The opening sequence of Napoleon Dynamite (US, HESS, 2004), features credits written out on common American foods, as well as school supplies such as pencils, erasers and books. The overall opening credits presents child-like music that creates a quirky, light-hearted and comical tone. The camera use has a grainy, ‘home-made’ quality, which, along with simple edits and the vintage style colours and backgrounds suggests that the film is of the comedy genre, and is about American high school outcasts who are a bit different, or separated from ‘normal’ teenagers.

The music used in this extract is not typically associated with ‘normal’ American teenagers. Throught the sequence. there is a mix between diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. To begin with, the music has repetitive bars, and the ongoing slow tempo suggests that the outcasts have a regimented routine that they follow. The monotonous nature of the song means that the song can easily be put in the back of our minds, giving the idea that the outcasts are just an annoying buzz in the background. The non-diegetic sound is a relaxed track written by The White Stripes called, ‘We Are Going To Be Friends’. The lyrics in this song exemplifies what an outcast presumably does daily during school. The phrase, “safely walk to school without a sound” implies that outcasts always have to look over their shoulder, indicating that they are prone to being bullied and have to be alert of their surroundings. “Without a sound” could also be a constant reminder to the outcasts that they are unnoticed and rejected by their peers. Additionally, there are diegetic sounds such as the plates being placed on the table and the movement of the pencils which forms realism within the sequence, thus giving this comedy film some verisimilitude.

The use of the camera and the edits between shots are simple throughout the extract and could easily be a ‘home-made’ movie. Also, throughout the opening credits, two main shots involved used: medium and close-up shots. The purpose of the medium shot was to draw the audience’s attention to the titles and objects as these are important aspects of the sequence. As well as this, the director may have chosen to include this specific shot because it showcases the ‘everyday’ items the outcast uses, and shows that this film portrays real-life. The repetitive nature of the shots could also link back to the repetitive bars of the music and could reinforce the idea that the outcasts are irritating. A series of close-up shots were used to capture the audience’s attention to the details of the objects. Close-ups were used particularly to emphasise the personality of the main character, Napoleon, who is a nerdy teenager in high school. These shots provide information to the audience that the film is based around the life of an ‘unpopular’ teenager - hence why this is a comedy because of the stereotypical conventions shown in the opening credits. Moreover, almost all of the shots were filmed at a high angle. This enables the audience to focus on the objects being fixed in the frame and also show that they are ‘looking down’ on the character, making the audience seem more superior.

AS MEDIA STUDIESNAPOLEON DYNAMITE ANALYSIS

RICA ANGELICA ADARLO

The sequence is simply edited without many transitions, which allows the music and the overall video to flow. In the video, the clips are shown for five seconds and have an abrupt cut to the next frame; all except for one clip, which shows a book being flipped up, indicating that Napoleon has a conflicting personality from all the other American teenagers. An example of this can be seen in the frame with the library card - it is deliberately out of focus that later becomes clearer, perhaps symbolising Napoleon’s loneliness and isolation. Since the video displays items which can be found at home; such as the backgrounds’ style, plates and food, this could imply that Napoleon possibly still lives with his mother as he ‘has no friends’.

From the various objects shown in the opening sequence, the audience has already seen elements that we associate with typical American high schools. The food that has been used is generally and stereotypically American; including foods such as corn dogs, hot dogs, hamburgers, tater tots and a peanut butter sandwich laying on top of a brown paper bag - these are cultural references presented in the film. Additionally, the next few scenes feature items that stereotypically affiliate with a ‘nerd’. This could hint to the audience that the main character is ‘nerdy’ and ‘geeky’ as Napoleon’s ID card exhibits him wearing big framed glasses and braces, and also due to that fact that he is interested in fictional things like aliens and space. Continuing to show the different titles, we are then shown a ninja star constructed by Napoleon, giving the idea that he has a naive and immature side to him and that he could be reenacting an action film he’s seen as he throws the star.

Shortly after witnessing his ‘weapon’, the audience gains knowledge about Napoleon’s character as he is seen opening library books he has rented out called, ‘Bigfoot and Me’, and ‘Sciences and Centaurs’. Again, this supports the idea that he is a ‘nerd’ as he is interested in mythical creatures and space. In addition, the audience is also shown some school items and illustrations, suggesting that Napoleon has an interest in drawing. The title sequence then goes back to showing food and finishes with the credits for the director, and Napoleon squashing the hamburger together - much like an immature child would do.

The use of music, camera, edits and shots, as well as the objects and backgrounds, all contribute to creating an opening sequence that suggests the film is about an American high school outcast. The sequence has a home-made feel and the use of simple edits and a single point of view shot means that the sequence could easily be recreated in any home. The props and background are equally ones that could be found in any American household. The overall title sequence corresponds well and the genre of the film, and it is very clever as it gave plenty of information without actually revealing any of the characters or scenes in the film, which could surprise the audience.