Inception opening scene

Inception analysis

 

 

The introduction of the filming producers is played with heavy brass instruments building up tension into the opening scene; the title is not shown during this period. However the introductions of the filming companies are dark or black and white building up more suspense to how the film is going to be.

Open shot is panning from right to left and left to right with a close up on the sea with just the sound of the sea waves crashing against the rocks, it switches the shot to the main character who is washed up on the shore. The main character lifts his head and an illusion of seeing two kids playing is there before him, the camera blurs to show the effect of him seeing something which isn’t there. During this a quite but smooth sound is played in back ground here they used a sound bridge which matched the emotions of the character on screen. The main character is then approached by a guard who checks to see if he is still alive and if he was armed. He calls for help from other guards; there is a long shot of the whole setting a huge house upon a rock.

There is a sound that increases in sound just before the protagonist is dragged into a room with an old man to talk about an object, this has the effect of building up more tension for the scene. through the duration of this part of the scene music is playing silently in the back ground as a tension builder to make it more exciting, the use of instruments playing low notes was use of the musical term sentito which means expressively. There is an over the shoulder shot of the old man sat in his chair and then it changes to a medium long shot showing the room and setting. The old man is dressed very well with a clean new suit on showing his wealth also the use of body guards shows his authority. Through this scene it is heavily male dominated and the setting of the place shows the wealth of the owner.

The conversation continues there is a close up on the protagonist while he is eating; it concentrates on his slow motions of eating then the shot switches to a medium shot of the old man talking. The shot then changes to a close up of the object the man is holding, he then spins the object and there is another close up on just the object spinning. After the object had stopped spinning there is another close up on the old man’s face as he talks about the object and where and who it came from. The shots exchange between the two characters at the table are close ups, showing the emotions and expressions of the characters during the discussion. The camera then rises up with the protagonists head then that’s the end of the scene.

Through the scene you could see the differences between the two, the old man was wealthy is a nice house and the protagonist is in different clothing suggesting lower class, the use of camera work in this scene shows of the expressions, setting, clothing of the place being filmed.