This document provides a detailed textual analysis of scenes from the film X-Men Origins: Wolverine. It analyzes 25 shots from the opening scene where Logan and Victor are running from men in a forest. The shots establish the brotherly bond between Logan and Victor and show Logan learning to rely on Victor for protection. They depict their conversation where Victor explains they must stick together and be hard to survive in their dangerous world. The lighting, camera angles, and characters' body language are described in creating tension and developing the characters.

1. Moving Image Textual Analysis
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

2. 1. Mid Shot of Logan. He is shown as distressed
and is defending himself from his half-brother
(Victor). The lighting is dim which creates a
tense atmosphere and the setting is a forest
which links with the animal like nature of the
characters Wolverine and Sabretooth. Logan is
shown to be distressed which is reflected in
the quick pan of the camera and his quick jerky
movements to defend himself.
2. Close Up of Victor’s face. He is shown to be
angry, but not directly at Logan. The lighting is
also dim (as with the rest of the scene) to
show the conversation as tense. The editing
from the first shot is quick to show the quick
pace of the conversation. Victor is shown on
the left side of the screen to show authority
and dominance over his younger brother.

3. 4.Close up- Victor explains he thinks Logan did
the right thing which eases the tension slightly.
The lighting is still dim which could suggest
that the outer world is a threat and that they
aren’t safe wherever they go- they have to
keep running.
3.Mid Shot- Logan is shown as vulnerable and
ready to ward his brother off as he knows
Victor blames him for killing their father.
Logan is in the centre of the screen- so he’s
shown as strong, but only because of an
adrenaline rush.

4. 5.Mid shot- Logan is relieved as Victor doesn’t
blame him and his body language is less tense.
Facially he is still shown as scared, but there’s a
resilience that wasn’t there before. He knows
that he will have to rely on Victor as they are
brothers and this is shown by the closer shot
of Logan as it is representative of his new
closeness to Victor.
6. Close Up- Victor is shown to be more out of
breath and reaches out to put his hands on
Logan’s shoulders. The movement towards the
camera could be seen as intimidating, however
it isn’t as he is only touching Logan’s shoulders
which suggests that Victor as a character is
misunderstood and there is more to him than
meets the eye.

5. 7.Mid Shot- Logan still has his guard up, but
he’s accepting this help from this new
brotherly figure who he doesn’t seem to trust
that much, though they are now aware of their
relation.
8. Close Up- “We’re brothers, Jimmy”, this shot
shows that, despite Victor’s gruff and
intimidating nature, he genuinely cares for
Logan and wishes to protect him. The
background being out of focus adds to the idea
that Victor is the only one Logan can rely on-that
the world isn’t safe.

6. 9. Close Up- “You realise that”, the emotional
delivery of the line shows the brotherly bond
will be a key theme of the film, and that Logan
realising this will be significant to the plot. The
expression on Logan’s face is that of sudden
understanding but exhaustion is still present.
10. Close Up- “brothers protect each other”,
the colouration of this scene is very cold,
which reflects the cold and gritty plot to the
film and to possibly foreshadow dark events in
the future.

7. 11. Close Up- Logan’s face is still
comprehending this new bond and his
costume is red which has connotations of
blood and violence which connects to his
violent tendencies when he’s extremely angry.
12. Close Up- “We have to be hard now”, this
line implies that they will go through many
events which will cause trauma but will keep
moving on, and his facial expression is that of
trying to teach Logan how to be tough- he
needs to prepare Logan for anything the world
throws at him.

8. 13. Close Up- “I wanna go home”, this line is
deeply associated with children which shows
that though Logan is shown as tough and
powerful, he still just wants to go home. “We
can’t”, said off screen by Victor, shows that he
has to push himself out of his comfort zone
and supress these emotions which make him
vulnerable.
14. Close Up- “We stick together no matter
what.” confirms to the audience Victor’s
determination to keep Logan safe, and set up
the bond which is prominent throughout the
plot. The pain in his voice shows that Logan
genuinely means something to him, which is a
contrast to the “we have to be hard now”
comment saying that they can’t be vulnerable.

9. 15. Close Up- “Take care of anyone who gets
in our way.”- this line sets up the attitudes
Wolverine/Logan has towards his enemies
later on, the mercilessness and vicious fighting
style which are associated deeply with the
character are rooted to this point.
16. Close Up- “Can you do that, little brother?”,
this line then reminds the viewer that this is
still to do with family, a human bond, despite
the mutations and action- family is more
important in this universe which in my opinion
makes the film more realistic. In these close
up shots of Victor, the rule of thirds is used and
he is placed on the left side of the screen to
show his power.

