Action genre opening scene analysis

Casino Royale opening scene analysis.

The opening scene is presented in black and white throughout, this could connote good v evil, it can also create a tense mood throughout and the audience will be more likely to be focused on the action sequences instead of being distracted by different colours in each frame. The first shot is a low angle establishing shot of where the scene is set. The low key lighting due to the black and white filter can create suspense and gives off a negative mood for the audience. In the bottom left hand corner we are given the location for where the scene is set 'Prague, Czech Republic'. We are next shown a low angle close up of a man getting out of a car, the low angle shot can suggest that he be seen as important to others as a low angle shot can imply power. The shot is slightly slanted which can give a distorted view to the audience. His facial expression looks concerned or nervous as his eyes move around a lot which can imply he is looking out for anyone who could possibly be watching him. The next shot is when he is moving up the elevator, but instead of a low angle shot, the audience are given a high angle close up of the man who can suggest vulnerability and weakness. The extreme close up of the elevator levels; give the audience the enigma asking them where this man is going at such a late time of night. As he walks out the elevator, the long shot of him walking through the corridor allows us to look at his expensive and modern looking surroundings, which can suggest that he has a lot of power and wealth.

We are shown a low angle long shot of the character walking into a very dark room which can create anticipation for the audience, as the shot moves around to show an office we are suddenly blocked from the shot by a chair and suddenly the next shot we are shown is a close up of the man. He suddenly halts and his facial expression suggets shock and anxiousness as he realises he is not the only one in the room. He jump and turns around as we see through an over the shoulder shot that the protagonist, James Bond, is sitting the chair, supposedly waiting for him. He is sitting quite far away which means most of his body is covered up by the dark lighting apart from his face which is the only part the audience can see. This connotes a sense of mystery and tension between two characters and the audience are given another enigma as to why James Bond is here and what he wants from the man. As the man, whose name we are not yet given, slowly sits down with caution, the non-diegetic sounds start to play, we hear an eerie high pitched sound that also plays a part in building tension and anticipation for the audience. Secretly, the man opens a drawer beside him and we are shown a close up of a gun in the drawer, this is a general convention of an action film as weapons are used a lot throughout fight scenes and physical stunts between characters to excite and thrill the audience. The next shot is a medium shot of what the audience now see as the antagonist, the shallow depth of field in the foreground allow the audience to completely focus on him, even with the low key lighting. The long shot show the two characters, it shows the audience the amount of tension between each other, even though they both look relaxed and calm. There is more lighting over the antagonist rather than the protagonist which can connote that the protagonist is more secretive and cautious of himself, compared to the antagonist who is proud and thinks he is the more dominant role between the two.

Suddenly the shot turns to an action scene between the protagonist and another character, the lighting is very bright compared to the frame before and jucstaposes with the fighting scenes as white should connote purity and goodness but contrasts with the hatred and fighting between the two characters. We are shown a range of high angle shots looking down at the fight scene, which can give the audience a clearer view of what’s going on. As well as this, we are shown a range of close up and a medium shot, the shots are very fast paced and doesn’t give the audience enough time to focus on each separate shot which can connote chaos and that both characters are struggling for control. This fight scene is a general convention of an action genre because throughout action films, we will be shown tremendous impact, continuous high energy, lots of physical stunts, races, rescues, fights, escapes, non-stop motion, spectacular rhythm and pacing, and adventurous heroes - all designed for pure audience escapism. Just as the non-diegetic sound picks up which rapidly builds tension, it stops suddenly as we are taken back to the dark lighting scene where the antagonist points a gun at James Bond. we are shown a close up shot of the antagonist with the gun in the foreground of this frame but with a shallow depth of field, allowing the audience to focus on the mans facial expressions, the smirk on his face suggests that at the point, he believes that he is in control because he has the power to kill the protagonist if he wants to. As he decides to pull the trigger he realises that he has no ammo in his weapon and his expressions implies that he is stunned and now terrified by the fact that now he knows he has no power because he cannot defend himself.

As the scene is so tense at this point, the protagonist who we all know as, James Bond, breaks the tension with 'I know where you keep your gun', this can be seen as a humorous line or something that can break the suspense, even though the non-diegetic sound plays a part at trying the increase it. As the conversation goes on between the two characters, we are quickly passed back onto the action scene, showing a low angle shot; the victim would be the prevalent character, this can make the antagonist in this scene look weak because he is lower down compared to James Bond, and the low angle can connote a sense of power and dominance for Bond. We are shown a close up of Bond's face as he is drowning his victim, his face connotes strength determination but also a sense of being reluctant as it is a long process before he dies and can be quite uncomfortable to watch, especially for the audience. This is a general convention of an action film because we are most likely to watch fight scenes and death scenes, to bring thrill and excitement to the audience.

Our final shots are back between the two characters, and as the antagonist is talking we are shown a close up of Bond pointing the gun and shooting it at the protagonist. We are shown a clean, cut, high angle shot of the antagonist falling backwards, as this happens the non-diegetic sound suddenly picks up to build tension and stops after the antagonist is killed. Our final shot is a close up of James Bond talking to himself and the last sound we hear is the diegetic sound of the gun taking itself off the trigger.