Film Deconstruction

Deconstruction of 3 Film Openings

Ÿ Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Ÿ The Dark Knight
Ÿ Mission Impossible 3

I have chosen these 3 movie openings to deconstruct because they are the genre I am using for my movie project which I gathered from my questionnaire results and I am using these 3 particular movies because 2 are movies I have used for my focus group while Mission Impossible 3 is an action and is a really good opening.

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
This movie starts off with the company that is presenting the movie and then introduces one of the main characters dealing different goods that have been stolen. This shows what his character is like and immediately states that this is going to be an British crime and mob film. His accent also states the typical cockney accent to be involved with this. The camera is moving towards him moving pass the crowd as he speaks; this is done to show that there is a crowd that he is dealing with. You can also see his cheap table with different goods and behind him is a sort of garage to show that this is done in secret as it is a typical hiding place.

The camera then cuts to a close up of him as he continues to speak, drawing the crowd in making a few jokes to add humour, it then goes back to the black background with other credits while he continues to speak in the background. It then cuts back to him as it moves back out away from him to show the crowd again as he continues to jest and persuade to a over the shoulder shot of a women. It then goes back to the black background with more credits and him speaking again. This is a good effect as it is consistent and draws the audiences attention in. Then it goes back to the same close up shot as he jests again and then goes black again with the credits “presents”. It finally goes back to him as he finishes up the sale and puts a price on it. Then it cuts to a man who goes through the crowd to take one who is working with him to get the crowd buying. It cuts back to the main character as he starts taking in money and it continues to talk while more credits come up. It continues to do in the same fashion and it cuts to the first man who bought it who is looking to his left on the lookout which is to show that he works with him. It continues in this fashion as the music starts to pick up when he starts getting loads of sales. The camera then tracks around him as he makes the sales and pace of camera cuts and motion quickens. It the finally cuts to the first man who bought it as he shouts that the cops are there and the music starts properly. It then goes to quick cuts to shows peoples reaction as they run and the main character puts his things away and it shows everyone rushing. It goes to a still cut as he runs away with his partner and the police run past the camera, it then shows an angle where they run away and the camera pans with them as they jump over a barrier and then the police then come into view and jump over. This is done to show that the police are always chasing and are always just behind. It then cuts to a shot where the camera is at the bottom of some stairs where the two characters run down, it goes into extreme slow motion as one of the characters crashes into the wall, this is done to show how much of a rush and their desperation to get away while also showing some humour. The slow motion is also done to let the main character introduce the other character, speaking over the shot. It then quickly goes to normal motion to show the character speaking come into to view and then quickly goes back to slow motion as he throws the suit case down the stairs as he then speaks about what they are going to do and then it goes back into normal motion as they run past the camera as the title then comes up in a typing fashion.

This opening was very good as this fits with the type of film we are aiming to do with the whole British gangster film and the opening with the chase. The whole character that’s deals different goods will be one of our characters and the speaking over the credits is a very good effect as well but will not be something that we will be doing in our film. But the speaking over the shot is something we will be doing but we will be doing it with most of the opening. The shot where they run down the stairs in slow motion will be a shot we will be including in our film with speaking over it. Overall, this had a great opening and is an inspiration to our film.

The Dark Knight
The credits have already been shown and then the first shot shows a building with the camera slowly zooming on it as one of the windows break with eerie music in the background. This sort of starts off the action straight away to give away the nature of the film and its genre straight from the beginning as it cuts to one of the joker’s henchmen who shot the window in a close up shot side view and the cuts to a high shot to show that there are two henchmen there as the camera tracks so it is facing the broken window to show the mans view.