10. 17. Close Up- Logan’s nodding is quick and
shows the audience that he is scared, despite
putting on a brave face and it shows that his
character is versatile and willing to change.
18. Close Up- This shot is Victor accepting this
and taking Logan under his wing as a brother
and a protector.

11. 19. Over Shoulder Shot- Action off screen
alerts the characters and creates tension again
as there is a danger in the forest which is
behind Victor. This induces a brief fear in the
viewer that the characters would be caught by
whatever it is. The pace of the editing
increases, creating an atmosphere of
uncertainty and assuming danger to the
audience.
20. The danger is men looking for them, and
the lighting suggests that these men are a
danger- and the open shot (though usually
positive) shows the world as a dangerous place
full of enemies and pain. The colours are
mostly dark and the only bright colours are
that of the lanterns. This orange colour usually
has connotations of safety, but this is turned
around as we as an audience know that these
are Logan’s enemies.

12. 21. Over Shoulder Shot- “Can you run?”, Logan
is shown as broken but determined to carry
on, his hair is ruffled which suggests he has a
wild personality- though this is juxtaposed
with his vulnerable body language and facial
expressions of fear and sadness.
22. Long Shot- The previous shot panned into
a long shot showing the two protagonists
running into the darkness. The title is
promoting the production company provider
(Twentieth Century Fox) and the music adds to
the already tense atmosphere created by the
low lighting and dialogue.

13. 23.Extreme Long Shot- shows the forest the
characters are running through as long and
mysterious. The colours used are dark and
associated with monsters hiding between the
trees, but the danger behind them is men. “In
association with Marvel Entertainment” is
another production company involved in
funding and creating the film.
24.Long Shot- The closer shot is used to create
more tension as it’s like the camera is also
following them- intensifying the theme of
isolation from mankind and seeking
somewhere to be free as a mutant. “Dune
Entertainment” is used to show the company’s
involvement with the film. The typeface of the
title is like a stencil which is associated with
criminality- contrasted with the colour white
which often has connotations of purity and
good will.

14. 25.Mid Shot- Shows Victor looking back as they
are running which is a piece of Body language
which increases the tension as it shows that he
is uncertain if he will outrun the men looking
for them. Logan is shown to be less scared
than he was but shows more reliance on Victor
as he holds his hand to keep up with Victor’s
running pace. The slow motion used in this
shot emphasises the desperation to get away
on their facial expressions.
26.Mid Shot- “Donners’ Company” and “Reed”
were also involved in the production process.
The two characters ease slightly in body
language- implying that they’re used to the
running pace, which is relevant as they get
very used to running as the montage ahead
shows.

15. 28. Mid Shot- The camera is panning away
from the shot which creates the illusion that
it’s a moment where time has stopped. The
colouration is more yellow and the main actor
“Hugh Jackman” is titled.
27. Mid Shot- Shows an older Logan and Victor
charging in what looks like a battle field at an
assumed enemy. Victor is very sturdy in body
language and grits his teeth as he runs- not
making a sound whereas Logan shouts as he
runs and doesn’t look like he’s enjoying the
war as much as Victor. The transition between
the previous shot and this was smooth and
clever as it shows that they haven’t changed in
around 20 years without needing any specific
details other than the fact that they’re on the
run.

16. 29. Mid Shot- This shot is brief and shows the
enemy charging at them. More of the battle
field is shown as we can see a red flag and a
group of soldiers charging alongside the
enemy. The colour grey in the uniform could
be interpreted as showing that he is a generic
enemy who has no morals or personality- the
shouting shows he is an aggressive opponent.
The fact that he’s wearing the hat shows his as
mysterious as his face is barely seen, his eyes
covered slightly by shade.
30. Mid Shot- Logan and Victor continuing to
charge- only they’re near the centre of the
screen, showing that they are quickly about to
reach their enemies to confront them in battle.
Victor’s costume is shown to be similar to
Wolverine’s (classic, 1800’s soldiers uniform)
which shows they’re in the army together.

