fugitive analysis

1. The fugitive analysis
Mise-en-scene
At the beginningof the filmanestablishingshotof Chicagoisshowntogive the audience an
immediate sense of settingtoexpectforthe remainderof the film.Variousshotsof whatwe can
presume tobe are flashbacks of someone’sexperienceare showntoinstantlysuggestthe theme of
the film.Ultimatelyastruggle andalifelessbodyisshowntosuggestthe flashbackisof a murderer.
Harrisonford nowentersthe frayand we instantlygetthe impressionthathe isthe one being
accusedof the murderof his‘wife’althoughnoreal evidence hasyetconcludedthis.
How the characters are introduced
The initial charactersthatare shownto the audience are twofigureswhoare ina struggle. One of
the people are female andthe othermale.We getthe distinctimpressionthatthe manisthe killer
once we see the lifelessbodyof the female.Althoughwe don’tsee the charactersfaces,we
understandthatthese characterswill have amajorrole to playin the theme andstoryline of the
film.Harrisonfordisintroducedatthispointas the suspectof the murderwhowe now know as his
wife.He isarrestedbuthe goeswillinglybecause thereisnoevidence againsthimandgoesinthe
inspector’scar,not the police car.
Title sequence
The openingtitle consistsof blue fontwhichrepresentsthe subsequentpolice sirensthatcan be
heard.Thisis significantbecause itgivesthe audience animmediate impression the police will have
a large role to playin the storyline of the film.Inadditiontothis,the factthat the title of the filmis
called‘the fugitive’the audience canimmediatelyunderstandthe linkbetweenthe role of the police
and the persontheyhave tocatch. The use of blackand white duringthe openingsequence
representsaflashbackormemorythathappenedinthe pastto give the audience abitof context
before the filmstartsandalsoit allowsanincreasedunderstandingwithouthavingtoinclude
anotherwhole scene toshowthe storyline of the film.