Brief Film Opening

Analysis
{ By : Ayesha Mushaim
 Ittefaq (2017)
Ittefaq (2017) is an Indian thriller mystery, one that never gets old for me. The grey thriller (with grey literally
being the main color code) with its enigmatic characters, narration that is strongly based on Barthes’s enigma
code (narrative theory suggested by the Roland Brothers, French semiologists) and clear cut cinematography, is
a treat to watch.
I was in awe for Abhay Chopra’s directorial excellence from the moment the film begins and we get to hear
police sirens followed by mumbled voices communicating over transceivers and that is where you sit back and
take notice. Mostly diegetic sounds are put to use. One scene quickly rolls into the other, and we see a man
driving a car haphazardly and that is where the audience is left thinking whether he is chasing someone or is
being chased and that adds to the aura of mystery thus justifying the genre of the film. More over the fact that
the short is a little blur and the camera work is shakey with low key lighting and taken from behind thus here is
another enigma code; as to the identity of the man in the car? In the very next scene we see police cars chasing a
car and the police officer reports into his transceiver the details of the car and the man their chasing (6ft. / Black
car) and now one can assume safely that they are talking about the unidentified mysterious man driving the car
in the previous scene. There is a slight chase and then for the first time the identity of the man is revealed as
lighting improves and we see the man from his rearview mirror. Since there is a chase going on, the camera
work is mostly shakey and transitions are far from smooth. This fast paced chase and the lack of reasoning
behind it just justifies the genre as mystery and thriller and one cannot deny that it glues you to the screens.
Although the chase itself and the way Vikram Sethi (played by Sidharth Malhotra) is taking sharp turns and
overtakes, is exhilarating but audiences get another rush when Sethi’s car crashes into another car and falls to
the ground after a flight of few seconds and there is a blackout for a few seconds.
After the black put, when Vikram flees from the crash site, another chase ensues with Vikram on foot and
heavily injured as he maneuvers his way across dimly let alleys. Also the representation of the Indian police
officers is very stereotypical: short, chubby, incompetent, unable to run long distances, and having a very
(typical) nonchalant attitude towards their job. As so this officer decides to sleep in his police automobile while
Vikram is on loose and thus he fails to notice the ringing receiver and by now Chopra’s screenplay has really
left the audiences wanting for more and one is indeed thrilled and mystified as to what is happening and
Barthe’s enigma code theory forms the crux of the narrative.
 6 UNDERGROUND (2019)
Michael Blay’s 6 Underground (2019) not only has a very unusual name but a very I would say
mystifying opening that was hoisted with the cinematographic excellence of Bojan Bazelli and of
course Blay’s eccentric direction. The fast paced, action packed thriller instantly became my favorite
especially because the quirks of Ryan Reynolds as One were rather entertaining and unforgettable.
The film starts with a moving shot of clouds and light blue sky in the background yet the lighting
can be described as low key and one can say that the “Rule of Thirds” is put to use. Now we can
stereotypically assume that the showing of the sky is a symbolism for the beginning of something
good though that is not entirely true. There were not many transitions but next few shot are low
angled close ups or moving wide shot of airplanes in a seemingly abandoned air port yard ( one can
guess that with the dust blowing in one scene) which automatically adds an aura of mystery and
intrigues audiences interest. The lighting is mostly low key and grey and white dominates the frame,
again fueling the whole mysterious and thus the first few shots with the abandoned airport yard and
the whole rustic tone support the film’s genre as a thriller especially when Ryan Reynolds's voice
breaks the fourth wall and he addresses the audience with a dialogue that might send some shivers
down your spine (at least it did mine!). The following dialogues then seem to capture most of the
audiences’ attention. Subtle references to the plot are made when close up shots of a few pictures
with an orphanage in the background and few brown paper files.
There is sudden change in mood when for the first time we get to meet One aka Ryan Reynolds
flying a plane rather recklessly. It was a classic introduction to One’s character. The scene is
composed beautifully, manifesting Bazelli’s cinematographic excellence with a mix of high angled
far away shot and close ups of One. This particular scene is also accompanied by pop and glam rock
background music by Muse: Dig Down which all but adds its own vibe to the scene.
https://youtu.be/UQMXRZpx4nY
Yeh Jawaani Hai Dewaani (2013)

Yeh Jawaani Hai Dewaani meaning "This youth is crazy", is one of my all time favorite movie
and the opening sequence in my opinion is very aesthetically pleasing. As soon as the title rolls
in and the opening sequence begins, the undertone and vibe for the entire film is set especially
because the film title is written in bold pink font and more or less the genre of the film is
established as Coming of Age Drama, as the name suggests.
The film begins with the unwrapping of a few pastel color wedding cards and then one frame
dissolves into the other and we can see a montage of wedding cards, wooden boxes and desi
indian sweets, and the Encore version of Kabira, a filmi pop and sufi song playing in the
background and thus adding soul to the entire light, pastel wedding theme. Moreover, in my
opinion the director decided to begin the film with the wedding sequence even though it forms
the middle of the plot is because the wedding sequence in the plot represents the point where
many new things begin for the main protagonists: Naina and Kabir. And my theory is further
proved when we see that Kabir Thappar’s name is being written on a card not before his pet
name is written but is cutted down. This is significant because as I said the wedding sequence
holds great importance, one of the reasons for which transformation of Kabir Thappar in terms
of maturity, life views and the decisions he makes.
Next few scenes are a culmination of fast continued transitions and most scenes are just the
developments of the film plot. Here individual elements from shot to shot are edited together to
maintain continuity within the sequence even though the shots bounce between India and
Sanfransisco.
 . An unidentified girl enters the plot with the classic
point of view shot and she is then revealed when she
reminisces a few memories and the audience see a short
flashback but the lighting being kept low key and the
scenes being point of view shots from behind makes it
difficult for one to identify who are the people are in the
flashback and this leaves the audience with an enigma.
The non-diegetic background score continues to maintain
the light, soulful undertone of the film. We see that the
girl is stops at something she sees and her expressions
changes while her shoulders sag down and we are left
wondering as to what has happened and then the scene
dissolves into a flashback of 8 years ago and the entire
equilibrium of the narration shifts. Moreover from my
observation of the entire movie and the fact that the
director (Ayan Mukherji) used this particular opening, I
can conclude that the writer used Tzvetan Todorov’s
equilibrium narrative theory, the theory which suggests
that the a movie’s narrative begins with a sense of
normality until an event occurs that disrupts this
equlibrium.