Research Analysis: Of an Opening                Scene(Action) - The Dark Knight.

The Dark Knight is an action sequence, which immediately grabs the audience's attention and obeys the conventions of an action/crime drama that is grounded in reality. It's a story about the DC comic book hero Batman. The Dark Knight begins with a bank heist, The Joker, the main antagonist in the film takes centre stage in this scene, however you do not know which one he is, due to the clown masks worn, along with 5 other men who slowly get killed off one by one throughout the clip.

The opening titles of the film have been altered to try and set the scene of the film; all the production companies involved usual opening title colours have been replaced with much more dark and gloomy colours. This shows a clear attempt to try and introduce the film as a Thriller, a mysterious film. This takes a good effect as it does succeed to set the scene and gives the audience acknowledgement of the type of film.

The first bit of dietetic sound the film uses is when two characters dressed with clown masks fire a gun through a window. This answers why there was an explosion. The scene is shot using a medium close up from behind the two characters.

As the scene goes on, more mysteries are created; the bank manager yells 'Do you know who you're stealing from? You guys are dead'. While picking up and shot gun and walking towards the robbers angrily. They each kill each other off quietly in order to get more money off the portion which is being stolen, the director of the film has used a very clever way to present it, as mysteries keep the audience confused but would be kept interested in watching on.

This opening scene starts with no diegetic sounds which seem to add to the dark opening of the film. The next scene starts with an extreme long shot which establishes the scene of a busy Gotham City centre. The scene is shot using a helicopter which crabs sideways towards a skyscraper with dark tinted windows to centralise the audience's focus on the buildings. There is still no use of dialogue of in this scene but there is use of a non-diegetic soundtrack building in the background. The soundtrack appears to start soft and quiet which could connote of a peaceful, tranquil city, but as Batman readers would realise this is never the case.

The conventions of the action genre are made very clear through many aspects, such as the use of guns, the exploding window, and the bus going through the wall, but I think that what really brings out the action is the music. The music is very subtle, without any definitive melody, but just a bass that plays over the images and pushes the action. The sound levels go up and down according to whether there is dialogue, or action. There are a few moments where the music picks up a bit and adds even more to the scene, when the men are going across the grapple, there are three hits on a drum, bringing out the danger which the men are putting themselves in, to put in more tension and drama.