1) The opening sequence introduces the director, production company, title, and main actors of the film Leon the Professional through fading text over scenes of the city and ocean. 2) The sequence establishes the setting as a restaurant in "Little Italy" owned by a character named Guido. 3) In the restaurant, Guido asks Leon to persuade a mobster who comes to town on Tuesdays, implying Leon will use violence if needed. Leon agrees and takes a photo of the mobster, indicating he has been hired to potentially kill the target.

1. Media Studies
Crime Movies’ Opening Sequences 001
Leon the Professional

2. For the first fifteen seconds, the denotation of
the scenes is to let people know Luc Besson was
the director of the film and it is presented by
Gaumont Production Company. Intertextuality
Of these scenes are a dominant black color
Background and texts in white.
The Introduction
1) Cut in
2) Cut in 3) Cut in

3. The Introduction of the actors and actresses
4) Cut in
5) Fade in
6) Fade in
The 4th scene cut in and denotes a sea in the
background. The camera started tracking while
The main actors’ name Jean Reno, Gary Oldman
Then faded in and out from one to another.
Non-Diegesis sounds ( soundtrack) is appeared
When scene 4 cut in.

4. 7) Fade in
8) Fade in
9) Fade in
10)
Since it is a continuous filming process, the camera tracks from the sea to the land from scene 6
To scene 7 and 8. In scene 7, denotation of “Natalie Portman” fades in and out, and for scene 8,
Denotation of “and Danny Aiellp” fades in and out. This denotes the other actor and actress of
The film.
For scene 9, It has a dominant text “LEON”. This connotes the title of the film and it is enlarged
To draw the audience attention. For scene 10, it is an establishing shot of a city and it connotes
The story takes place in this city.

5. Scene 11 cuts in, and it is a long shot
Of the road in a city which anchors
Scene 10’s city. Actors and actresses’
Names fade in and out in scene 10 and
Scene 11. Since they are appeared in
Pairs , they are not as important as
The names denoted in the previous
Scenes.
The camera continued tracking forward
On the road.
11) Cut in + Fade in
12) Fade out

6. The Credits
13) Fade in
14) Fade out
Denotation “Music by Eric Serra” in scene 13
and “Written and directed by Luc Besson” in
Scene 14, show the credits of the film.
15) Tracking closer
For scene 15, the camera tracks closer to
The banner which denotes “ Welcome To
Little Italy” and an Italy national flag and a
United States national flag. Which connotes
The story takes place in this place and may
Include Italian and American.

7. 16) Cut in
17) Tracking closer
18) Tracking Closer
After the introduction of the credits, it comes
To a cut in of a Long shot of “Supreme Marcaroni
Co.” in scene 16. Then denotation of “Guido’s
Restaurant” in scene 17. The camera keeps
Tracking forward in to the restaurant until scene
18. The darkness in scene 18 makes audience to
Question. e.g. what will happen in here?
The denotation of “Guido’s restaurant” connotes
There will be a character named Guido, who is
The owner of this restaurant.
The place where the story starts

8. 19) Fade in
20) Getting brighter
21))
After the camera tracking into the restaurant, scene 19
Fades in from transparent to solid form. Scene 19 -21,
There are a Close up of a pair of thick hands , which may
Be a male’s hands, and a glass of milk. Then scene 22
Denotes a man wearing a round sunglasses which has a
Reflection of a glass of milk in front of him anchors the
Previous scenes, and there is a reflection of someone
Sitting opposite him. Scene 23 anchors the other man.
22) Cut in
23) Cut in This man looks
Middle age as
He has wrinkle.
Besides, he
Smokes.
Diegesis sound
He speaks
Italian.
Scenes 19 to
23, CU shots.

9. 24) Cut in + Close up 25) Cut in + Close up
26) Cut in + Close up 27) Cut in + Close up
28) Cut in + Close up 29) Cut in + Close up
“Let’s talk Business
( Scene27), this fat
man is trying to
moving on (scene
28) His own
Business. and you
know Marisio is a
reasonable guy.
(Scene 29)
“Okay … okay…”
(Scene 25 ,26)
Guido
speaking

10. 30) Cut in + Close up
31) Close up + eye movement
32) Cut in + Close up
33) Cut in + Close up
Guido is talking to Leon “ he just wants(Scene 30) a
little conversation(Scene31), but this guy he doesn’t
want to hear about it(Scene 32), maybe he will
listen To you. (Scene 33).”
Through the eye movement and the conversation,
he seems like he is giving information about this
Fat guy about the business. Since the fat guy doesn’t
Care about what he said, Guido asked Leon to find
Persuade him.

11. “He comes the town every Tuesday, are you
Free on Tuesday?” asked by Guido
“ Yea, I’m free Tuesday.” replied by Leon.
(Scene 34) Connotes Leon will find the fat
Guy on Tuesday .
34) Cut in + Close up
35)Cut in + Close up
36) Cut in + Close up
37) Cut in + Close up
Leon started drinking the milk. A non-diegesis
Tense sound effects is added while he is drinking
It to make it more strained.

12. 38)Cut in + Close up
39) Close up + Bird’s eye view
40) Cut in + Close up
41) Cut in + Close up
Scene 38, Leon’s hand is put on the picture, connotes
The fat guy is his target and Leon is aimed to deal with
Him.
Scene 39, the picture is taken by Leon, connotes Leon
Is going to find him and maybe kill him.
Scene 40 and 41, Leon is determined. He did not smile
Connotes he maybe a cold-blooded person. He wore
Sunglasses connotes he does not want to have eye
Contact with others, does not want anybody to see his
Face(?)

13. This is
THE ENDof the opening sequence of Leon The Professional