17. 31. Mid Shot- panning camera with a match on
action in terms of the charge. Logan runs and
hits the enemy with his gun, presumably killing
him. The American flag is seen in the
background, implying he is fighting in the
American army- perhaps in a civil war. The
editing is fast paced to match the intensity of
the battle and colours used are fairly light,
paired with the high key lighting implies that
the battle isn’t that intense or significant to the
plot.
32. Extreme Long Shot- the war is seen in
more detail, soldiers are running from the right
to the left side of the screen, implying they
aren’t the ones in power (the left side
characters are dominant). Explosions are
happening everywhere in foreground and
background illustrating the danger of this
battle. The lighting isn’t that light which shows
the viewer that the battle wasn’t significant,
but it will stay with Wolverine in memory, and
will affect how he acts in the future.

18. 33. Mid Shot- a brief shot of Wolverine running
towards the camera. He is carrying a gun and
his blue uniform implies the time period is
around the late 1800’s. His hair cut and beard
both add to this animal like look as the long
hair could have connotations to some of a
lion’s mane or the fur of a bear- showing the
ferociousness of the character.
34. Long shot- an action shot of a mine
exploding and a bodies flying through the air.
This shows the danger ahead of Logan and
makes the audience fear slightly for his safety.
This fear is helped by the extremely sharp
editing which reflects the split second
decisions made in a battlefield.

19. 35. Mid Shot- Wolverine continuing to run
towards the camera, showing that despite the
danger- he is going to keep on going. The mist
in the background could have connotations of
mystery which could be linked to Logan as he is
a mysterious character. As this is a origin
movie, we are finding out part of this mystery ,
but some pieces may be omitted- as years are
skipped to keep the pace of the movie smooth.
36. Mid Shot- We see Victor trying to get
through the bustling crowd of his comrades.
His facial expression is that of aggression, but
his body language is eager to fight.

20. 37. Mid Shot- The frame pauses and “Liev
Schreiber”- the actor who plays Victor appears
on the screen. The frame and title are moving
in opposite directions towards and away from
the viewer, creating the illusion of depth.
38. Mid Shot- Victor’s movements resume.

21. 39. Mid Shot- the camera follows Logan
through some high grass, he is running
towards an enemy.
40. Cut Away/Medium Shot- a cut away to a
cannon being fired at Logan (it is presumed).
The editing is fast which represents how fast
the cannon is and the little time Logan had to
react to this.

22. 41. Mid Shot- Logan being hit by the
cannonball. He convulses slightly in pain and
looks like he is about to fall, dead from the
fatal wound.
42. Close Up- This shot is close up to show
Victor’s fear that Logan has been fatally
injured. His facial expression is that of nervous
expectation that Logan will resume fighting as
the alternative is that his brother has been
killed. The background to this shot is fairly
empty, drawing all attention from the viewer
on Victor.

23. 43. Mid Shot- This shot is a match on action of
shot 41, and shows Logan shaking the cannon
ball off and continuing his charge at the
enemy. His facial expression is rage at this
injury, but he briefly looks down to see it’s
healed- implying he doesn’t know much about
his healing abilities.
44. Cut away/mid shot- This shot is used as a
transition. The sound of the cannon fires (the
sound itself, fairly loud- but the music
overpowers it) and the camera follows the
cannonball until it hits Logan. Logan is
propelled backwards which matches the action
of the next shot.

24. 45. Mid Shot- Shows Logan fighting in a
different war as his uniform has changed to a
different style associated with another war era.
His facial expression is that of irritation and
slight distress at his injury- and his body
language is still tense, suggesting he has been
fighting for a long time. The murky colours
shown often have connotations of old military
(world war one), the trenches and conflict.
46. Extreme Long Shot- a plane flies towards a
point behind the camera (which the camera
follows), shooting at something. The camera
pans to match it’s movement.

25. 47. Extreme Long Shot- The camera pans to
see the plane crash into a tower, the explosion
sound effect isn’t emphasised and the
explosion acts as a flash transition to the next
shot.
48. Extreme Long Shot- the soldiers are seen
walking slowly through the marshes which has
connotations, to me, of slavery as they seem to
be in chains and this is relevant to the story
line as mutants aren’t free to have a normal
life.

26. 49. Long Shot- this shot shows an attack on the
soldiers and “Danny Huston”. Another actor in
the film.
50. Long shot- the dead body in the
foreground may be reflecting the theme of
death in the film- and Logan is running behind
the body. The shot is low key but has high key
outbursts to show the gun fire and bombs.

27. 51. Mid Shot- “Will.I.Am”, cast member. 52. Cut Away- a plane flying away from the
camera, indicating victory on Logan’s side.

28. 53. Long Shot- the soldier has been shot and
collapses, the death is quick and
unmeaningful.
54. Mid Shot- Logan is shooting at the
opposition.

