Friday, 5 December 2014

Opening Sequence analysis: Casino Royal - Sound


Firstly the sound at the beginning of the opening consisted of very quiet background music (string instruments). This was to allow the focus to be on the man walking to his office. This is also emphasised by his loud footsteps, this suggests that he is alone in the building but however creates a very eerie feeling.

During the beginning of this scene a low angle of the man is used. This is to make the audience feel as though he is powerful as he is above the camera. However a few seconds later a high angle of him is show. This contradicts what was previously seen, and therefore the audience we become confused about the character. This is typical of thrillers as the plots are extremely complex we do not necessarily have a clear good and bad side.



The whole scene within the office/building has extremely dark lighting; this creates mystery as the audience cannot see everything. A common fear is the dark; this is due to the 'fear of the unknown'. Therefore this dark office will create fear in the audiences mind, as they will be unsure of the plot.

The editing within this scene is very slow paced and consists of only cuts. This is to keep the scene simple and allow the audience to understand what is going on. This also creates suspense as the conversation feels as though they are building to a tense moment.
The opening then uses cross cut editing to show a cricket match. This has been done to create a connection between the two and show that Bond may be in the office as a result of that day. This connection is also portrayed as the same quiet music is played throughout the two scenes. This helps the audience to understand what is going on and not get confused by the scene change.

 However once the other man is introduced (He spots Bond) the music becomes louder. This has been done to create drama and suggest there may be a chase scene. The cheering of the crowd is then used as a sound bridge. This juxtaposes what is happening as cheering is a sign of happiness, but the character is undergoing fear. However as this is paired with dramatic music the feel of the scene is still clear to the audience.

Within the cricket scene all the characters are wearing white, except Bond and the man who are in black. This emphasises the innocence of the audience and how they do not a play a role within the scene. However the two characters in black create a clear feeling that they are antagonists. This is because black within thriller films are associated with evil, death and darkness. This also leads to Bond being a very complex character, he 'does good in a bad way'. He shoots the man, but within the context of James Bond the men killed are usually far more evil than Bond himself.




 Once Bond and the man begin to fight the editing becomes very fast paced, this creates tension as Bond is in danger. This is also paired with sonically exaggerated punching, kicking and mirrors smashing. This portrays Bond as being very powerful as he is able to inflict this pain, but also brave and strong as he is able to take the pain and succeed. This will lead to the audience respecting him; Men will wish to be him whereas women will want to be with him.


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