Initial Analysis of a Film Opening

The DaVinci Code

Facts + Figures
Columbia Pictures and Imagine Entertainment
Release Date: May 2006
Writers: Akiva Goldsmen (screenplay) and Dan Brown (novel)
Director: Ron Howard (academy away winner in 2001 with “A Beautiful Mind”
Producers: Brian Grazer and John Calley
Genre: Drama/Mystery/Thriller
A – List Actors: Tom Hanks and Sir Ian McKellen
B – List Actors: Paul Bettany and Audrey Tautou
Awards: Nominated for 17 awards including Golden Globe
Budget: Estimated $125,000,000
Opening Weekend: $77 million (USA) and £9.5 million (UK)
Target Audience: More older, mature target audience as its quite a confusing film + foreign accents so aimed at a variety of nationalities.

Analysis
Slight blue tint on the pictures/ text in the opening credits signifies possible horror.
Non digetic tense music played throughout slight lull and you hear the footsteps of someone running (digetic)
Close up of Painting
Camera swings around in an arc and rests on the man running
The camera moves towards the man and the man towards the camera
The camera goes past the man and there is a slight movement in the background so we know he is being followed.
Camera arcs over again but this time follows the man running reiterating the fact that he is being followed.
Camera watches the man run past and then the shadow of the person following him walks into view (you don't actually see the person following) – walking- seems calm knows he cant escape.
Lots of quick cuts between the man running and close ups of paintings in which women are watching him and look said like they know he's going to die. And an extreme close up of a child's eye – watching him.
Very high angle shot could be an aerial shot through glass showing how vulnerable he is.
See his pursuer for the first time. Looks evil , he's wearing a hood face in shadow.
Bars come down – trapping the man inside.
Focus on the gun – its going to be used.
Man is on the floor looking up at his attacker shows again how vulnerable he is.
The bad guy pulls down his hood quite a white face very blonde/white hair (albino) quite horrifying.
Cuts to a painting of a man looking very sad and back to the aerial shot then the man is shot.