Analysis of Opening Sequences from films

In my opinion I think that the opening sequences to any film should be engaging and make the viewer want to watch on. There doesn't have to be numerous scenes or lots of dialogue, but it just needs to make you want to watch it! So, having said that, here's my opinion on the openings of a few well known films...



1. My Week With Marilyn

This film is set in the 1950's and is about a man who decides to chase his dreams of working in the film industry, despite his parents wishes for him to get a 'normal' job like the rest of his family.

The film starts in a packed cinema where we see a video being projected onto the big screen. The cinema is mainly filled with men as they stare at the screen, captivated by the beauty that is Marilyn Monroe.

In the next scene we see Eddie Redmayne's character, Colin Clark, walking across the lawns of his grand family home in the countryside. In the next 2-3 shots we see Colin telling his parents that he is leaving to go to London for a job interview with a major film producer, Sir Laurence Olivier.

The scene then jumps to a street in London where Colin enters the film production buildings, to go to his interview.

 

In the opening sequences of My Week With Marilyn not much of the plot is given away and so it leaves a lot to the audience's imagination for them to then picture what might happen next. We are also introduced to a few key characters in these first scenes, like Colin Clark and Sir Laurence Olivier, although we are not yet introduced to Marilyn, but she is shown to us on the cinema screen. There is a considerable amount of dialogue in the first two minutes of the film as Colin narrates the montage of his life before his week with Marilyn.

 

I think that this is a good opening sequence because of the use of a montage. This helps to inform the audience of how one of the key characters got to where they were as well as also introducing some of the characters to the audience. The opening sequence is also fairly fast paced, which is good because it gives the audience a little bit of background information on Colin but not boring us at the same time by going into too much depth.

However, not a lot is given away about the rest of the film in the opening sequence and so it can be hard to understand what the film is going to be about and it can be a little miss-leading; in comparison to the trailer which states very clearly what the film is about and gives hints to what happens in the film.  

 

 

 

2. This is England

 

This is England is a film that is set in the 1980's and is about a troubled boy growing up in England.

 

The film starts in the young boy, Shaun's bedroom where we see him waking up to get ready for the last day of school before the summer holidays. On his journey to school he stops by the local shop to read the newspaper, but only to be kicked out by the shopkeeper when he refuses to pay for it. When he gets to school Shaun is tormented by some older boys over the death of his father, which quickly results in a fight between the two boys. After a couple of teachers arrive to break the fight up we go to a shot of Shaun outside the headmaster's office, as he waits, listening to the other boy being disciplined for his actions. The final thing we see in the first few minutes of the film is the group of boys sitting under the bridge that Shaun befriends on his way home from school.

In the opening scenes of This is England only a little piece of the plot is given away, although it can be predicted what could happen further on in the film and there is also a little bit of dialogue between some of the characters. We are also introduced to a few key characters and from observing the scenery around them, we can figure out a little bit about them. For example, when the film starts in Shaun's bedroom we notice that on the walls and on the bedside table are some pictures of his dad; some of the both of them together and one of his dad in an army uniform. From this you can guess that either the boy's dad is away at war or that he was killed in action, and so the photos are there to show his love for his father.
 

I think that it is established very well in the first few minutes of this film that it is set in the 1980's as we see people dressed in iconic 80's outfits and the town it was filmed in fits into the setting well; showing that the producers behind the film have put a lot of thought into making sure the set portrayed the desired theme. Although the opening scenes are a bit slow-paced it allows for detail in these scenes to be interpreted by the audience so they can understand the film more.
 

 

3. Submarine

 

Submarine is a coming-of-age film about a typical 15-year-old boy named Oliver Tate. The film is an adaptation of the 2008 novel Submarine written by Joe Dunthorne.

In the first two minutes of the film we are shown the main character, Oliver Tate's bedroom and then some scenic shots of the area around his house. Whilst this is happening we hear some narration about himself, from Oliver.

In these first two minutes of the film literally none of the plot is given away as it is only a character telling us about himself; which means that there also is not a lot of dialogue in these first two minutes either. However, we are introduced to the main character and we do get to find out a little about him in what he tells us.

I think that this opening sequence is good in the fact that it clearly establishes the setting and scenery of both Oliver's bedroom and the area around his house. The scenic shots show that the film is based in quite a rural and quite area. I think that to make this film opening sequence better there could have been more information on the story/plot of the film; something to give us an idea of what the film is going to be about.