Chris Leek

Film Opening:

My Thoughts

What I like:

•Dialogue between Characters

• How Bond outwits his superior

Section Chief: “Shame, we barely got to know each other…”Bond: “I know where you keep your gun”

How does it feed in to the rest of the film?

• It shows how James Bond gains his ‘Double 0’ status by making 2 ordered kills.

• It also shows ho James Bond is taught not to trust anyone, where in the film he tries not to but in the end falls in love with a traitor.

Characters

James Bond: Already known as a character because of previous films, but this

film is set at the start of his career in MI6. It introduces him as a clever and witty spy who can outthink and also kill enemies.

Dryden: He is the very first character to be seen in the film and is portrayed

as a ‘Bad Guy’ right from the start. He is wearing a black hat which is a convention of villains and he looks very uneasy and paranoid; like he is afraid of someone. During the sequence it is revealed that he sent someone to kill Bond, which Bond kills and therefore counts as his first kill, and then he tries to kill Bond himself. He then becomes Bond’s second kill, qualifying him as a Double 0.

The Contact: Nothing is known about this character and he is only in the opening

sequence. We presume that he was sent, by Dryden, to kill Bond. But in fact, the situation was reversed and he becomes Bond’s first kill.

Analysis

Shots: - High Angle: Makes Dryden look weak and frightened.

- Wide Angle: To show the opposite sides of the conversation.

- Close Up: To show Dryden and Bond’s facial expressions.

Editing: - Black & White: Makes it look classier and more stealth

like.

- Insert: To show a flashback in time where Bond kills the

Contact.

Sound: - Footsteps: Emphasized to make Dryden look more

secluded and vulnerable.

- Low and Atmospheric Music: Non-diegetic music which

makes the situation seem more hostile and tense.

Mis-en-Scene: - Black Hat: Dryden wears this to distinguish that he is not

a good guy. Typical convention of Villains.- The Gun: Made to look as though Dryden will kill Bond

but in fact is missing the clip.

Hooked?

This film opening ‘hooks’ the audience as it mixes both action, Bond’s fight with the contact and then killing Dryden, and thoughtfulness, the dialogue dual between Bond and Dryden and Bond outwitting Dryden.

It makes the audience feel inspired by James Bond as though he is a ‘perfect action man:’ fighting skills and brains. It also doesn’t give any of the story away which seems odd, but in fact it makes the audience want to see what Bond does with his new assigned double 0 status.