Gladiator [2000]
Gladiator opens on the battle torn land of Germania, with the general later to be known as ‘Maximus’, being welcomed by his loyal soldiers.
This first part of the scene contrast the eventual fall into slavery that the main character endures.
Over the land scape a mist and fog falls upon the distance covering the scene with eerie feel, the calm before the storm of a coming battle, it’s almost like an underworld type of landscape because of this, possible to instil the sense of hell that is war. Maximus then intervenes when a soldier is told his has put the cannons in the wrong place by sticking up for the soldier’s decision, this shows that his character is fond of the men in his battalion and has a ‘brothers in arms’ relationship with them, he is on large an honourable man and it is for this reason that we know him to be the Protagonist of the film.
Blade Runner opens with the louds booms of a dystopian future. Haunting syphonies ride across the titles screens with the thunderous drums being hit on the in-betweens. The bangs sound like missiles in the distance to instil a sense of dispair over the scene of the film.
The introduction then rolls over the black screen explaining the back drop with the haunting music eventually changing with the fade of the black into the sight of a red lit city scape with multiple inferno’s separating the buildings. In the distance a pyramid like building shoots white light from its roof, whatever the rest of the film entails, this building will play a core role.
A shot of inside the Pyramid like building shows a man in a suit smoking in a darkly lit room, again someone that will be the focus of the film.
The overall feel from the opening sequence is that this is not a nice prosperous future, whatever role the Pyramid building plays in the film, It is considered more important to the world at large then the rest of the flame laced city.
I haven’t seen the entire film but I get the feeling it will be an us vs them sort of film with the poorer unfortunate people attempting to change the way the society works.
Brazil [1985]
Brazil starts with a neon lit sign saying 20th century and the light flickering out, possible to state that this is in the future and it is not a good future. It then fades into a very campy and typical Americana version of advertising with a man enthusiastically selling Air Ducts, this shows the film has a level of humour to it. At this point the screen pans out to show a shop window with the advert on a show TV, a woman walks by and suddenly an explosiong encases the screen with the woman caught in it’s blast, the film is now a Black Comedy.
The showcase TV’s are now covered in fire and debris and 1 still plays, on it is a politician with interviewer asking what the cause of the rise in terroist bombing is, he replies ‘bad sportsmanship’. It is clear that the government have some form of villainous role in the film.
The next frame shows a spectacle clad man trying to fix a pen and swat a fly, he is an average joe type of character with a menial job, it is likely that he is the main character we are suppose to relate to. It looks like a very boring scene for the character hence the reason he is going to a large effort to kill a fly.
The Dead fly falls into the printer in his office, and changes a word from ‘Tuttle’ to ‘Buttle’ this mistake will be a turning point in the plot and probably force the ‘average joe’ character into an unlikely hero.
The character Buttle is a family man celebrating Christmas with the rest of his family; he is then abruptly taking by the government into custody.
Edward Scissor hands starts with a haunting yet symphonic score panning over the top of a macabre looking door. As the camera moves round the cobwebbed cover house, a choir of voices can be heard echoing. The House begins to show aspects of machinery, with human distinctions such as smiles made out of nuts and bolts; this shows the film has a sense of humour. Images pass by the screen such as cookies, hands and a corpse, these aspects will most likely be a focus of the film and show that it’s a dark film with perhaps a sweeter side, hence the cookies. Throughout the title sequence snow is falling, again something that will be a feature within the film. The final shot shows the gothic looking mansion (which will be focused on during the film in some way) being viewed by an old lady putting her daughter or granddaughter to sleep. The child asks why is it snowing which begins the tale of Edward Scissorhands. It is clear that the films begins with snow and will most likely end with it also.
Sleepy Hollow [1999]
Sleepy Hollow begins the ominous sound of wind and haunting orchestral music, it’s a dark film for sure. The music gets louder as a mist covered title sequence starts with the eerie childlike singing covering it.
Blood drips on the floor as one hand grabs another and then fades to a man writing his final will. This sets the scene for a death and possible conspiracy for inheritance maybe.
A horse is then pulling a cart through dark woods with a family name written on the side of the cart, we know that the man inside will feature amongst the main plot. A scarecrow is seen inside a field looking rather menacing and then a grunt of horse is heard flying past the side of the cart, the man inside is scared. Just then the slice of blade is heard and the person inside witnesses the decapitated body of the driver. He flees the cart and runs through the field to come across the menacing scarecrow once more, he stares at it and belives that he has escaped danger and is just scaring himself and at that point a close up of the scarecrow head is seen with blood spraying across it. It’s a murder mystery film, the viewer from the beginning is intended to wonder about all the different clues given and the finale will likely reveal the plot completely.
Gladiator: http://bignewsupdates.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/gladiator_movie.jpg
Blade Runner: http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTkxNTQ5NTI0Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwODgzMDc4._V1._SY317_.jpg
Brazil: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3e/Brazilposter.jpg/215px-Brazilposter.jpg
Edward Scissorhands: http://www.swotti.com/tmp/swotti/cacheZWR3YXJKIHNJAXNZB3JOYW5KCW==RW50ZXJ0YWLUBWVUDC1NB3ZPZXM=/imgedward%20scissorhands1.jpg
Sleepy Hollow: http://www.moviemobsters.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/sleepy-hollow.jpg
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