29. 55. Long Shot- the opposition Logan was
shooting at fall to the ground dramatically
(dead).
56. Extreme Long Shot- among the chaos,
Logan and Victor jump into the trenches as
explosions go off everywhere. The lighting is
more high key despite the gritty tense
atmosphere suggesting normality in war for
the characters.

30. 57. Mid Shot- The setting of this shot is in a
trench, and it’s primarily an action shot of
Victor throwing a soldier off a wall. The action
is quick and with the editing suggests a vicious
nature to Victor’s fighting style.
58. Mid Shot- The scene before pauses and
shows another cast member “Lynn Collins” on
the screen.

31. 59. Mid Shot- the match on action is complete
and Victor slams the soldier into the wall. The
music playing in the background is fairly
upbeat which suggests a light nature to the
film despite the images of war and death.
60. Mid Shot- This shot is edited quickly from
the last shot to imply desperation of some
sort. Logan is running towards somewhere
while Victor takes out one of the guards. This
sequence itself foreshadows a similar
sequence near the end of the film. The focus
on Logan makes the lighting seem more high
key on him, whereas Victor in the background
is low key- this could imply that Victor is the
darker character.

32. 61. Long Shot- This shot is of Victor jumping to
attack a soldier. His body language is very
animalistic and the jump itself could be seen as
a type of pounce. The lighting of this scene
compared to the previous is lighter, which
could be implying that Logan and Victor are
comfortable in war.
62. Long Shot- a match on action of the jump
showing Victor kicking the enemy. The
movement is quick an d suggests great power
and the music’s beat adds to the fight almost
like the war is a dance that the two mutants
are in time with,

33. 63. Mid Shot- the shot pauses before Victor
strikes with his claws to show another cast title
(“Kevin Durand”). The positioning of Victor on
the left and the saturated lighting suggest that
Victor is the one in power.
64. Mid Shot- Match on action, the shot
resumes and Victor’s swinging arm is seen in
slow motion which seems to increase the
weight of it- implying great power he is
wielding. The contrast of the dark silhouette
and the light background suggests a dark
character in a world full of light, the dark
colour has connotations of evil , deceit and
mystery.

34. 65. Long Shot- The match on action continues,
but the time isn’t slowed down and Victor
strikes the soldier, presumably killing him. The
explosion in the background shows the danger
in this setting to the audience and makes them
wonder if the two brothers will survive this
seemingly endless war.
66. Mid Shot- The facial expression of Victor is
very animalistic, he is baring his fangs like a
tiger as he wards the enemies off. The costume
is brown in colour which could have
connotations of camouflage and war, perhaps
also of impurity as the mutants are seen as
impure in this film.

35. 67, Mid Shot- The enemies are punched away
towards the viewer revealing Logan who then
says to Victor “Back to Back”. This phrase is
said quickly and this with the fast editing pace
makes the war believable to the audience.
68. Mid Shot- This shot shows Logan, gruff in
expression, throwing a rifle over his head to
Victor behind him. This action is quick and
shows that they know each other well enough
to co ordinate their movements on the
battlefield. It also shows Logan’s body
movements as inhumanly quick, emphasising
his gifts of agility.

36. 69. Mid Shot- Match on action with the
previous shot. Extremely quick movement of
Victor catching the gun and hitting the soldier
with it.
70. Mid Shot- a snappy cut to Logan as he also
attacks an enemy. He is seemingly giving this
fight his full effort as his facial expression
suggests weariness.

37. 71. Mid Shot- The previous quick shot is
juxtaposed with this paused title shot
(“Dominic Monoghan”), again creating the
image of a moment in time paused and it’s use
of depth creates the illusion of three
dimensions to the audience.
72. Mid Shot- The sequence cuts to Victor
again and as he’s shot he lashes out like an
animal, again showing how animalistic his
mutation makes him act. The slow motion of
his lashing out in pain emphasises this, and the
Over the Shoulder style shot element (the gun
coming from off screen) makes the audience
detach slightly from Victor’s character to show
how different from Logan he is.

38. 73. Close Up- This is to record Logan’s facial
expression as he reacts to Victor being shot,
and the war around him in general. He seems
to genuinely not want to be there which
establishes a difference to the audience
between Victor and Logan- one likes war, and
the other only does what is necessary. This
idea is seen later on in the title sequence.
74. Extreme Close Up- The previous shot
zooms into Logan’s eyes and then zooms back
out to smoothly transition between the two
wars. The fact that he looks no older also
shows the fact that he doesn’t age quickly-which
would be a curiosity to the audience. He
looks around briefly in this shot to something
behind him.

