Kill Bill Vol. 1 Opening Scene

Kill Bill Vol. 1 Opening Scene

This opening scene is amazing. It is cheap to do and is very simple, which is perfect for someone such as myself who is looking to create an opening scene to a film that is great for leading on to the rest of the film, and more importantly, getting the audience to ask questions. Openings should not give anything away and should leave the audience second guessing, like this opening does.

 

First off, the screen is completely black, but you can hear a woman, who is clearly in pain and/or has suffered something traumatic mentally or physically. Then you see her face, a close up. The audience is not allowed to see anything else, just her face. The black and white sets the mood to bleak and as though this is not a happy start to the film, instantly allowing the audience to identify the genre of film. The cuts on her face are much more vivid and noticeable due to the black and white. The audience is put in the position of the character and instantly starts to feel their pain, even though they have no clue what is going on or what has happened. this noir setting is clearly caused through chiaroscuro lighting that allows the camera to film so vividly which creates a mysterious effect.

 

As she is still making these sounds, the audience starts to hear footsteps in the background. They're traveling at a steady pace, and before you see the shoe, you can tell they are healed shoes. The camera switches to a tracking shot, but only of the shoes. Again, the shot is a limited shot, leaving the audience guessing as they cannot witness more. Once we see the shoe, the audience is instantly told through props that this character has class, but they also know he is a dirty character, as he is walking up to a beaten down woman, with no hesitation in his pace. All of these features build up tension and keep the audience second guessing. The non-ambient lighting creates a perfect shadow, as if the character is walking into darkness. Suspense just keeps continuing to rise. 



 

This opening scene uses props so cleverly to distinguish what characters are like. The title of the film is called 'Kill Bill', and in the first 33 seconds, we are instantly introduced to him, through a napkin, because it has his name on it. This suggests Bill is vein and thinks a lot of himself, instantly allowing the audience to dislike him. He wipes the woman's face, as if to be kind, but he does not help her up. The woman's face says it all, especially her eyes, she has a lot of hate for the man she is looking at, and because of the camera angle, the audience feels as though the hate is towards them and as though they are in Bills position. His watch suggests class, just like his shoes. Even the action he is doing suggests kindness, but it is also clear he is not hurt, his hands are even clean as he wipes the face that is full of bleeding scars. This shows that he has people do his dirty work, but he still stands with pride. As he wipes her face he says 'I bet I could fry an egg on your head right now, if I wanted to', which is extremely unsympathetic, and suggest she is extremely angry, setting up the rest of the film. It also suggests that Bill can do whatever he wants, and feels he has won, but this is just the beginning of the film. 

 

At the end of the scene, you hear Bill pull out a gun, whilst talking as if he were in an everyday conversation, suggesting this is an everyday thing for him. Just before he shoots this woman, she says it is his baby, but he shows no mercy. The audience clearly knows who the bad guy is, and have no idea of what is to come. Perfect opening. 

 

 

 



Essex Boys Case Study

Essex Boys Case Study

  This is my case study on the opening to 'Essex boys'. This is a great piece of thriller research as our task is to create a two minute film for an opening to a thriller. The opening is very important as it sets the mood and tone for the rest of the film and allows the audience an insight into what the film is about and should make them start asking questions, which should keep them watching.

 

   

The lighting in this opening scene is chiaroscuro lighting, which is light that is unnatural. Because the lighting is controlled, and there is little of it, this creates a noir tone to the scene. Because of the position of the camera, where you cannot see out of the garage, it creates a sense of entrapment because the audience has no idea what is outside of the garage, and the camera is not moving. All of these are thriller conventions which allow the audience to identify this film as a thriller.



 

There is more use of non-ambient lighting is this next shot, due to the character switching on another light, allowing the audience to see more of what is in the garage, but the audience still cannot see what is outside of the garage, making them focus on what is in the garage, e.g. the very old car and the fist character they see. The audience feel they are in the same position as the narration begins in this shot. The cob webs and dust suggest age, which instantly gives off the impression that the film is starting with a history in its stooryline. Good use of props to allow the audience to subconciously understand things.

 





This next shot, in my opinion, is superb. The unclean window suggesting this new character, Jason, is unclean, maybe even a psychopath which is supported by his lack of emotion and upright posture, suggesting he feels powerful. He looks ready for what is to come and gives the impression of a big history. The chiaroscuro lighting and noir setting allows him to seem a dark man you would not want to mess with.  

 

This scene suggests many things. For example, the narrator, who has just explained who Jason is, seems trapped. there is no other way out other than forward and backwards. Jason wants to go forwards, so they go forwards. This also suggests the effect of looking like the barrel of a gun, making this seem more threatening and violent.



 There are many outstanding techniques used in this shot. The reflection on the windscreen that make it seem as though they are imprisoned, and the posture of the two characters. The driver, straight face, trying to look normal. You can feel that he does not know how to behave, whereas Jason, the ex-convict is just sitting there comfortably in his bright shirt that instantly attracts the eye, showing he does not care. 

 

The use of a white, empty van is a stereotypical vehicle that criminals use to kidnap people. This allows the audience to see how dark this film will be, especially after seeing the man in the screen shot get beaten up and acid thrown in his face before being shoved in this van. The long shot allows the audience to see all of the mans expressions and body language, showing what a victim would truly behave like in this situation. As he is released, in this screenshot, you can see his desperation to get out, like a caged animal and the use of ambient lighting coming from outside of the van suggests how dark it must have been in there. 

 

This is where we see the man get beaten up a bit more as he gasps for water to help his face feel better. The remote landscape is a perfect place for a thriller, as it does not look aesthetically pleasing. The ambient lighting is perfect as it is a dull day, as it would be in the UK, which suggests reality as if the sun was out, it would suggest happiness.

 

As the weather and lighting set a dull and disturbing mood by the emptiness of this location and the bleakness of the clouds, Jason is shown as more of a psychopath through lack of empathy and the way he behaves. The fact that he still feels the need to harm this man after he has thrown acid in his face suggests  he does not care and is shown as the perfect character for a thriller.

 

This long shot shows how isolated this person is, and because Jason left him alive, it shows that he does not care about what this man says or does about it. He is clearly a psychopath and this shot can be used to suggest how far Jason is from morality and it can show how far Jason needs to go until he is done with what he needs to do.