2007
Director: Paul Greengrass
The Opening:
The film starts off with instant action, enticing and drawing the viewer into the plot. We see the lead character, Jason Bourne, running through the streets, with low-key lighting and fast paced shots to represent the speed in which events are occuring. We see Russian soldiers chasing after him, with cars pulling up atop bridges looking down at him running. Diegetic sound is incorporated and emphasised as his boots hit the pavement, and he continues running from the soldiers. The camera is panning as he watch him run, the action side on to show his legs moving in quick succession. We as viewers wonder why he is running, and the 'Stop!' remarks of the Russian soldiers compound this fact. We see subtitles representing what the Russian's are saying, and it's very much apparent that the lead character is in grave danger. Eventually, the almost surreal greyness of the caste leads the main character to a building, where he pushes through the doorway to the building within. Guards pull up outside in armoured vehicles, and follow him inside.
All the while, flashbacks are showing up whilst he's in the building, showing clinically white labs where experiments are being conducted on him. We hear shouting, as if something bad has happened, and Jason is sweating, showing her nervousness. The audience is meant to feel confused with what's going on, and drawn in in equal measure, and it's clear that the plot will be revealed later on in the film. At this point, no credits are shown at all, and the film jumps straight into the action without a single piece of text. The guards chase him into the building, and we see Jason washing his hands in a sink at the toilet of the room, obviously distressed. Two guards enter the room as the next flashback ends, and they point guns at Jason. He keeps his back to them as they walk closer, and though the guards are clearly his enemy, they seem more intent on capturing him than killing him. Low-key lighting in incorporated, as well as medium shots showing the action. The guard steps forwards in a close-up, his face framed as he nears Jason in an over-the-shoulder shot, the viewer seeing Jason from behind. Then in one quick movement a burst of non-diegetic sound (creating a euphoric boom), Jason swings around, hits the gun from the guards hand and knocks him unconscious on the floor.
The second guard, lacking a weapon, begs not to be harmed as Jason recovers the first guards gun, pointing it at the guard. During the guard's speech, Jason is blurred out, though when Jason speak, the guard fades out of focus, to show his dominance over his opponent. The soldier asks not to be hurt, subtitles showing in Russian that he has a child and a wife. Jason replies in English, saying ''It's not you I'm after.'', and then he runs off, the scene ending, the name of the film coming up in big, silver bold lettering. The Opening ends on a mystery, with little explained, yet enough given to entice the viewer into finding out more.
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