39. 75. Close Up- This then reveals that the object
behind him is a man looking at him with fear
or curiosity. The lighting is tinted grey slightly,
which is associated with plainness- suggesting
these wars are meaningless.
76. Close Up- The frame then pauses and
shows another cast member, “Taylor Kitsch”.

40. 77. Mid Shot- this shot reveals that Logan is
with a group of soldiers. He puts a cigar in his
mouth and loads the gun casually-this body
language and neutral (yet with a hint of
aggression) facial expression show that this is
normal for Logan now.
78. Mid Shot/POV shot- This shot shows the
backs of the soldiers- so we see what the
soldiers see as the wall of the truck is lowered
and they run into battle. The uncertainty and
danger of the situation makes the audience
sympathise with these soldiers- but we know
that Logan and Victor can’t die so we begin to
be comfortable with their mutations.

41. 79. Mid Shot- We see the wall lowering from
outside which shows the soldier’s facial
expressions and this is only seen briefly which
again emphasises the pace of war through
sharp, fast editing.
80. Mid Shot- This shot is brief and shows two
soldiers firing a gun at the truck soldiers. The
lighting is high key but only because of the gun
fire, which suggests that war is a positive thing
for Logan and Victor as it’s where they are
comfortable. The costumes are again, brown or
grey in colour which are associated with war
camouflage to some.

42. 81.Mid Shot- This shot shows several soldiers
falling down (dead) and Logan running in the
centre of the screen, showing his importance
over the men around him. The shot is quick,
perhaps to show the quickness of death which
Logan can never have.
82. Long Shot- This shot shows the soldiers
running towards their target, The shot is open,
which shows their freedom of movement
despite the restrictions war places upon those
involved. It’s Low angle, suggesting these
soldiers are fighting for a good cause.

43. 83. Long Shot- a match on action of the
soldiers running.
84. Long Shot- This shot shows the soldiers
running towards their target, A soldier is shot
in the foreground and falls into the water.

44. 85. Close Up- Shows Logan’s face as a
silhouette to perhaps show that his identity is
a mystery to his comrades and that he hides in
society to avoid being exploited for his
abilities. The mist often has connotations of
mystery which links with this idea.
86. Long Shot- The shaky camera movement
implies instability in the battlefield and the
audience knows that no one is safe- not even
the person holding the camera which makes
the audience feel uneasy in watching this
scene slightly. The background to the shot
isn’t seen which implies that they are running
into the unknown.

45. 87. Long Shot- Shows a soldier being blown up
and propelled forward violently. This shows
the mercilessness of war and sets up Logan’s
feelings on being a soldier, and Victor’s
enthusiasm for war.
88. Long Shot- the falling pauses to show
another title of a cast member, “Daniel
Henney”. The title frame movement makes
the image of the soldier falling more vivid as
we can see the dirt moving in different
directions in slow motion.

46. 89. Long Shot- The match on action connects
this and the previous shot, showing the soldier
hit the ground.
90. Extreme Long Shot- This shot is of Logan
and Victor running towards the turret tower.
The background of the shot shows the battle
happening with explosions everywhere which
keeps the danger prominent in the scene for
the audience.

47. 91. Mid Shot- We see the soldiers in the turret
shooting at Logan and Victor. The turret is
made of stone, which is a material often
associated with hardness and grittiness.
92. Long Shot- Shows Victor running on all
fours (animal like body language) to attack the
turret shooting at them. The background
shows another soldier (Logan, presumably)
running another way.

48. 93. Long Shot- the shot pauses as Victor is in
mid air to show the title of another cast
member, “Ryan Reynolds”, and the colouration
is changed to detach this moment from the
scene, making the pose relevant.
94. Long Shot- match on action of the running
on all fours, and Victor reaches for the soldiers
in the tower.

49. 95. Long Shot- The match on action connects
this shot with the previous, and Victor pulls
the soldier out of the turret tower. This action
is quick and merciless- again reinforcing this
idea that Victor isn’t as noble as Logan when it
comes to using his abilities.
96. Long Shot- The US casting and Australian
casting directors (“Debra Zane” and “Christine
King”) are both listed. The action shot has
been paused for maximum effect on the
violent action.

50. 97. Mid Shot- Victor pulls the soldier towards
him using the soldier’s gun. The soldier’s facial
expression is that of intense hatred at Victor
98. Mid Shot- The shot is continued with a
match on action. Victor punches the soldier he
grabbed quickly and sharply. The edit is quick
to show Victor’s quick fighting pace.

