Opening Sequence Analysis for To Kill A MockingbirdBy Chloe Abraham

Introduction

To Kill A Mockingbird is a crime/drama/mystery film released in 1962. The director of To Kill A Mockingbird is Robert Mulligan.The opening sequence of To Kill A Mockingbird shows the picture of a little girl opening up a cigar box with all these different object inside. We never see the child’s face but we hear her humming and saying “boo” repeatedly. We watch as the child draws and colours and then when the two marbles collide we pan over the different objects found in the cigar box.

The Camera Angles/Movement

All the camera angles are close ups in the opening sequence of To Kill A Mockingbird. When each shot is finished and we move onto the next one, both shots are combined together and as the second shot is fading in, the first shot is fading out. The credits also fade in and fade out of the screen. The camera also zooms in onto the cigar box and also the crayon and the pocket watch and the child’s drawing of a bird which is then ripped. The camera mainly pans and tracks as it shows the objects which are in the cigar box. The camera sometimes changes focus to allow us to see the next object more clearly and focus on that object. For example, the focus changes from a marble to a whistle which draws the audience’s attention to the whistle and away from the marble.

Micro Elements

Lighting

To Kill A Mockingbird was released in 1962. During this time films were only available in black and white. The opening sequence is shot in black and white like the entire film because the technology wasn’t advanced enough to provide colour.

SoundBefore we see the first shot of the cigar box, we hear some music. This music sounds like a young child is playing on a piano and playing random notes. This suggests that the opening stars a child and as the music disappears, we can hear the little girl humming and saying “boo”. The child humming suggests to the audience that one of the main characters is a child and it makes everything appear so innocent to the audience, because a child has not been exposed to some of the horrors which can be found in the world. When the two marbles come together the child says “ding” and suddenly the main music begins. The main music sounds magical much like a child’s imagination because anything is possible.

Editing

The main editing techniques used in the opening sequence is the combination of two scenes. When the next scene first appears it fades in and merges with the previous scene which eventually fades out. This technique is simple yet very effective. It allows all the different shots to flow.

Props

There are no character’s faces shown in the opening sequence, so the opening sequence is reliant on the props to tell the story instead of the character’s expressions and actions.

Crayons

In the cigar box there are many crayons which are then used during the opening sequence. Crayons are used by young children to colour in pictures. The crayons suggest to the audience that the character in the opening sequence is a young child and that the film is going to be shown from the point of view from a young child.

Pocket Watch

The pocket watch is an important prop in the opening sequence because it has its own sound effect. Twice when we see the pocket watch up close, we can hear the sound of it ticking. It makes the pocket watch stand out in the audience’s mind that this object is important to the narrative of the film.

Drawings (Bird and Title)

We see the title of the film as a drawing done by the child. They go over the paper with a crayon and the title is revealed. This links to the genres crime and mystery because the police used to shade in a piece of paper to see what message has been imprinted on it.The child also draws a picture of a bird. The audience know that the character is a child because it is a typical picture which would be drawn by a young child. The drawing relates to the title of the film, To Kill A Mockingbird which the audience notice and know that the film has something to do with an actual Mockingbird.

Macro Elements

Characterisation

We do not get to see the face of the child in the opening sequence but we can tell from the sound of the voice and the props such as crayons and the drawings, that the character we are hearing and seeing the hands of, is a little girl.

Setting

We do not get to see much of the setting in the opening sequence because all of the shots are close ups of objects. However from the props and what the character is doing, we can only guess that the little girl is sitting at a table at home with all these objects while she is drawing a picture of a bird.

Genre

From the opening sequence, we do not get to know much about the genre of the film. This makes the film mysterious because it is unknown what we are going to view in the film.

Narrative

The opening sequence starts out with a cigar box. We then see some small hands opening the box and we hear a little girl’s voice. Inside the box there are many different objects such as coins, crayons, marbles, safety pins and many more. We then see the child pick up a crayon and begin to draw a picture. The shots change from the child colouring a picture to a close up pan of the different objects inside of the box. At the end of the sequence we see the final drawing which is a bird. The child then rips the drawing and the sequence ends. The opening sequence appears to have its own storyline.

Representation

At the end of the opening sequence we see the child has drawn a picture of a bird. To me a bird represents freedom because a bird is free to fly where ever they wish to go. However the child then rips the drawing. This could represent someone in the film has had their right to freedom ‘ripped’ away from them.Also we see and hear a pocket watch multiple times throughout the opening sequence. This could represent that time is running out and the character needs to do something before it is too late.