Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Opening Title Sequence Analysis - Sexy Beast


The initial shot to the opening title sequence is an establishing worms eye point-of-view camera shot
looking towards the sky. The glare from the sun in the centre of the shot immediately provokes an enigmatic reaction from the audience. The masked narrator has an ominous voice and the audience can't place what conversation is being had and about what topic as there is a lack of visual clues, the cockney accent the character has is often associated with crime which slightly indicates the genre of the film. Throughout the sequence the shots are held for long periods of time which alludes to no sense of urgency, making the audience feel relaxed and calm rather than tense which is often associated with films of the crime genre. The following bird's eye shot reveals the character, the audience can now see the chain and expensive watch he wears, this jewelry is often associated with crime or 'tough' men - his appearance feeding into the stereotype of those associated with crime, heightened by the fallen beer bottles surrounding the sun bed. His burnt skin demonstrates that he has been there for a long time, suggesting that he is possibly an ex-pat.


As the sequence develops there is a focus pull, although he is blurred in the background, the audience can see that there is a new character being introduced, a boy cleaning by the pool. The young boy's cheeky attitude towards the protagonist illustrates a close relationship, that they've known each other for an extended amount of time. The non-diegetic soundtrack has a light-hearted atmosphere with a relaxed and nonchalant attitude about it. The bird's eye view shot reveals the hearts on the floor of the pool, the pink and purple immediatley connotes lust, playfulness and devotion and also foreshadows the shot to follow. 

The mid-shot of the back of the woman's head is memorable purely for the reason that it provokes an enigma. Who is this woman? Why is she driving so fast? She also appears to have burnt skin and wears a small purple top, matching the hearts in the pool. The magenta color is a common 'pop' of color throughout the sequence as it is also seen in the credits, added in post production, with black shadows to further enhance the color and text. The wide shot of the house in the dry, desert-like mountains provides the audience with more context, implying that he is hiding and isolated - informing the audience as the opening title sequence develops.

There is an element of comedy as there is a freeze-frame where the title of the movie is displayed as it is frozen in the middle of the character standing up, an unflattering shot for anybody. The orange in his swimsuit stands out against the muted earthy tones and bright whites of the villa, ensuring that the audience are always focused on the main character and the action. This is enhanced by the sluggish and slow walk he does as well as it has a comedic affect as the audience assume it is because of his bad burn.  

The diegetic sound of the boulder rolling down the mountain adds elements of realism to the sequence and the point-of-view shot of the boulder rolling provokes confusion as the audience. is suddenly very discombobulated. The wide shot of the boulder rolling down the mountain in the background builds tension as the audience are concerned wether it will hit him or not. There isn't a large reaction after he gets splashed and sees that it is a large singular boulder, the glance behind him presents that he was looking for someone to check who pushed it - was someone there?







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