51. 99. Mid Shot- The sequence cuts to Logan who
has just defeated the enemy and looks at
Victor as he takes out the turret. His facial
expression is that of annoyance at Victor who
is killing without noble reason.
100. Mid Shot- This shot shows Victor taking
the war personally as he takes the gun and
shoots the fleeing soldiers. His facial
expression is a grimace, but he looks almost
happy in killing these men and his body
language is military-like (rigid and tough). The
lack of background object draws all attention
to Victor.

52. 101. Mid Shot- This shot shows Victor shooting
the fleeing men in slow motion to emphasise
the needless action, and the music at this
point takes a more menacing tone to show the
audience that Victor is changing into a more
violent person because of war.
102. Close Up- Logan is seen looking exhausted
at battle, but his facial expression suggests he
doesn’t approve of Victor’s blood lust and that
you should only kill if absolutely necessary.
The grey tint is still prominent, which shows
that his past is grey and full of meaningless
violence which is seen in this sequence.

53. 103. Close Up- His look at Victor is paused,
perhaps making this point significant to their
relationship- a turning point in which Logan
sees Victor’s true nature. The title of the
costume designer is shown as well (“Louise
Mingenbach”), which suggests that costumes
are important in this film.
104. Mid Shot- This shot draws attention to
Victor’s face, which shows him happy in killing
these men. The shot looks slightly slowed
down, and the effect of this would be
emphasising his gleeful facial expression even
further.

54. 105. Over Shoulder Shot- This shot shows the
man trying to flee as Victor shoots at him. The
shot is definitely slowed down which makes
the man seem helpless faced with this man
with a blood lust. The transition to the next
shot is quick and shows Victor shooting at
some villages in what could be South America
from a helicopter. The transition is quick to
show the audience nothing has changed since
this point.
106. Mid Shot- the camera pans around from
the previous shot transition to show Victor
shooting people from a helicopter and
enjoying it. Logan grabs him saying “That’s
enough” roughly and with anger- but Victor
recoils, perhaps showing a separation of the
bond we saw at the start.

55. 107. Mid Shot- The shot is paused to show the
title of the music creator/composer- “Harry
Gregson-Williams”- which shows that music is
important in the film and worth crediting. The
music in the opening is good as it sounds like a
cliché superhero melody but it has elements of
dark tones which reflect the film’s dark
moments despite the superhero genre.
108. Long Shot- the camera pans around
outside the helicopter to show Logan trying to
turn it around to stop Victor from shooting
everyone. The colour of this scene is less grey
and hazy, implying it happened in recent
memory as this sequence is basically
summarising Logan’s life and involvement in
these wars.

56. 109. Extreme Long Shot- This shot shows the
turning around movement of the helicopter in
the foreground and mountains in the
background, setting the scene somewhere
remote in this world.
110. Long Shot- The previous shot transitioned
into this with the movement of the
helicopter’s tail, which creates a fluid
movement. This fluid movement makes this
part of the story seem more memorable than
the other scenes (sharp cuts) which implies
something significant is about to happen. The
setting is presumably the outskirts of a village
and we can see soldiers arresting people as the
camera pans around to reveal some straw
houses.

57. 111. Mid Shot- The next scene is sharply
introduced with a quick cut and the image of
Victor carrying a screaming woman into the
room. She is terrified (looking at her facial
expressions, that of dread) and he is
unremorseful about what he is about to do.
The background is slightly hazy to draw
attention to what is going on in the
foreground.
112. Mid Shot- The Special Make up effects
designers (“Alec Gillis” and “Tom Woodruff”)
are credited as the scene is paused and
zoomed out on. The music has a menacing
tone to it, heavily implying Victor is about to
do something horrible to this woman.

58. 113. Mid Shot- The woman is thrown onto the
bed and is screaming. Her body language is
shown as slightly paralysed by fear but her
facial expression is that of great terror. Her
position on the bed heavily implies Victor is
about to rape her, which is the implied reason
why she’s shown as terrified.
114. Close Up- Victor is looking at the woman
who is off screen with a look of longing on his
face, further implying he intended to rape her.
He is tanned, which has connotations of
working in tropical conditions so he may be on
a special military forces mission. His vest
makes his muscles visible which is often
associated with masculinity, which adds to his
on screen dominance as the rule of thirds is
used in this shot- and he’s centred on the
screen to show his power over her. The shot is
also low angled to show this.

