may not have a single protagonist. Descriptive text titles are used to set up the plot in a simple, straightforward manner. Shots establish the isolated, snowy setting to build mystery around where the characters are traveling. The pace is slow, using straight cuts to imply realism and montage editing to suggest a haphazard lifestyle. Fades to black indicate the passage of time. The non-diegetic music is initially calm but becomes more tense, reflecting the increasing importance of the

1. Talie Colbourne 12F Foundation Portfolio
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Fargo (1996)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw-juxQ5Sj4
Code and
Conventions
Findings Textual Evidence
Creation of enigma
An enigma is created using the prop of the car,
you never properly see who the driver is or
where they have come from which therefore
leaves the viewer wondering about the origin
of this car. This is also aided by the use of the
colour white and the prop of the snow,
because it is unusual for many cars to be out in
bad weather and so it creates an enigma as to
what was so urgent that this car had to go out.
Road signs have been used as props to
connote that the cars are travelling
somewhere such as a town and therefore an
enigma is created as to where they are going.
Jangling of chains (diegetic sound) as the car
rattles into the bar car park creates enigma as
to what has happened to create the sound.
Prop: car
Colour: white
Prop: snow
Props: road signs
Diegetic sound:
jangling chains
Introduction to
characters
No characters are introduced in this opening
which connotes that there may not necessarily
be one specific character who is the main
character because they are not being
individually introduced. You could see the car
itself as representing its character/owner, in
which case you could connote that its costume
is the exterior of the car which is seemingly
beat up and old, this signifies that the ‘car’
could be wise and has spent a significant
amount of time on earth. The camera begins
off by being static which connotes to the
audience that the car is determined to reach a
specific point however as the camera switches
position it uses a pan/tracking movement to
connote that the car itself is highly important.
Lack of character: no
main character
Costume: beat up
Static movement:
determination
Pan/tracking
movement:
importance
Setting up Plot
The use of titling text begins to help the
viewers understand various aspects of the film
including that it is a true story and that names
have been changed. The straightforward text is
plain and simple in black and white which
connotes to the audience that what you see in
this story is what you get. The setting is a
snowed on road which creates mystery about
where the characters are travelling from/to.
Titling: aids viewers to
understand story
Colour: simple text
colour
Setting: creates
mystery, isolated and
snowy
Long shot: establishes
setting

2. Talie Colbourne 12F Foundation Portfolio
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Long shots have been used to establish the
idea of the setting the car is in and to create
the start of the plot of the film.
Pace and rhythm
Editing/mise en
scene/camera shots
The pace is fairly slow because the edits often
go unnoticed between the scenes of the car
driving and the text on a background, it is likely
that a continuous piece of film was used or
straight cuts have been used to cut between a
solid colour background and the film clip itself.
The use of straight cuts helps to reinforce the
idea from the beginning text that this is a real
story because they connote realism. A
montage edit has been used in order to
combine the screens of text with the shots of
the car driving, this connotes the idea that the
life of the character is haphazard and all put
together. A number of fades to black have
been used to connote to the audience that
time has passed and progressed and therefore
that their journey is a long slog.
Straight cuts: realism
Montage edit:
haphazard lifestyle
Fades to black: time
has passed
Mood and tone
(non-diegetic
music)
The use of non-diegetic music is key because it
is seemingly calmand gentle however the
introductory text which is shown on screen
connotes to the audience that this film is
morbid and about death and therefore the
sound is contrapuntal. The music begins to
become more tense as the scene goes on to
connote to the audience that something
important is about to happen, this specifically
happens at 1:51 which is when the car is most
apparent and therefore connotes that the
prop of the car is going to be highly important
in the film. The music also sounds as though it
is heroic and therefore could fit in with the
idea that the car is towing someone else’s and
therefore that they have been a hero and been
helpful - this is parallel sound. The lighting is
quite high key which contrasts the actual plot
of the film because from the high key lighting
you could connote that it is happy and bright.
Non-diegetic music:
calm and gentle
Contrapuntal sound:
scene text is morbid
compared to sound
Prop: car is going to
be important due to
build of music tension
Parallel sound: car
driver is a hero, fits
with heroic music
High key: contrasts
plot, seemingly happy