It then cuts to a shot of a man standing on a street with a mask in his hand to show he is part of the henchmen as the camera zooms into him while the cameras position is behind the man. The music continues at its slow pace to show that nothing big has happened yet. The camera continues to zoom on the mans mask in his hand to perhaps make the audience remember what mask he is wearing as to announce that he is the main henchmen so remember him. Then a car pulls up and the man puts the mask on as he walks into the car as the camera cranes up to show what he is doing. It the cuts back to the two henchmen at the beginning of a low shot as they stand up to show that they have just got up from the ground as they were doing stuff and then cuts to an extreme close up side on view of one of the henchmen fixing on a zip wire and pushing it down to just show the audience what he is doing and the reason why they broke the window. It then cuts to a similar shot of the camera behind them as they start to go down the zip wire and the camera quickly follows them out and looks down at the street to show how far up they were. Whilst it did that, a whoosh sound came as the camera quickly looked down to show how far up they were and to add dramatic impact. It then cuts to a birds eye view of them going down the zip wire as it pans them as they do it and then cuts to a camera angle facing them on the ground of the building they are landing on just to show they have landed.

Then it is in the back of the car the man got in where 3 characters are speaking as one drives just to add a bit of the story in for the audience as they explain the plan and it then cuts to a side on view of the car in an extreme close up of the passenger next to the driver as they continue to speak to show that the man that entered is not part of the conversation. It the cuts back to the two guys on the roof as they speculate the same thing to add more of the story in as the camera just faces the both of them as talk and do their thing. It cuts back to the car in a low angle outside the car as they exit but the cameras focus is on the man who first got into the car to again press that he is the main person as it both tracks and then pans as they enter the building.

It then cuts to medium close up of the entrance as the two people at the front of the car run in past the camera and then the man who entered the car then comes and the camera pans on him as he runs which is again to show that he is the main person in this robbery. They then shoot their guns and it cuts to a man in a suit in an office on his computer as he reacts to it; the fact that it shows his reaction shows that he has some importance to whatever building this is or has some importance in the role of this robbery. It then cuts back to a reverse shot of them running as they start to shout and grab hostages and then cuts to a normal shot of them running as it tracks backwards to show what they are doing. It then cuts to a medium shot of a women behind her desk with her hands up as one of the henchmen run into view and grab her just to show her reaction. It again then cuts back to the two henchmen on the roof to show that their plan is linking together of a close up of a gadget in one of their hands which looks like a bomb and then cuts to a close up over the shoulder shot but facing the man doing the bomb as he speaks but shows over his shoulder the other henchmen getting something out of his pocket. This is done to show that whatever he is going to bring out of his pocket is going to link with his partner in some way as they both wouldn’t be in the shot.

It then cuts back to the 3 henchmen in the building of a close up of a bag which seems to have some explosive devices in their and then cuts to the main henchman pick up the bag at a medium shot facing him and then it cuts back to the shot where they started taking hostages at a side on view as one of the henchmen continues to grab and push around some hostages and then again cuts back to the main henchman and he puts something on one of the hostages under the table at a side medium close up. It then cuts back to the 2 men on the roof at the same over the shoulder shot as they continue to speak when we finally see what the other henchmen had in his hand which was a gun as he shoots him in the back as he falls off the cameras view and dies. It quickly cuts to a shot of the man dead on the floor with the mans gun still in view to confirm that he is dead and was killed by his partners gun and then cuts back to a shot of the man pick up the bag as the camera cranes down at a close shot as he picks it up. At this point the music kicks in to start the adrenaline as betrayal is introduced which is in no doubt going to confuse the audience and add to their anticipation and excitement. It then cuts to a reverse shot as the man runs into a passage in the building while it tracks after him as he runs down some stairs.

It cuts to the man in the suit which confirms that he had some part as he takes off his glasses. It then cuts to the main henchman at a close up side on view as he continues to strap bombs onto the hostages hands and then it cuts backs to the man who ran down the stairs or so we assume as the camera tracks him from behind as he enters some vault which states that the building is most probably a bank or some top secret government building. It then quickly cuts back one of the 3 henchmen in the building at a close up on his face as he speaks and threatens whilst the camera follows him and then cuts back to the main henchmen as he straps another bomb onto a hostages hand and then it cuts to the hostage hands as he pulls away from him to show a explosive device on his hand to confirm that he is strapping bombs onto all the hostages. It cuts back to the man in the vault at a side on angle as he puts some sort of drill onto the vault door and the camera zooms into the drill as it drills a hole into the vault to show that they are breaking in.

