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1. FilmOpeningAnalysis:Raiders of The LostArk.
In Raidersof The Lost Ark,it beginswithalongtake where itfadesfromblack intoa tall rocky figure
inthe distance,thisisimmediatelyhiddenbyIndianaJones,slowlyfollowedbyfive othermen.The
coveringof the statue and Indypausingtolookat it, suggeststhe sheerdistance theyare awayfrom
it andperhapsthisiswhere theyare tryingto reach. Immediatelyshowingaquest,thisistypical of
an actionmovie asprotagonistsare seento be verydeterminedcharacterssoforhim to quickly
pause inadmirationthenquicklycontinueshowshisdeterminationasa character.At this moment,
we do not knowwhothispersonis,howeverdue tohimwalkingaheadof the othersandnot
carryingany formof luggage showshe isan authoritative figureandperhapsbecause he isthe first
personwe see,thathe is the maincharacter.
The soundsbeginwiththe diegeticsoundsof birdswhistlingthroughthe jungle,andthe footsteps
of Indianaandthe othermentalkingtellingone anothertohurryup inforeignlanguages.Thisisa
narrative enigmaasit keepsthe audienceguessingwhatistakingsolongand whydo theyneedto
be quick?Thisis accompaniedbythe non- diegeticmusicbyJohnWilliams,settingthe scene and
makingitseemmore entertaining.Everytime there isacut the musicand soundeffectsseemto
crescendoasit showsa change in time anddistance,whichcouldentice the audience asitcould
perhapsshowthat theyare gettingcloserandclosereachtime as the soundskeepgettinglouder.
Also,more instrumentssuchasstringsare beingbroughtintothe musicto complimentthe
crescendoof the soundeffectsandmusic.More animal soundsare beingbroughtinto suggestthat
perhapstheyare travellingtoveryremote locationswhere there isa varietyof exoticcreatessuchas
monkeysandbirds.Ataround1:28 itcrescendosimmenselywhenone of the travellerssee ascary
stone sculpture.Thisemphasisesthe dangerof the situationasthe face isfrighteningwhichwould
frightenthe audience.Thisiscomplimentedwiththe screaminterrorof the travelleranditis a
perfectopportunityforthe musictoincrease involume andinpitch.
Atthe beginning,itstartswitha lowangle shotof the mountain,whichemphasisesthe massand
heightof the mountain.Itthenzoomsout slightlytogive ascale image of IndianaJonesandhis
associates incomparisontothe mountain.Itthentiltsupwardstofocus onthe facial expressions
and dialogue of one of the travellers,thiscouldsuggestthe importanceinwhattheyhadto say and
couldperhapshave an impactlaterinthe film.ItthenhasmainlytrackingshotskeepingIndianaand
the othersinthe frame formost of the time froma low angle.Thiscouldrepresentthe questthat
theyare travellingas itfeelsasif you are comingwiththemcreatinga relationshipbetweenthe
audience andthe charactersas you feel youare withthem.Also,because itistrackingthem
howeverfromaconsiderable distance andmovingthroughbushesandwildlifeastheydo so itcould
alternativelysuggestthattheymaybe somebodyfollowingthemanditcouldbe from their
perspective addingasense of mysterytothe film.Theyuse low angle shotsfocusingonthe feetof
the travellersasthe waytheywalkhas a large impacton the clipdue to themwalkingquite slowly
and cautiouslysuggestingthatitcouldperhapsbe dangerousandtheyneedtobe wary of these
dangers.
Throughmostthe openingof Raidersof the LostArk cuts isjustusedto show the distance
travelledthroughthe jungle,thisissimple asitkeepsthe audiencesengagedasitfocusesmore on
the performance ratherthanthe transitions.There are alsomatch onactionsusedthroughoutthe
scene as itgivesa thoroughvarietyof the differentshotsinit makingitseemmore flowingand
realistic.A perfectexample of thisiswhenone of the travellersisscaredbythe stone sculpture,he
turns aroundto run awaythenit cuts froma mid- shotto a wide shotgivingawide sense of
perspective.
Finally, the Mise-en-scene usedinRaidersof the LostArk hasa large impacton the successof the
openingof the filmasitmakesthe filmseemveryrealisticandentertaining.Firstly,the costumes

2. FilmOpeningAnalysis:Raiders of The LostArk.
usedas dirty,yellow andbrownoldclothes.Thesesuggestthat there isapreviousstorytotell about
thembefore orperhapstheyhave beentravellingfor alongtime andthese are the onlyclothesthey
have.The facesof the actors are brown,againsuggestingthattheyhave beenoutinthe exotic
weatherandhave therefore caughtasun tan or are on limitedsuppliesandhave notgot the
resourcestocleanproperly.The facial expressionsof the travellersare veryseriouslinkingwiththe
genre of Action,thisisa veryserioussituationandare perhapsnothappyabout it.The lightingand
the decor of the locationisverynatural lightingbecause itisoutside andisdaylightexhibitingthe
lightness.However,insome locationssuchaswhentheyare walkingthroughthe jungle the lightis
trappedthroughthe treesso therefore have amuchmore darkershot. The décoris mainlygreen
and natural,thisof whichyouwouldfindwhentravellingthroughColombia,somakesthe scene
much more realisticasitis a locationyouwouldstereotypicallyseewhentravellingthrough an
exoticlocationassuch.