Ms Dymioti homework - Comparison

A Comparison of Two Opening Sequences

The types of shots used in the two sequences are similar and are used in a similar way. At first, the main characters’ faces aren’t revealed. This builds suspense. The shots used a MCUs, often on their necks dow till their waists. In Legally Blonde, It begins with an out of focus CU on the back of her head that closely comes into focus to see her combing her hair. In Se7en, there is a LS of him in the kitchen but he has his back to us and is slightly out of focus. He only turns to the camera when he is close enough so his head is out of shot. Morgan Freeman is revealed a lot sooner though. A tilt shot is used so you can see from his feet until his head slowly comes into shot. However, in Legally Blonde there is two minutes of build-up until she shows her face to the camera.

The mood is completly different in thw two films however. In Legally Blonde you get the idea that it is going to be a happy feel-good film. This is because of the cheerful music in the background (including the words “Perfect Day” over and over again), as well as the courful mise-en scene and laughing people. The weather also has connotations of happiness - it is warm and sunny. In Se7en there is no background music. The setting is either at night or on a rainy day. The colours used are either a pale grey or darker coulours (especially in the crime scene).

We can learn a lot about the narrative and the difference between the main characters in each film from the opening scenes. In Se7en, Morgan Freeman plays a policeman who has been partnered with a new detective (played by Brad Pitt). In this film, they have seven days to catch a killer. I guess this because: the film title is Seven, in the dialogue Morgan Freeman says that he is leaving his job in seven days and just after the credit the wird “Monday” apperas on-screen as if it is a diary of the week. In Legally Blonde, she is preparing to go to her party to celebrate her (I guess this because she is preparing and in the card it mentions the words “Good luck”) but seeing as a film cannot be about perfection I’m sure there’ll be a disruption in the narrative. The characters are complete opposites: Morgan Freeman is a middle-aged man who likes things to be perfcet and so probably likes to solves his cases perfectly (we can tell this from the way he dresses and how his bedroom is laid out). In contrast, Reece Witherspoon is a young woman who has a very messy bedroom and takes alot longer to get dressed. He annoys others aorund him and colleagues whilst she appears to be loved by all.