The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight

Setting

The beginning of the first film starts off quite dark and mysterious. The turbulent clouds are gloomy and dramatic. It then leads on to a shot of the city. This is a wide angle shot which shows it’s going to be over the top and exciting. You establish the ‘thriller’ genre of the film right at the beginning as it is tense and atmospheric. The camera zooms in gradually to the window of a sky scraper.

Costume and props

The use of masks in these first scenes is very significant. The fist scene, when a gun and mask are used together, shows clearly that these men are evil.  In the next scene the camera zooms in on the mask instead of the man. This causes the audience to concentrate on the mask. As all the men are wearing the mask this shows that they are all linked even though they aren’t working as one in all the scenes. The use of white usually suggests purity and innocence although as these men are connected to a crime scene you realise with surprise this is the opposite.

Body language

The criminals move quickly and smoothly throughout the scene. This shows they are powerful and in control. When they enter the bank the people that work there look scared and anxious. When one masked man shoots another from behind, the under hand action of the killer is purposeful and deliberate. It is tense as everyone but the victim knows what the killer is about to do. The man with the gun who is shooting ay the clowns walks slowly and with apparent calm. This controls with the other men who respond quickly. The way they respond by retaliating and killing their unexpected attacker suggests they can do anything and are indestructible.

Lighting

The low lighting throughout the first few scenes makes the white of the masks stand out. The incongruity of the mask is very effective. The bank scene has very different lighting to the outside as it is gloomy and enclosed. This is where all the main action happens and the lack of light makes the audience feel even more uneasy.

 

Sound

In the opening scene the lack of sound is more significant than having music in the background. This seems uncanny as the scene is introduced in a city centre which would usually be loud and busy. However as no background noise is used and there is no over laying music it causes the audience to feel that something isn’t right. The first sound uses us the noise of glass breaking which is all the more effective as it shatters the silence. Throughout the rest of the scene the main sound is a gun fire which sets the genre of the film very early on. The quiet music now in the background builds the suspense, leading up to a climax. The first few scenes are all full of action with no voice over, which causes the audience to feel confused as they don’t know what is exactly going on. Throughout the bank scene there is shouting and screaming. This is intimidating and a bit overwhelming.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OYBEquZ_j0