What is the purpose of the opening sequence of a film?
There are several purposes of the opening sequence to a film,
one is to introduce the protagonist to the audience. For example, at the start
of the thriller film Inception, the protagonist is washed up on a beach. This
introduces him to the audience as well as creating a sense of mystery that will
keep the audience captivated as they try to figure out who this man is and why
he was in the water. Another purpose for the opening to a film is to establish
the setting, an example of this is the opening of Black Swan. The film begins
with the protagonist performing a ballet routine is on a stage. This introduces
the setting of the film, the dance studio, as well as presenting one of the
main aspects of the film, ballet. The opening can also be used to reinforce the
genre of the film. For example, the opening to The Dark Knight Rises involves a
huge stunt with two planes. This establishes the Thriller-Crime genre of the
film to the audience and builds the anticipation as they wait to see what the
antagonists will do next. This opening sequence is also used to introduce
themes, such as the themes of violence and immense power.
The opening 2 minutes of The Dark Knight involves a bank
robbery, this establishes the crime-thriller genre to the audience and sets the
fast pace of the rest of the film. It also helps to emphasise the gritty and
crime filled theme of the film as the antagonists are able to commit robbery in
broad daylight without anyone intervening. The underscore is subtle to begin
with and builds the tension as it slowly introduces each of the clowns that are
working for the Joker by committing the burglary. The underscore gradually
builds as the action increases, this helps to increase the audience’s anticipation
as they watch and try to figure out what will happen next. This also works to
create the atmosphere of the film as it builds the suspense that is present
throughout the rest of the film and it continuously leads the audience up to
the next major event.
The opening also serves as an introduction to the Joker. It
establishes his disregard for other people as he has the clowns kill each other
so he gets all of the money and therefore doesn’t have to divide it. This shows
the audience that he is cold hearted and removed from humanity, it also captivates
them as it shows that the Joker is ruthless and has nothing to lose in the game
he has started to play with Gotham. The opening also introduces the element of
mystery behind the Joker as we don’t see his face for the first couple of
minutes and then when it is revealed he is also wearing face paint which still
keeps his true identity hidden. This enthrals the audience because they want to
know who he is and how he became the merciless and brutal man that is the
Joker. This establishes an enigma that is present for the rest of the film as
we never discover who the Joker is, this keeps the audience intrigued and
interested for the opening as well as the rest of the film as they try to
answer the numerous questions created by the Joker’s character. The low camera angle used when his face is
first revealed connotes authority and strength. This could foreshadow the power
the Joker is going to gain over both Batman and Gotham. This, therefore,
further intrigues the audience because they want to know how he is going to do
it. The low angle also puts the audience below the Joker’s eyelevel, this makes
it difficult for them to identify with the Joker and separates him from the
audience because they can’t trust him or his motives.
The first 2 minutes also establishes the setting. It shows
the audience that the film in set in an urban city, this is common in crime and
action thrillers because it means that there are thousands of innocent
citizens, like the people in the bank, to be terrorised by villains such as the
Joker. The audience is also told that
Gotham is a modern city because of the establishing shot of the glass
skyscraper. However, the clowns smashing the window reinforces the idea that
crime is present in the city and is causing it to fall apart. The entirety of the opening sequence
introduces several of the themes present in the film, for example the theme of
identity. It does this by not allowing the audience to know who the Joker is.
This creates the idea that he could be anyone and keeps his motives hidden. This adds to the element of mystery
surrounding the Joker and increases the audience’s interest. We also don’t know
who the people in the bank are enforcing the idea that this could happen to
anyone at any time.
The opening also serves as an introduction to the plot. This
is because as the audience we know that Batman will have to fight the Joker now
and it also tells the audience that despite Batman’s presence in Gotham there
is still corruption, and criminals, such as the Joker, can still get away with
daylight robbery. This also establishes the pessimistic and bleak atmosphere of
the film because although the Batman is a symbol of hope even he can’t defeat
the evil and darkness in the world.
Overall, the opening two minutes of The Dark Knight establish
the bleak setting and atmosphere of the film whilst also introducing the film’s
antagonist and intriguing the audience with the mystery that surrounds his
character.
