Film Opening Analysis

Quantum of Solace (2008) — Art of the Title

I have chosen to analyse 'Quantum of Solace' which is an action/adventure/thriller film. The opening follows typical film opening conventions including the film title, enigma and introducing the main character(s).

From the 3 minute opening we are not entirely sure where the film is going to be set but the desert animation connotes a foreign land which we later find out is actually Bolivia. The gun is a generic signifier to connote violence and fighting crime. This works with misc-en-scene with James Bonds' outfit of a black suit which is standard of a spy to wear, this could also be linked to the morally darker side of his job.

The first shot is of James Bond shooting a gun, the camera then follows the bullet across the land with Bond as a reoccurring character and the audience identifies him as the main protagonist. We then see him walking away from an explosion which suggests this film will be about good vs evil. A female then rises elegantly from the sand at 1 minute 34, this connotes a love affair and we then see her repeatedly throughout the rest of the opening so we can assume she is another main character to aid Bond on his mission. Bond is then seen falling through the sky hopelessly which suggests tragedy in the film.

This opening tells us that the film is from Bond's perspective and it is about his story as the hero. This tragedy would be the disruption and the audience can tell that they will now be following his journey throughout the film. Although these events are not directly relevant to each other they actually inform the audience on the structure of the film and are all linked together by following the bullet. The villains remain unknown and so does the cause of the situation in order to keep the audience hooked.

The chosen song 'Another way to die' by Jack White and Alicia Keys creates a very tense, upbeat atmosphere. The typography is also in a bold white font but does not draw attention away from the graphics but instead contrasts with the neutral color scheme. The typography is a typical convention used for institutional branding.

The audience will expect fight scenes and romance but this opening also leaves the audience wondering if he survived the fall and whether he defeats the villains, 'Did the bullet hit?'. In a film opening the audience needs to know who the protagonist and antagonist is and the genre of the film should be connoted. They should begin to piece together story information while watching the opening, this is known as the cognitive theory.