Dirty rotten scoundrels opening scene analysis
Before this scene we see a brief shot of what company helped
produce and/or release this movie. The first shot is really long; it's a mid-shot
mixed with a close up and it very intriguing. The camera tracks the actors which
could have been done smoothly by using a Steadicam or a dolly to move the
camera around. This shot is interesting because you never get to see the actor’s
faces this is confusing to the viewer as we don't know who the protagonist is
and why we can’t see their faces. Also the woman can be seen as the good person
as her white dress connoted innocence and so do her pearls. The man however is
wearing black which suggests that he is a dark mysterious character and maybe
the bad guy. Also his voice is calm and smooth almost manipulative.
When the shot stops moving it becomes an establishing shot
and we get to see whereabouts the two were. It seems they were in a luxury
place on a high up balcony as you can see a beautiful view and neat flowers in
pots. Some of the stars in the sky have been added in by special effect to make
the scene prettier and more magical. They seem to be in a foreign country as
the apartments on the other side of the lake, sea or river look European and the
two weren’t wearing coats so I assume it must be warm where they are. As the
camera stops moving around the music starts playing and the credits come up. The
credits are in gold shiny font to give a luxurious feel to the movie hinting
that a main theme in the movie could be money. The music is orchestral and
non-diegetic, when the title of the movie comes up the tone of the music
changes giving a slight and cheeky atmosphere. When the title is revealed we
get a hint at understanding what the movie is going to be about and that the
man just now could have been conning the woman and in the next shot we know for
sure.
The previous shot dips into black and then fades into this
shot. Here we see a casino because the lighting is ever so slightly dulled,
we see it to be shady. This is and establishing long shot that turns into a
close up as this shot also moves so we can get an idea of where the main
character is. When the dolly is no longer in use and the camera stops moving we
see a man in the same black suit as before only he has his back to the camera. He
perfects his hair which could imply that with him everything has to be perfect,
it can also be seen as him covering up who he really is, making sure the gel in
his hair completely covers his hair. Then someone comes up to him also smartly
dressed in black tells him about a girl in the casino. As this man is talking quietly
it is seen as conspicuous and secretive, also the more he talks the more he
reveals about what the man with his back to us does for a living or spare time.
Half way through the man telling the other man with his back
to us about a girl the shot changes quickly and we see her sat there. The
costumes and lighting in this shot have been especially designed for this scene so the viewer’s eyes are drawn to the character they are talking
about. The light on her is bright, she is the only female in the shot and the
men surrounding her are wearing darker clothing. Also the pale blue on her
dress makes it seem as if she is childish and baby blue is a children’s colour
and can be used to represent youth. This implies that she could be easily persuaded
and blackmailed like a child is.
In this shot we see the character in the black suit finally
turn around. This suggests he is a secretive character. The red in the
background shows danger and the look the man has shown that he has a plan. This
shot is a close up and is one of the shots that doesn’t move.
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