EW: First Film Analysis - The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight (2008, Nolan)




The Dark Knight opening scene is a very fast paced Action/Thriller sequence where the "baddies" are robbing a bank all wearing joker masks, this connotes unity yet all of the robbers are selfish and kill each other increasing there share of the cash until the joker kills the final one and takes all the money for himself.

The sequence takes place in a very typical American urban environment and a lot of tracking and POV shots are used. When action is happening in the sequence handycam shots are used to make the audience believe that they are in the action, inter-cutting is used to show the two groups of robbers robbing the bank at the same time.

Genre:

• This film's genre is action/horror.
• The audiences expectations are met in the opening scene because it follows the same action thriller genre of the previous film, Batman Begins.
• The opening conforms to the characteristics of the genre by using action based techniques like handycams during fight scenes.

Film Language:

• Mise-en-scene of the opening conveys meaning in this sequence through many ways, masks are worn in the clip this is an example of costume being used, it show the audience clearly who the robbers are and the films main "bad guy" the joker is protrayed on the masks so the audience knows who is causing the robbery.
• Camera shot size, movement and angle also conveys meaning in the clip through the use of CU handycam shots through action scenes to put the audience in with the action.
• Sound anchors the shots though diagetic sound like dialogue.
• The audience learns, through dialogue and non-verbal language, that they are all in it for themselves and working for the joker.