Thursday 6 November 2014

Textual analysis – Opening of Casino Royale (2006)



1.     Camera shots , Angle, Movement and Composition
When the opening sequence of the film begins, there is an establishing low angle shot looking up to a building. This immediately makes the building feel imposing and gives you the perspective that you are smaller than the other objects in the frame. As the car then pulls up, the shot changes to a low angle close up from the characters shoulders. The camera tracks the characters movements slowly, as if you’re following with him.  This is followed by another low angle shot looking up to a moving elevator at a canted angle.  This composition has an open frame, giving you the feeling that the building carries on out of the shot. The next shot contrasts the previous, as it is a high angle close up shot looking down at the character at a canted angle. This flicks to an extreme close up of the changing elevator floor numbers.  Then there is a tracking dolly shot, with depth of field, having shallow focus. We then change to another still low angle shot of the door, which then rapidly changes to a fast moving dolly shot to a point of view shot of another character in the room which is also over the shoulder.  There is then an extreme close up followed by another point of view shot. These shot give you the perspective of the characters in the scene and give the audience the feeling that they are in their position.  The next shot is a mid shot followed by another low angle with an open frame, both of these shots use the rule of thirds, having the characters, or the main interests in the shots, in the right then left hand side of the shot. A wide angle, two shot is the used to show the position of both characters in the room. There is then a close up of the gun, which immediately alerts the audience.  In the following shot, the rule of thirds is used again with a wide mid shot.  We then switch to another scene in which contrasting camerawork is used. The frames are much more shaky giving the feeling that you are following the action. Mid and long shots are used to give greater perspective. An aerial shot is also used when Bond is pushing the other character through the toilet walls, this emphasises what he is actually doing and gives you a clear view whilst its happening. The scene changes back to a mid shot of the original character and then switches to a close up of the character holding a gun, as the gun is out of focus, you concentrate on the man himself.  After the realisation that the gun isn’t loaded, we see a low canted angle shot of bond, emphasising the twist. More close up shot are continually used to keep the audience in the action. We then see the bathroom scene again which continues to have wide-angle shaky shots. Yet we then get close ups of points of interest in the scene, such as the character picking up a gun; Bond’ s stern face as he holds the man in the sink; the man in the sink and his legs showing his struggle. After the death of the man, the camerawork become steadier and hold the frame for longer. We then change back to the steadicam of the original characters, which again quickly changes to a close up of the gun then a high angle shot of the man falling of his chair. This emphasises how fast this moment has happened and keeps up the action of the previous scene.
2.     Editing
The opening scene begins with a fade into the first shot with a long take of the outside of a building.  We follow the primary character with multiple match on action shots, following his journey up the building.  An eye line match is used when the character is looking up at the numbers in the elevator, which is then followed by another when he looks into the safe. Crosscutting is used a lot in the scene between bond and the primary character to allow the audience to see both perspectives whilst they are talking. In the fight scene short takes are used with crosscutting, to make the scene fast paced
3.     Sound
The film begins with an ambient sound of the wind and crunch of snow under the tyres using diegetic sound, which slowly increases in volume. However, in the following scenes, the majority of sound used is non-diegetic as it does not match the atmosphere of an office. There are multiple uses of Foley sound such as the elevator rising, and the mans footsteps on the glass floor. When the man enters his office, low boom is heard, this marks the realisation that he is not alone in the office. The background sound quietens as the dialogue begins. In the action scene the sound is much louder and is synchronous to the occurrences in the scene, and a sound bridge is used as the next scene begins with the carry-over sound from the previous.
4.     Mise-en-scene
When the film begins we notice it has a filter of black and white, which continues through the whole sequence. This creates great chiaroscuro in the beginning as the light reflects off the glass and steel of the building. The use of black and white is later successful when close ups of character faces are used as it creates visually stimulating contrasts of it features. The use of black and white could also imply to the viewer that the sequence is in the past, which we later find out is true, as it gives it a vintage feel. Furthermore, in the action scene, the lighting is much brighter, creating less of a contrast of black and white, giving it a starker feel. The location of Prague in the Czech Republic is emphasised by the look of cold weather, created by the steam rising out of the vents, however the look of the building also tells you it could be anywhere, and so leaves space for the audience to question. 

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