HW 2a- Existing Opening Sequence analysis (DYM)

Chosen Film Opening - Fast Five (0:00-2:06)

1. The above opening sequence is from the film Fast Five. The genre of the film is action, which is clear from the fast cars and the crash of the prison bus. The film follows the three main characters and their lives as fugitives. 

2. The opening of the film takes place in Los Angeles, California over the course of a day. The court room scene in the morning, the escape in the afternoon and then the evening news. However the rest of the film is set in Rio de Janeiro, as that is were the characters have fled to after becoming fugitives. 

3. The sequence begins with one of the main characters called Dominic Toretto being sentenced to prison. This is followed by a group of prisoners (in which he is included) getting on the prison bus. When the bus is one the open road it is ambushed by three black cars (two of which are driven by Mia Toretto and Brian O'Connor - the two other main characters). These cars cause the bus to crash and as a result, Dominic Toretto is able to escape. Showing this a sequence like this so early in the film emphasises that this will be an action packed film. This cuts to black and the title of the film appear. The scene continues with a montage of news clips, informing the audience on what has happened as well as providing the context for the rest of the film. It ends with a newsreader telling the audience that the whereabouts of the three characters in unknown which creates a sense of mystery as it makes you wonder where they are now. 

4. The events in the opening all link to each other and they effectively show the story. It creates a clear sense of how the film is going to progress as all of the main characters are now fugitives and running from the law. 

5. The three main characters are introduced within the first two shots. Dominic Toretto is the first character to be introduced and is introduced by the judge. The audience hears his name before his face is revealed a second later. The next shot is of Brian O'Connor and Mia Toretto, however the audience do not find out their names until the very end in the news reports. 

6. Very little story information is revealed in the opening beside the fact that the characters are being pursued by the police. This raises the question of whether they will be caught, which engages the audience as they would want to find out. The location that the film is set is not revealed until after the opening sequence, further intriguing the audience about where they are, how they got there and what they are going to do next. 

7. From analysing this film opening I think that it is important for the audience to know who the main characters are and their background. This would help them to understand why Dominic is in prison (which happened at the end of the fourth film) and that Brian and Mia are able to break him out due to their previous experience in cars and street racing. Additionally, the minor characters in this film are also from previous films and so it will help to understand the chemistry and relationships between the team.