It then cuts back to one of the 3 henchmen in the building at a mid shot facing him as he hits one hostage with his gun and threatens everyone and then it cuts to the man in the suit at a close shot on his face as he turns towards (assumedly) the henchman threatening everyone. It then cuts back to the henchmen as he gets shot in the back by the man in the suit with a shot gun and the man stands up in the background. It then cuts to the main henchman at eye level mid shot as he scrambles across the ground to get cover as the camera pans on him to show his panic reaction. It then refers back to the shot as the man walks through towards the camera reloading his gun. This again confirms that he had some important issue in this opening and he seems quite important to the building. It then cuts back to the henchman drilling the hole through the vault at a similar shot as he gets electrocuted by some unknown source as the music continues to quicken. The camera then cuts to a mid shot of the man in the suit as he shoots his gun as he continues to walk as the camera tracks, this is to show how fearless he is and it then cuts to the main henchman at the same shot the camera left him on as he scrambled for cover as he moves towards the camera as it tracks. It starts doing quick cuts to both characters as they chase each other with similar shots. It then shows a point of view shot of the man in the suit as he shoots and misses as he sees the henchman run low and it continues to quick cut as the main henchman covers next to his other henchman. Then it cuts back to the man in the suit at a long, still shot as he walks towards the camera threatening them. It then cuts to a close up of the two henchmen the other one asks the question to the main one. It goes back to the point of view shot as he stands up to shoot and quickly cuts back to a close up of the man in the suit as he shoots again as he dodges and it cuts to show the main henchman’s reaction as then cuts back to the man at a mid shot as he wastes out of bullets and the cuts back to a mid shot of the main henchman run out of his cover and it pans as he runs and then shoots at him as it cuts to the man in the suit as it shows him get shot and fall to the floor. At this point the music has quieted down again to signal that the danger is now over. It cuts to the main henchman at a mid shot as he lowers his gun and the camera zooms into his face as to show his authority over anyone else. It cuts to his other henchmen as he rises from his cover and speaks to him as he moves as the camera pans him. It goes back to the main henchman’s face where the camera left off still staring at the man he shot and he then turns his head towards his henchmen as if he has just realised that he was there.

It then cuts to the henchmen who was with the main one as he walks through some doors at a mid shot tracking behind him as it comes into view of the man at the vault as the camera includes both in the shot as one is speaking to the other to show that a conversation is ongoing with them. It then cuts to the henchman who just came in unzip a bag and then cut to a close shot of the mans face as he answers the others question and confirms that it is a mob bank. It then cuts to a over the shoulder shot of the man with the bag facing the henchman at the vault which was a similar shot they used when one henchman killed the other so the audience are expecting something and it then cuts to the henchman with the bag face as he raises his gun and shoots him.

