Analysis of the opening title sequence from 'The Dark Knight Rises'
I decided to choose the film ‘The dark knight rises’ to analyses since it is in the thriller genre.
This shot is the very first shot of the opening titles. It
consists of a cartooned theme of an extreme close up of someone’s eye. This is
used in black and white to show danger and fear as the eye is wide open. It
could also connote the title being ‘the dark knight’ matching its theme. The
soundtrack is only used being non-diegetic and there is no other sounds used making it effective because it builds up tension and confuses the audience since the sounds shouldn't be there adding a sense of mystery.
The next shot is showing the production company being ‘DC
comics.’ The shot is still in black and white and there is smoke coming off the
typography. This is used for tension and adds a sense of mystery to it along
with the non-diegetic soundtrack being used. The background prop seems to be some paper from a newspaper or an article about the protagonist of the film adding mystery as the audience cannot see it clearly.
This shot shows a very recognisable logo which instantly gets
the audience’s attention due to it introducing the main character through the ‘bat’
symbol. It is an extreme close up so the logo is the main object the audience
focuses on throughout. The other meanings created with this are that it shows purity from the white background to the black bat symbol as the dark seems to be overpowering the light which could link to the plot of the film from good verses evil.
This shot shows the title of the film but is only shows for
a couple of seconds where it is then replaced quickly after by another cut in
clip. The title seems to be blending in with the background showing as a
detective scene as it consists of parts of newspapers and magnifying glasses. This gives the idea of the surroundings being an investigation since the audience are in a characters point of view looking at the props used but in close detail as if the character is examining them. The typography is red which suggests danger or death due to the bloody colour.
This scene shows a close up on an object being the mask
that batman uses. It is shown being laid on the ground being forgotten which links to the plot of the film as Batman has been forgotten by the people of the city and could suggest further meanings of the plot as it unfolds such as how he returns which connotes the title of the film as 'The Dark Knight Rises' where rises shows returning of Batman. The mask is focused in the centre as this directs the audience’s
attention to it. The non-diegetic soundtrack is played throughout the title
scene with no other sounds used and it fades off at the end which ends the
tension as the mask is the final object the audience sees before the end of the
title sequence.
Titles included:
The titles consisted of the actors, screenplay, story
creator, executive producers and director.
How is the title sequence effective?
The title sequence fits because it shows hints of what will
happen but adds mystery. It adds foreshadowing using the object included such
as batman’s mask.
Camerawork, sound and mise-en-scene:
The title sequence only consisted of close-up/extreme close
up shots adding a hint of mystery as the audience don’t know what’s beyond what
is shown. The editing has many jump cuts adding tension and confusion as the
audience have to keep up. The soundtrack is very dramatic consisting of
instruments such as drums and violins and is set at a fast pace and gets higher
in tension as the title sequence progresses. The mise-en-scene is a typical
detectors props such as a magnifying glass and newspapers along with photos of
people/suspects which gives the audience different hints of the movie.
How is the title sequence engaging?
The title sequence is very engaging due to the fast pace of
the cut scenes and the music. The different cuts reveal different parts of the
film giving the audience a sense of mystery and want to find out how they all
unravel.
No comments:
Post a Comment