In this blog post, I'll be analysing the opening title sequences of other films in the thriller genre.
I'll be analysing the film, Casino Royale and here is the opening title sequence:
The opening title sequence starts off with a gun shot, it is sudden and this instantly entices the viewer as it's a sound that is associated with the thriller genre.
With this audio of the gun shot, connects with the visual of a man in a suit, pointing the gun directly at the audience and shoots. As James Bond films are a long running 'series', it is assumed that everyone or at least, most people who watches Casino Royale would know who he is, as this visual is an iconic image of the character, James Bond.
As well as a gun shot from the character played by Daniel Craig, we see this happening through what seems like a gun barrel - indicating the audience that we are literally right in the middle of a shootout, right in the middle of the peak of the action.
After this gunshot, the blood covers the whole screen, 'blacks out' in red and acts as transition which leads the viewer to the next shot of the opening title sequence. The blood seems to cover our eyes, like we've been shot in the head - the blood is associated with violence as well as the red for danger - critical condition of the viewer. As a 'bullet' goes through our heads, this kind of aim requires a lot of skill - therefore this shows the viewers that James Bond is highly skilled and is a professional.
After the sound of the gun shot, the theme song sung by Chris Cornell, 'You Know My Name' comes on suddenly - introducing the OTS with the swirls of the playing card's symbols as well as the production name "Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions LTD presents" and then the actor's name "Daniel Craig", who plays James Bond as his name's the first to appear.
This was written and produced exclusively for this theme song for Casino Royale. The first couple of lines sung by Cornell is:
"If you take a life, do you know what you'll give?
Odds are you won't like what it is"
These lyrics talks about if you take someone's life, do you know what consequences it would come from it - like grief, provoking revenge from others. Then the next line mention 'odds' - this relates to gambling and taking risks.
The playing card suits appear through the OTS, this acts as a signifier and another form of semiotics ("study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation") that Bond's life is always on the cards - gambling whether he's going to live or going to capture the antagonists. The suits (symbols of the playing cards: hearts, spades, clubs and diamonds) 'explode' into a kaleidoscope which surrounds the title of the movie, 'Casino Royale'. Also, the suits also connotes the main story of the film:
*the heart: James Bond's love interest in the film
*the spade: used to getting rid of any antagonists - successfully killing them and 'use the spade to bury them' as he were successful in killing them
*the club: a weapon to kill the antagonist
*the diamond: the wealth he must have received from being a 007 agent or describing how exclusive and hard to 'tarnish' - always at his peak of performance
Firstly, we see a figure partially in shadow - the audience can recognise that this figure belongs to James Bond because he is in his iconic suit and gun combanation. Also, the convention of action/thriller films like the Bond films are to see the main character which establishes that this character has the main focus and control of the film.
This continuity cuts to a shot where we see a very stylised scene of computer generated imagery (CGI) of patterns surrounding and framing Bond, who is sitting on an edge [edge of danger, risking from falling?] sorting out his gun [maybe attaching a silencer on it?].The audience will see a panning shot from left to right being used as the protagonist is nearly central and then slowly placed on the left of the frame: creating a desirable composition using rule of thirds. We see Bond as the footage pans to the right, he is then placed behind a CGI 'stream' of pattern which then disguises him - how he is in the 'real world' [the Bond world].
In the last mili-second of this shot, his hand come from the top right hand corner and 'plucks' a spade - which then flows to the next cut.
Some viewers may see this action as the camera pans from left to right like reading a book - they'll notice it but as the whole OTS is CGI and very stylised - some viewers may have missed it due to these distractions.
The next shot takes us to an extreme close up shot of Bond's hand, where it shows the viewers that he is handling a gun by loading up a 'spade' bullet [if only one single bullet - he has a very precise aim and is skilful?].
This quickly cuts to a medium shot of Bond, slowly revealing more of his character as we clearly see him handling a gun with a silencer attached. A silencer connotes that he is a swift and slick character - he kills without drawing a lot of attention from the sound of the gun shot.
As the song grows to become more upbeat and full of energy from the singer, Chris Cornell's voice - a gun shot takes place and within this shot shows a CGI hand copying and exaggerating Bond's movement's precisely. The CGI hand belongs to the playing card 'King', therefore signifying that Bond is the 'King' - he is the controller who has a large amount of power.
The characters which appear throughout the OTS - their movements are slowed down significantly, thus matches the theme song's pace and it invites the viewer to witness what happens during a high speed fight. For example during the action period crime film, Sherlock Holmes 2009, directed by Guy Ritchie and stars Robert Downey Jr and Jude Law - when Holmes devises a technique of beating his opponent - we as the audience 'sees' his thought process slowed down as he narrates it. [SEE VIDEO BELOW, GO STRAIGHT TO 1:40 FOR THE DESCRIBED SCENE] Then we see it again in 'real time' where all of the action would be missed if we weren't able to see Holmes' thought process.
The link between the fight scenes in Casino Royale OTS and the fight scene of Holmes that they are both slowed down to 'mark the moment' of these physical encounters for the audience. The audience will be able to feel the tension build as the fights unfold in slow motion by witnessing every detail of the action - putting the viewers in the same room as the fights.
May, this a sound evaluation using relevant terminolgy. Your discussion of the cards is one of semiotics - the cards representing signs for the audience to decode - however - you haven't said that it is 'semiotics' that you are looking at.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that the link between the Bond OTS and the Holmes is strong enough. Is it purely the use od slowing the action down. Perhaps, you could make this link more obvious/relevant.