By Amy Hawkes

THE DARK KNIGHT OPENING ANALYSIS

MISE-EN-SCENE

This opening scene relies quite heavily on props. For example the amount of money shown in the bank volt to show the audience at what level the criminals operate at. Another important prop used is the masks. Although all the criminals have these masks, at the start of the opening the camera specifically lingers on one mask in particular. This hints to the audience who might be the main character within the criminals.

All the shots in this opening are quite bright, which is unusual because it doesn’t really reflect the scene; a robbery is considered a ‘dark’ event, however in this scene the lighting is quite bright. This could be to show each characters whereabouts and allow the audience to anticipate what might happen next. The only darker setting in this scene is at the bank volt itself. This may have been done to emphasise how dangerous the whole operation is.

The costume used in this scene is fairly normal; nothing really stands out to the audience but I think this is because the criminals want to blend into the public before they put their masks on.

The sound in this opening scene is integral to conveying the narrative of this film. in this opening the sound of gun shots, explosions, windows breaking and screams are emphasised and made louder/clearer to the audience so they can carry on following the narrative easily, even if they didn’t actually see/notice the gun being fired or the window breaking. Having these sounds amplified increase the sense of chaos within the film and tension in the audience.

Throughout the beginning of this opening, the criminals keep asking who the joker is, what he is like and why he wears make up. By doing this, it sparks interest in the reader – it makes them ask the same questions

At the beginning of this opening, there is non-diegetic sound effect used, a slight ticking sound which I think signifies a build up to the big event. It also increases tension and anticipation within the audience.

SOUND

Quite a lot of long shots are used in this opening scene, allowing the audience to see the whole setting, where each character is and gather a clearer understanding of the narrative.

When the robbers first enter the bank, there is a long track used. This is important to show the audience the new setting, further show the intentions/actions of the criminals and the innocent people in the background. This helps to convey plot and meaning.

There are also quite a few mid shots used of the criminals in this scene, which is odd because they have masks on so you cannot see their facial expression. However, it is still important to use because it shows the proximity of the characters, allowing the audience to establish what type of relationship they have.

CAMERA WORK

Throughout this opening the main editing technique used is invisible editing. I think that this technique has been used most to change location, conversation, characters or action to help create a seamless flow of action, which also helps create the illusion of real life. This allows the audience to focus on the action and not get bored or lose interest in the film.

EDITING