Analysis of opening scenes- The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is an action packed film ideal for all super hero fans, comic books crazed fans, and the majority of the general public. From right at the beginning of the film, the opening four minutes or so attracts the audience in many ways, from the music used to the types of camera shots present.

From the word ‘Go’, elements from making an excellent film begins. The first camera shot, establishing shot,  used is a high angled long shot, which automatically sets the scene and the location of where the film is set, ‘Gotham City’. Having used this type of camera angle shot, the audience feel as if this is from their eyes only, and are overviewing the events which will be occurring seconds later. The camera shot has movement of focusing, which makes the audience feel more inquisitive and engaged with the film. However this shot emphasises the normality of the day as it shows an everyday view of what people may see from their office buildings for example, which relates to the working people in the audience.

Having low bass, fairly quiet background music straight from the start creates immediate tension and suspense due to the music involving ticking as if there is a race against time. This music emphasises the next scene, as the smashing of the window in the building makes the audience jump or be on alert as the volume of the music decreases and the sharp sound of the window smashing increases. This music also links perfectly with the camera shot used, (high angled long shot), as it creates increase suspense when combined, which follows the conventions of an action packed film. Involving low beats in the music, suggesting a heartbeat rhythm, implies that something ‘bad’ or ‘critical’ is going to happen, as heartbeat music usually is linked to this.

The props used in the following scenes, promotes the genre of the film as being an action film. Guns and masked people signify violence and crime, which is all involved in the conventions of an action film. This tells the audience that the story line would involve crime and good fighting the bad. Having clown faces for masks can relate to the audience’s fears as clowns are seen as fear factors for many people; this suggests that the masked people are going to be the villains of the film. However, all Dark Knight Fanatics know many of the villains he faces, which one of the big ones is ‘The Joker’. The uses of these masks could imply that they are all involved with ‘The Joker’, which firstly associates with the Batman trilogy, but also makes the audience feel as though they know what is going on more than the people in the film. Further in the film, zip wires and metal cutting devices are used, which again all associate with conventions of an action thriller.

The masked people are all  wearing black clothes, which imply to the audience many things. First that they are all in it together and is an undercover job as the colours used makes them blend into the general public.  Also having such normal clothes makes the characters look as normal as the next, which makes the viewers untrustworthy of any other person in the scene. Stereotypically, white is seen as purity, loyal and good; however all the people present in this section of the film are all wearing black, which could symbolise their part in the film as being villainous.

The use of dialogue is also very effective as the repetition of the character ‘the Joker’, automatically tells the audience that the storyline will definitely, without a doubt, involve him. Also having the characters describe The Joker, raises the audience suspicions and first impressions of what this character is like, as they only have what is being said by the masked people as being the man which wears ‘ make-up’ or ‘war paint’. Also the use of dialogue suggests the status of the masked people as further on in the scene one of them says ‘when did you learn to count?’ This makes the audience believe that they are not very academic, (which links to mis en scene as stereotypically, least academic people are more likely to commit crime).

The location of this crime and undercover job can allow the audience to again relate to the events commencing, as using the location of a bank makes the audience realise that crime can happen anywhere and even in such an everyday place. Furthermore, using a low medium shot of the villainous people coming in, shows how big the place is and to a certain extent, it makes the audience adrenaline increase as they want to know how they are going to pull off such a big job, as the shot type emphasises the hugeness of the place.

When the scene is in the bank, the use of the close up of the man at his desk, makes the assumption that he isn’t the kind of person to sit back while all this is happening. The first impressions of him makes the audience warm up to him as carrying on through the scene he is trying to protect the people and the bank. This encourages the audience wanting him to succeed.

Near the end of the clip, there is a few close up shots in a row, between the two masked people. Using this technique generates tension as nobody knows what is going to happen. This camera shot leads perfectly into the last shot, which is the two shot, as it shows exactly what was going to happen. The use of the dialogue confuses the audience as the masked man mentions ‘I’m meant to kill the bus driver’, when clearly there is no bus in the scene. This makes the audience expect something explosive or damaging is going to commence. The two shot helps emphasis the destruction the bus causes and enables the audience to understand that this was a very thought out plan.

Overall the clip ticked all the criteria of engaging with the audience from the correct location to the clown masked criminals, but also followed the conventions of an action packed thriller, making the audience wanting more! I would recommend seeing the rest of the film as it’s as action packed and addictive to watch from the start to the very last seconds of filming. You never know, you may finally see the ‘war painted’ man known as ‘The Joker’…