It then cuts back to the main henchman at a mid reverse shot as he walks along the tables full of hostages and then cuts to the henchman as he opens the vault and enters as the camera tracks backwards as he runs in and then reverse shots as he runs in to show the amount of money that is in the vault and it zooms in as he empties money into his bag and then cuts to a closer shot as he continues to empty money, this cut could be to signify passing of time to show that he has emptied a lot of money into a lot of bags. It then cuts back to the two henchmen as they gather the bags of money as the camera is at a low shot to show the amount of bags and then cranes up to show both characters at an over the shoulder shot which will remind the audience which it does as he pulls out a gun on the main henchman and then it cuts to show his reaction at a mid shot as he turns to meet the gun. It the cuts to the henchman pointing the gun at a close up with his gun in view as he speaks and then cuts the main henchman at a similar close up to show the how tense it is between the two of them as it then cuts to a over the shoulder shot of the gunman facing the main henchman as he takes a step to the side as the camera pans. It cuts back to the close up of the gunman as they continue to step from side to side and it then cuts to a shot of the wall where a bus crashes through with a quick shot to show his quick reaction then to cut back to the wall as the bus crashes into the gunman and kills him. It cuts to the main henchman at a mid shot to show his reaction with bus still in view to the right of the camera to show how close it was. Then it cuts to the back of the bus with the main henchman still in view as another henchman comes out of the back of the bus as they start to load the cash using different shots. It then cuts to a shot facing the bus at a mid shot as the main henchman chucks him the last bag and then turns and shoots him and walks off as the camera tracks him as he picks something up.

It then cuts to a high angle shot of the man in the suit lying on the ground as you see the main henchman leave the cameras view and then cuts back of the bus as the main henchman throws the final bag in as he hears the man in the suit start speaking and he turns his head. It then cuts to a high angle shot facing the man in the suit on the floor and it then cuts back to the camera facing the main henchman as he walks towards the man as the camera tracks at a mid shot. It then cuts to a point of view shot of the main henchman as the camera tracks towards the man and then back to the cut of the main henchman walking towards him as he reaches him then bends down as the camera cranes to show both characters in view. Then it cuts to an over the shoulder shot of the main henchman’s shoulder facing the man in the suit as he puts an explosive in his mouth as then speaks and it then cuts to a point of view shot of the man in the suit at an extreme close up as he pulls off his mask to reveal himself as the joker, it quickly cuts back to the over the shoulder shot to show his reaction and the back to the point of view shot as he smiles and moves off the cameras view. It then cuts to the man as the camera slowly zooms out from him to show that he is leaving. It cuts to the jokers legs with him holding the mask just as we first saw him in the car which leaves us with the first and last image we see of him in the opening and it cranes up as he continues to walk, jump onto the bus and start the engine. It cuts back to the man as he looks on and then back to the bus as it drives away which sets off the mans pin in his mouth as it cuts to him and then the camera zooms in on his face as smoke starts to release from it and to show his reaction to it all. Finally, it cuts to outside where the bus leaves from the wreckage at a close up of where it entered as it zooms out and gets at a higher distance as it leaves with other school buses as some police cars drive past the camera.

This opening was extremely good and we will be using the zoom into something to start off our film like this and this opening was really entertaining and we want something like a robbery in our movie. I think it is really good to start of an action type movie with an action sequence as states the genre straight away and also grabs the attention of the audience straight away. Therefore, I think this opening introduced the story well and it grabbed attention from the start which is what we will be trying to aim for with our film.

Mission Impossible 3
It starts off with eerie music in the background with a black background and then the film company “PARAMOUNT PICTURES PRESENTS” comes up I the right hand corner in red writing. When it fades, we hear an electrocution and a man scream which signals torture as more credits come up on the right hand side and then fades again. We then hear a voice as he explains what the electrocution was while the screen is still blank. It then cuts to an extreme close up of Ethan who is the main character from the previous 2 movies. He looks very battered and bruised obviously because he is has been tortured and he looks very dazed and confused which suggests that he has just came conscious. The camera then cuts to a close up side on view of his hand that has been handcuffed to a seat to show that he is in capture.