59. 115. Mid Shot-The shot is paused as Victor
strikes the soldier for stopping him raping the
woman. The sudden stop in the action
highlights this moment as significant, and the
Visual Effects Supervisor is credited here
(“Partick McClung”) implying the film has
many visual effects in it.
116. Mid Shot- A sudden understanding is
shown on Logan’s face, he’s realised what
Victor’s done and the pace quickens as he runs
to defend his brother. The lighting is more
high key here to show that Logan is a less
tense character, and has better morals than
Victor.

60. 117. Mid Shot- This is a match on action of the
previous shot (Logan running towards Victor)
and the slight distance change away from
Logan increases the urgency as it seems like
he’s further away from getting to Victor than
he thought.
118. Mid Shot- The running is paused to credit
the Co-Producers (“Louis G. Friedman” and
“Peter Macdonald”).

61. 119. Mid Shot- The music takes an even more
menacing tone as Logan shouts “Victor”. He is
concerned, but the look on his face suggests
that something like this may have happened
before. The background setting uses yellows
and browns which could be seen as traditional
colours, reflecting the two immortal characters
and their lack of attachment to society.
120. Long Shot- Victor about to attack the
soldier running at him. This is quick to show
the quick response of the nearby soldier at
Victor’s outburst.

62. 121. Long Shot- Match on action continues the
previous shot to show Victor striking the
soldier down viciously. Logan is seen in the
middle of them, like he is interceding but he’s
too late to stop Victor.
122. Long Shot- The frame pauses on impact
and credits the film editors (“Nicolas de Toth”
and “Megan Gill”) while another soldier is
revealed running towards Victor on the right
side of the screen.

63. 123. Mid Shot- Logan pushes the soldier aside
to save his brother. His annoyance at Victor’s
outburst is overshadowed by his sudden rage
at the soldier he is pushing aside. His uniform
is brown and has no sleeves, which has
connotations of toughness- adding to his
military persona shown in this sequence.
124. Mid Shot- The slow motion running of this
soldier is dramatic as we know that Victor is
going to kill him (as he is far more powerful, is
placed on the left side of the screen to
subconsciously suggest this). The slow motion
shout of the soldier shows that the people
who Victor and Logan have demonised from
childhood also have honour and emotions
comparable to their own.

64. 125. Over Shoulder Shot- the match on action
connects the swinging motion of Victor’s arm
to imply the soldier has just been stabbed.
The sound effect used is sharp and has an echo
which sounds not out of place from a horror
film- which marks this as a turning point, a
brutal murder of one of his comrades.
126. Over Shoulder Shot- to further emphasise
the vicious facial expression of Victor (though
we only see half his face, it is seen as full of
hate). The Production Designer (“Barry
Robison”) is credited at this point.

65. 127. Close Up- Logan seeing what Victor has
done and shouting “No!”, further divides the
characters’ personalities. The fact he is running
towards him still, however, shows he still has
the determination to protect his older brother.
128. Close Up- Victor is looking at the body
and his body language is still in a defensive
stance. He moves like he’s taking out his claws
from the man’s chest and grimaces like he
regrets the action- as he knows the
repercussions.

66. 129. Mid Shot- This doubt is gone as Victor
returns to his animalistic snarl and lets the
man drop. The lighting is a lot more High key
despite the darkness of this scene- which
shows that this film will take a realistic view on
violence and normalise it slightly.
130. Mid Shot- Before the soldier drops to the
ground, the shot is paused and the Director of
Photography (“Donald M. McAlpine”) is
credited.

67. 131. Mid Shot- the music beat picks up as the
soldier’s body quickly drops to the ground-
Victor is shown as an animal, like a tiger
looking over his prey.
132. Long Shot- This shot pans around the
soldiers circling Logan and Victor. They are
seen as a threat as they are raising their guns
at the camera (so this could be a Point of View
shot). The use of this shot separates the
humans from the mutants and suggests a
hatred of the other species, or a fear of
mutants.

68. 133. Mid Shot- This shot is of Logan gritting his
teeth and baring his claws. He looks more
animalistic than usual with his claws out,
showing a similarity to Victor.
134. Long Shot- This shot of the soldiers
walking towards them in arms adds to the
danger and shows the audience that Logan
and Victor are in trouble as they’ve exposed
their gifts to the humans. The costume design
may differ slightly to have the soldiers wearing
hats to show a separation between the
protagonists and the humans, even in how
they look.

