The opening scene of Love Actually takes place at Heathrow Airport in London. It introduces several couples being reunited after long periods apart. Smiles and warm lighting establish the romantic genre. Luggage, sunglasses, and souvenirs signify travel and returning home. A kissing couple leaves no doubt this is a romance film. Soft, calming instrumental music focuses viewers on the scene. The ending mirrors the beginning, with departures and returns, reflecting the theme of people constantly moving in and out of relationships over the course of one's life.

1. Romance:
Love Actually opening scene:
Buscombe theory
By Oscar

2. Buscombe theory and semiotics
• Buscombe’s theory states that one genre is differentiated to
another through the use of these:
Location
Appearance
Tools
Miscellaneous
Semiotics is how certain messages are portrayed throughout the
film using both the signified and signifier. These are
Important in the construction of the genre.

3. Location
• The location of Love Actually opening scene is Heathrow airport,
England. This could foreshadow the later scenes of film whilst
representing people coming and going. The opening scene pans around
Heathrow airport in order to set the scene and emphasis the people
inside the airport. Heathrow is in London which sets the location for the
rest film; London represents being “English and proper” because it
connotes royalty and the queen. Lastly, because its set in an airport it
could also represent how the characters in the film move from place to
place (or because of the genre from relationship to relationship.)

4. Appearance
• The appearance (mise en scene) surrounding the characters in the opening
scene is a lot of smiles. This is important and is done by the director to denote
the emotions of the rest of the film. As well as this their clothes also linked
with mise en scene (such as big suitcases, sunglasses and t shirts) show they
have been away in holiday for a long time. This is also supported by the
emotions shown in the first scene when reunited with their loved ones. This
could also foreshadow and set the scene for the rest of film connoting that
the main characters go away or leave their loved ones for a long period of
time (this could through choice or even heartbreak.) The repetition of the
scene emphasizes the return of loved ones and not the moving away. The
opening scene could be seen as fake due to everyone being shown as part of a
couple; this sets the scene and therefore the genre of the movie.

5. • The mise on scene of the opening scene are such things associated with
holidays for example the ; bags; suitcases; souvenirs: and sunglasses. These
things can also signify returning home after being away for a long time. Things
like souvenirs can connote love through the giving off gifts. This is important
and very stereotypical of romantic films due to tem wanting to be enjoyable to
watch. Also, things like sunglasses suggest they have chosen to move away and
that it wasn’t a sudden adjustment in their lives; this can foreshadow how
people in the later scenes of the film have chosen to move away from loved
ones, however also returning suggests a return to relationships by the main
characters.
Tools

6. Miscellaneous
• From the beginning of the scene the first thing you notice is both the lighting
and the number of people. The high key lighting signifies the genre because of
it because bright and warms; this also supports the feeling of the characters in
the scene because they would be feeling warm due to being reunited with
their loved ones. The warm setting of the scene could come from, sepia edit
added on after the scene had been filmed. As well the number of people in the
scene can show how common people leaving and the returning; portrayed
physically in the sense of a holiday or it could portrayed in relationship how
people leave and return.

7. Miscellaneous continued
• During the opening scene there is a couple kissing, this straight from
the beginning sets no doubt in the viewers mind that the following is a
romance. Also, this connotes love and affection which could signify
how the film shows lots of love and relationships. Also the non diegetic
soundtrack over the scene is very soft, calming and instrumental. This
is stereotypical of romantic films because romantic films want to be an
“easy” watch so this compliments the calm soundtrack also. This sets
the scene for the film because it creates a portrayal in the viewers that
the film will also be soft and calming. The use of it only being
instrumental is that it makes the viewers focus on what is happening in
the scene.

8. The ending
• The ending of the film takes place in the same place where it begun with
two people leaving their certain loved ones. This supports what we have
stated through the PowerPoint that the beginning signifies a start, and
an ending but also a return that usually occurs in relationships. This is
important in the film because of how many people come and go in
relationships throughout the duration of the film. Also, the film ends
with the same man who does voice over as the beginning which Implies
how one person can be the centered of certain relationships but also
how one person can see how people come and go.