Excitement Created in the Opening Sequences of James Bond Films
Introduction
If we closely examine the opening scenes of many Bond films, we are
very likely to find the following:
Þ Action
Þ Stunts
Þ Use of high technology/gadgets
Þ Exotic setting
Þ Women
Þ Appropriate camera positioning
Þ Professional looking, (dark coloured) choice of clothing
Þ Weapons
Þ Fighting and killing
Þ Music resembling what is actually going on in the background
Þ Showing how quick James Bond uses his brain, and how well he gets
himself out of dangerous situations.
However, we may not find all Bond films to be as described above. For
example, the opening scenes of the film 'Live and let die' are
actually very slow moving and not much is really happening.
Nevertheless, James Bond is a man who really does appeal to his
audience, and so the film 'Live and let die' must be appealing to a
different type of audience.
We can see from many other James Bond films that, he actually is a man
of power and does rapidly raise audience expectations and builds up
excitement.
For example if we look closely at the opening scenes of the film, 'Die
another day' we can see that there is high use of audience appeal,
mainly by James Bond.
It begins with the famous mise-en-scene, which is when, the audience
can see a white circle (normally at the centre of the screen, but can
also be on either side) and a black background. We see James bond
standing quite far in the circle shooting at it. The circle then turns
red and sometimes opens up into the opening scenes of the film.
If we examine closely the techniques used in the mise-en-scene we can
see the audience appeal used. (We must remember that this scene occurs
at the beginning of every Bond film).
Firstly, the black background resembles the sign of danger. It
automatically brings the feeling into the audience that something evil
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Later he goes into “Are you a man?
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...e life that he is creating is undeniably male, as this is the sex he views as the stronger of the two, there is never a question for a moment that he may create a female.
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that he wanted him to be a man who could get out of any situation and
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