69. 135. Mid Shot- this shot shows Victor poised
like a tiger ready to pounce. He is stood in an
attack position and bares his teeth like a big
cat would when threatened. Behind him we
can see Logan and two soldiers which confirms
they are surrounded.
136. Mid Shot- as Victor bares his fangs, the
shot is paused for effect and to credit the
Executive Producer (“Stan Lee”).

70. 137. Over Shoulder Shot- This shot shows the
protagonists as surrounded and the
positioning of the men in front of the camera
separates the audience from the characters,
much like the separation of mutants and
humans in the film.
138. Mid Shot- Like the previous shot, this shot
is panning around the circle- but from the
inside, showing what Victor and Logan can see.
The soldiers have expressions of fear, hatred
and curiosity as they hold their position
around the mutants.

71. 139. Long Shot- This shot is like the “back to
back” formation from earlier on, perhaps to
suggest to the audience that some things will
never change. The positioning of the two
mutants looks threatening and much like the
comic source material poses as the characters
seem well played in terms of body language.
140. Long Shot- The pose is paused to credit
the executive producer (“Richard Donner”)
and I think it’s paused because it’s a key
moment in Logan’s life, the turn around which
made him leave military service, perhaps.

72. 141. Mid Shot- Logan is seen as less aggressive
as he’s accepting his fate. His facial expression
is that of vague irritation at Victor and
realisation that this was predictable of Victor’s
character.
142. Mid Shot- The shot is paused to credit the
Producers (“Lauren Schuler Donner”, “Ralph
Winter”, “Hugh Jackman” and “John Palermo”)
which could suggest this is a film project with a
lot of consideration as this many producers
and executive producers credited shows that
it’s a film product that’s been written and
filmed to a sharp level of detail.

73. 143. Mid Shot- The camera pans down to see
Logan and Victor in front of a firing squad. The
lighting is High Key and we can see buildings in
the background so they’re presumably back
home.
144. Close Up- Victor looking at the squad and
remarking snidely “wake me when it’s over.”
Logan looks around and is seemingly surprised
at Victor’s lack of remorse or caring about
being shot by a firing squad.

74. 145. Close Up- The focus of this shot is on
Logan and the frame is paused to emphasise
his look of mild hatred at Victor. The
Screenplay writers are credited here (“David
Benioff” and “Skip Woods”). The warm colours
used in this part of the sequence usually have
positive connotations of summer and
happiness, however this is contrasted with the
reality of the impending firing squad.
146. Mid Shot- Logan is zoomed into by the
camera and looks at the firing squad behind it.
His facial expression and calm body language
imply he isn’t scared of the squad, but
anticipating the pain nonetheless. The brick
wall behind him has connotations of
toughness, which Logan aspired to become at
the start of the sequence.

75. 147. Mid Shot- shows Logan in the expecting
stance but paused to credit the Director,
“Gavin Hood”. The placement at the near
centre of the screen shows his importance as
the main protagonist, emphasised by the
crediting of the director simultaneously.
We hear the shout “Fire!” from off screen
which breaks through the tension.
148. Mid Shot- we see a glimpse of Victor
screaming at the squad, teeth bared, as the
order to fire has been carried out.

76. 149. Close Up- The focus on the gun shows it
as important as it’s about to shoot Logan and
Victor- though only Victor’s reaction is seen,
implying that he’s the only guilty one.
150. Close Up- This close up is flashed just as
he’s about to be shot, showing the final fight
he has in his eyes and begging the question
(looking at his desperate body language): Will
he survive this execution?

77. 151. Close Up- The man holding the gun fires
and the shot only lasts for a split second,
showing the quickness of this type of death.
The flash could be startling to some viewers as
it’s a bright burst of light and loud noise which
breaks through the music which has been
consistent through most of the title sequence.
152. Title Card- The title card looks like the
typeface of a military tag, and has a metallic
look to it- like the silver of Wolverine’s claws.
This silver colour has connotations of strength
which Wolverine gains later on in the film.

78. Conclusion
• Looking back at the analysis I think I will use the pause frames in my product at key points to
credit people involved in the project and to emphasise certain moments in the opening
sequence.
• The use of Close Ups to show the characters’ emotional states are effective and for this
reason I will also try to add a few shots in to my product to make it feel more human.
• The Title card is relevant to the film’s themes with the military style typeface so I will make
my Title card relevant to my film’s suggested themes.
• Finally I will consider using different lighting to show the mood at each point of the
sequence, and possibly consider using a montage of moments like this film as it covers a
backstory efficiently and with a fast pace needed for a Thriller/Superhero Hybrid film.