G321 - Film Opening Analysis - Action/ Adventure: Skyfall

Skyfall (2012)

The opening title sequence of this film does not contain the institution logo for the production company due to the title sequence of Bond films always following an opening scene to the film. In creating the opening this way, it allows the viewer to be introduced to the characters and genre of film before the titles start and can create an action-packed first clip which will then cause intrigue within the viewer and cause them to stay and watch the remainder of the film.

The opening of the film makes it extremely obvious that the genre of the film is action and adventure through the use of generic conventions such as guns, complex and obvious hints towards the narrative and recurrent images such as the bullet wound Bond sustained prior to the title sequence resurfacing through the use of cardboard targets of Bond. By illuminating the genre so early on, it gives the viewer an opportunity to decide to either stay and watch the film or to leave if they know they do not like that genre of film.


The targeted audience of the film appears to be predominantly men between the ages of 16 and 35. This is shown through the use of a mainstream singer to create the soundtrack, the heavy inferences towards death and the token "Bond girl" silhouette within the opening sequence. This group of individuals are likely to have jobs or have access to money from parents as the mainstream production company and the stigma surrounding Bond films makes it evident that the films are better showcased in cinemas and picture houses than on TV screens and with ticket prices ever increasing the targeted viewers would need access to money easily.

The narrative of the film appears to be based around Bond being afraid of himself and his own actions as well as wishing to no longer be an agent. This is shown when he shoots both his reflection and his own shadow. This causes the viewer to become intrigued as to why this is the case and presents Bond as both the protagonist and the antagonist. The opening sequence also foreshadows death, murder, mistaken identity and double-crossing form the female presented in the opening. By giving a brief and relatively subtle overview of the film it gives the viewer an idea as to what to expect from the film without giving away too much information, causing the viewer to become interested in the plot and all of it's complexities.

The opening of this film appears to be giving the audience a message to accept yourself for who you are and not regret the path you chose as without it you would be somebody completely different. This is shown through Bond's hatred of what he has become which is inferred as his downfall throughout the opening via the iconography of Bond shooting his own reflection.

The opening of the film reveals that the majority of characters in the film will be secret agents of some form. This is shown through the identities of the characters not being revealed within the opening and the use of silhouettes for the majority of the time. When characters identities are shown it is for brief periods of time and it is not made clear who they are in relation to the narrative. This creates an air of intrigue and reflects the genre of the film.

The setting of the film is originally established as being underwater as Bond falls into the sea and  connotes being washed away, down the plug hole. However, through the use of Chinese dragons, it appears as though China will feature heavily in the film. Other areas are also represented through the opening such as a big mansion, graveyards and a construction site, shown through the use of girders sticking out of the ground when Bond is shooting at his own shadow.

The atmosphere created within the opening sequence is one of remorse, sympathy and unease. This is created through the low key lighting and the high contrast as well as the sincere, heartfelt non-diegetic music and the graphic matches used throughout the opening, such as the barrel of the gun becoming a tunnel. This creates a sense of unease within the audience as the narrative is depicted as being remorseful towards Bond and is actions, as well as presenting them as threatening which in itself causes the audience to become sympathetic towards Bond.

The themes made evident from the opening of the film are death and loss of identity, portrayed through the weaponry falling from the sky, the dark shadows covering character's faces and the non-diegetic music stating "This is the end." at the beginning of the film, hinting towards the loss of Bond in some way, whether this be the end of him as an agent or the end of his life.

The non-diegetic sound is Adele's song "Skyfall" which was written specifically for the film, therefore inducing a wider target audience by using a popular artist. The lyrics help to add meaning to the opening such as "You may have my number, you can take my name, but you'll never have my heart." which links in to the way in which Bond feels like his identity has been stolen by the people he works for, yet still feels like he can escape as his heart is free. This allows the viewer to sympathise with Bond.

Editing within the opening uses a lot of graphic matches and so this is expected to be reflected within the main body of the film. Further to this, the editing appears to be quite discontinuous, with no clear direction. This could be so as to not give away too much of the narrative or it could be used to highlight the complexity of the narrative that is to follow, hinting towards the use of flashbacks to Bond's past.

The lighting in the opening sequence is high key and the contrast is high which allows certain aspects of the frame to stand out from the rest, such as the black weaponry contrasting against the blue sky, causing them to dominate the frame and therefore highlighting their significance within the film. This is a frequent aspect of the opening and has been used with great effect, adding to the suspense and unease within the opening.

The opening represents a modern era, in the current century, in a negative way. It presents the people of the time as being unhappy with themselves and therefore reflects today's society. This causes the audience to believe that our society is too focused on perfection rather than being happy in ourselves. The women in the clip are represented as sexual and sensuous through the silohettes, yet also strong and powerful through the shot of the woman holding the gun.

The shots used within the opening vary greatly and yet many of the shots, such as the close up of

Bond's eye through the crack in the wall, are repeated making it evident that similar shots will be used throughout the duration of the film.

The titles within the opening are unobtrusive despite not being integrated into the opening yet are still noticeable. This allows the titles to be read by those who wish to know such information yet can easily be ignored by viewers who are uninterested. The positioning of the titles also eludes towards aspects of the narrative, such as Judy Dench's name appearing alongside the graveyard, without doing so obviously which would lead to giving away the plot.

From the evidence provided I have come to the conclusion that this opening contains many aspects which I wish to use in my opening. One of the main aspects I wish to use are the unobtrusive titles as it prevents the audience from becoming distracted by them. I also aim to use the music to help elude towards the narrative of the piece as I believe this makes the opening appear more professional and through-out. Further to this, I wish to use graphic matches within my opening to help the scenes flow together as I feel this helps to engage the audience whislt creating a sense of intrigue.