It then cuts to a extreme close up of another man who we assume to be the man who has locked him up and therefore the evil man as he speaks. It then cuts to a close shot of the mans hand holding a gun and loading it at possibly eye level to Ethan and it cranes up to the mans face as he asks a question. His face is almost emotionless as if he doesn’t care and is very intimidating as he speaks and another man is in the background who the audience would assume is a henchman, it then cuts back to Ethan’s face at the same close up shot as he continues to look confused and back to the same shot with the man with the henchman in the background as he asks Ethan the same question. It cuts back to Ethan as he continues to look confused and insists he already gave it to him. It the goes to a close shot of the man to make it seem more personal between them and then cuts to a over the shoulder shot facing the man as he threatens to kill a women and the camera slowly tracks to the left to put the women in view. This adds a dramatic effect when he reveals the women as you know that she is important to Ethan in someway. It cuts back to the close up of Ethan’s face to show his reaction as his face widens and he panics and then cuts to a close up of the women’s face with the gun in view as she is gagged and tied up as well.

It cuts back to Ethan as he comforts her and it cuts back to her as she nods using the same shots to show the connection between them. Then it cuts to a close shot of the man with the henchman still in view as he starts to count to ten and then cuts back to Ethan as he defends himself and gain back to the man with the same shot it had before to show his reaction as he counts “2”. It goes back to Ethan as he shows his impatience and then it cuts to a close up of the henchman to show he is still there and to show his pitiful reaction of him, then it is a close up of the man as he says “3”. It then goes back to the close up of Ethan as he shakes and shouts and it then cuts to the women who shows her fear and sympathy for his situation. It then goes to an over the shoulder shot of the man as he looks at him as Ethan shakes around, but this shot does not include the henchman to again show the personal hate they have for each other. It cuts back to Ethan with the close up as he calms down and it then cuts to a master shot of a long shot side on view of all 3 of them with the henchman not included to show that it is just between them 3 and they are the important characters.

It goes back to the women and back to Ethan as he attempts to lie using the same camera angles. Throughout the whole opening, there is no music to show the tension in the room and the seriousness of it all. They continue their conversation as it cuts to close shots of the man and close shots of Ethan. When he says “4”, the camera cuts to an even closer camera angle than the previous to show how impatient he is getting and afraid, he tries to lie again and then cuts to the close up of the man as he discards what he said and says “5”, it goes back to the normal close up as he rattles again to show his reaction. It quickly cuts to the man as he says “6” and then back to the even closer shot at eye level as Ethan shouts, it then cuts to the man and then to a close up of his gun as he points it at her leg and shoots, it quickly cuts to Ethan as he shouts out and then to the women as she moans in pain and then back to Ethan as he continues to manically shout, back to the women as she cries and then back to the close up of the man as he shouts at Ethan. During the shooting, it uses a quick number of shots to add to the action and how tense it is, whenever something happens, the pace of the camera cuts quicken. It continues to cut from the women, man and women really quickly as the man shouts as Ethan tries to comfort her with a strained face as the eerie music starts again as he shouts “7”. It then cuts back to Ethan as he threatens to kill him and then back to the man and then to the women as he puts the gun to her head and shouts “8”.

It then goes back to Ethan as he calms down and pleads with him and then cuts to the women to show how scared she is and then back to Ethan as he continues to plead, it the cuts to the man at a close up as he continues to look at him in a vague expression and then it cuts to an extreme close up of Ethan as he pleads again and then quickly back to the man as he then says “9”. At this point, the audience can really feel the tension because they know that one more number and she will be dead. It then cuts to the extreme close up of Ethan as he continues to try and plead and convince only to cut to the man to show his vague reaction as it goes back to Ethan as he continues his speech. It then cuts to the women, the man, and the back to Ethan as everyone can almost sense what is going to happen ad then a quick run through of the characters again and the it cuts to a close up of the man as he says “10” and then cuts to Ethan as he shouts.

After that it quickly goes to a string getting sparked up as the mission impossible theme tune starts and it goes through the credits fairly quickly in the same writing it did at the beginning.

This opening was interesting, tense and it definitely made me want to watch the rest of the film. I like the idea of a film starting off with a scene in the middle or end of the film as it interests you to wonder how they got in that situation on what happens before and after so I think it is very effective against the audience. Although, the camera angles were very repetitive and they didn’t use a wide variety but rather kept with the close up shots on different cameras.