Genre Research

Skyfall

Skyfall's opening scene, from the James Bond film series, gives the audience no time to breathe. The audience are straight away made to watch a hugely intense scene and an overwhelming sense of fear is struck up within them.

James Bond is pictured in the centre of a narrow corridor, with dim lighting, preventing us from being able to see his face, this creates a sense of suspense as the audience do not know who the man is yet. Instantly it also establishes the genre as crime and action. Being in the centre of the corridor, it signals he is possibly the protagonist and is very important to the plot of this film, whilst the dim lighting is a cause for an enigma code, the audience becoming aware of the sense of mystery that is to entail in this 2012 film and wanting to carry on watching the film so their questions have been answered. As previously mentioned, the use of Roland Barthes' enigma codes is a key component of crime films, and are used to hook the audience on while watching their certain film. The fact that he is in a narrow corridor, suggests his entrapment within the MI6, always having to follow M's orders. It could also signify how he is in danger and does not have space to get out his predicaments, a claustrophobic feeling subsequently building up within the audience.

Roger Deakins is superb in this film's camerawork, and the tracking shot of James Bond walking through the building, allows the viewer to feel the same adrenaline as the protagonist as he risks his life for a mission.

- The music that plays becomes ever more stronger as he walks towards us, increasing the suspense. Thirty seconds into the opening scene, a ticking noise begins to play, which also suggests that he is against time and builds up tension.

Contrasting to James Bond's “Skyfall”, the “Peaky Blinders”, the very successful and popular crime season just having released its sixth season, has a gentle introduction, which is usually accompanied with the intro song, the “Red Right Hand”. Further in contrast with “Skyfall” and many James Bond films in general, the “Peaky Blinders”, chooses to have its credits of the show at the very beginning, with the opening scene this allows the director to truly introduce the characters and set the scene for what is to come up next in the film or series.

The Peaky Blinders (Season 1: Episode 2)

Contrasting to James Bond's “Skyfall”, the “Peaky Blinders”, the very successful and popular crime season just having released its sixth season, has a gentle introduction, which is usually accompanied with the intro song, the “Red Right Hand”. Further in contrast with “Skyfall” and many James Bond films in general, the “Peaky Blinders”, chooses to have its credits of the show at the very beginning, with the opening scene this allows the director to truly introduce the characters and set the scene for what is to come up next in the film or series.

In the Peaky Blinders episode 2 of season 1, the opening, establishing shot is of a car going over a hill in the road, pictured in the English countryside. The grey weather gives it a “gritty” feel and highlights the dirty, working conditions of 1920 Britain and establishes the main genre of the series which is crime. Moreover, cars were quite rare in this time period which insinuates its driver is wealthy and henceforth has importance. This establishing shot is roughly 9 seconds, the average time for a shot is 3 seconds, Bathurst aiming to demonstrate to the audience the importance of this character and inforce his large presence in the series.

The Godfather

starring actors such as Al Pacino and Marlon Brando, the film Godfather not only changed Hollywood but also had a lasting effect on the crime genre, and nearly fifty years on its impact is still prevalent today.

The opening scene starts with a black screen, accompanied by the foreboding music score made by the late Italian composer, Nino Rota. As the darkness slowly fades away, we see a skeletal head, with “puffy eyes”, the character's black pupils fixated on something in the distance. One would believe that he is an important character, an evil, intimidating Italian mafia boss perhaps, however, despite his defiant posture, we see that really he is just a middle aged, balding man. This evokes a sense of pathos in the viewer, we feel sorry for Bonasera and his beloved daughter, we do not yet know who he is speaking to but nonetheless, the audience have nothing but sympathy for a man who had to endure such horrible trauma. After Bonasera details his difficulties in finding justice, the shot eventually reveals Don Corleone, the shot displaying an over the shoulder shot, demonstrating The Godfather's power over Bonasera and his power in general as a Mafia boss. The audience comes to realise his position, his important role in this film and like Bonasera are intimidated by his sheer presence. Through that shot, we too, like Don Corleone, are judging this poor, desperate man in Bonasera in front of us. We are made to feel sorry for him but also are surprised by this sudden friction and it sets the scene for the notorious crime thriller.

It is only after Bonasera utters the words, that we presume are on the lines of “kill them”, that Don Corleone's face is revealed to the audience. The medium shot is fixated on his face for at least 10 seconds, as we see his visible disappointment at Bonasera's malicious requests. His relaxed and calm manner reflects how collected he is, how he is in control of the situation he is in. Marlon Brando's little scratch of his chin is key to uncovering Don Corleone's thoughts, with a scratch of the chin commonly having the significance of “Get Lost” in Italian hand gestures. Ford Coppola himself, descended from Italians, his mother being from Naples, helping to make this scene even more realistic and not as cliché as other crime films would be.

The establishing shot of their surroundings, insinuates the job these men do. The dark setting demonstrates the dark, bloody crimes they commit, with the small amounts of light insinuating how there still is justice in this Mafia and good things can be found in it. Moreover, to further demonstrate Bonaseras differences with the rest of the people in the room and how out of place he is, in someone's home who he barely has contact with anymore and his difference as a complying American citizen, we see that he is the only man to be bald, this suggests how he is alienated by this group and disconnected to them, due to this previous obedience to the American rule. The red rose, pictured here on the Don's tuxedo represents the love and the compassion in his heart however, at the same time red denotes the spilling of blood and tumultuous violence, demonstrating the juxtaposition of love and death in the Mafia with cold-hearted, brutal killings still very common, a part of the job. This red rose is the warmth surrounded by the oasis of darkness in this particular business, and signifies how Don Corleone holds his family very close to his heart, which eventually leads to his downfall.

To conclude, through this opening scene, Ford Coppola perfectly introduces the key themes of loyalty, violence and crime, also themes often associated with the crime genre. It was such an innovative film because it contradicted the cliché, stereotypical views of Mafia families, where they were cold-hearted and lacked sympathy for anyone but themselves.The Godfather portrays the murderers as good people, people with very important morals in life. However, previously the Mafia had been depicted as mere brutes who murdered and killed people without any reason. The Godfather reinvented the crime genre, as the murderers are no longer the villains we all loathe, but instead the opposite, by Ford Coppola demonstrating their ambivalence and kindness, we are allowed to freely love these criminals, despite the crimes they partake in.