The opening of Casino Royale

The opening of Casino Royale tells me that the rest of the story will be about crime and money/ gambling (hence the title). This is because within the opening scene we see a murder and two men speaking, from their conversation we also learn that ‘M’ has sent Bond to deal with a ’00 – agent’ because he has been making “a little money on the side”, gambling/“selling secrets”. Because agents are mentioned, we now know that the film will be spy related, making this film an action- adventure thriller genre.

The title graphics during the opening to the film start of as a small, white and simple yet bold font. This shows how serious the film will be, for instance they haven’t gone to, too much trouble picking a fancy font (because it’s a crime related film and this makes it sharper). However, as the opening scene progresses the title graphics changes to a more sleek/ thin font, whilst still remaining white. This gives the expectation of a modern setting, for example a casino is like a modern nightclub. Throughout the title graphics, the audience sees a series of symbols from a deck of cards (this helps relate to the expectation of a casino and card games). The title graphics also goes on to include moving targets, guns, figurines and roulette wheels... The idea of moving targets and guns is to help relate the film to an action thriller full of violence, whereas the roulette wheels are a sign of gambling. However, as the targets spin they form into roulette wheels (suggesting that the target during the film will be a casino).  Other factors to take note of during the title graphics is the series of King’s and Queen’s heads and the fact that there are figurines of men fighting and that each man in the black suit always wins. This suggests that the men in black are spies for the secret service (MI6 or ...), as they are fighting for the Queen! Evidence to back this up is the 7 of hearts card which receives two bullet wounds, which fade into 007.

In the opening scene, the main actor that you can recognise is Daniel Craig (who is famous for his role of James Bond 007 agent). He has probably been chosen for this role because he is physically fit to be a spy. Through the opening scene, the use of different costumes helps to separate and define each character. For example, the first man we see is dressed in warm clothing with a Russian-styled hat and leather gloves, this type of clothing helps suggest that he is a bad guy (as he is wearing mysterious clothing and being careful not to leave fingerprints behind). Similarly, the man fighting Bond in the flashback in the toilets is wearing a patterned shirt. This suggests that he doesn't care about his appearance, as he thinks of himself as above authority and so can wear what he wants whenever! On the other hand, Bond is wearing a sleek black coat over a black suit to show that he is there for business, however his top buttons are undone, showing he’s had a long/ busy day or is about to get messy (with blood) and doesn't care what he looks like! Through this scene, Martin Campbell uses props such as guns and bullets to show that this situation Bond is in is dangerous/ deadly. Campbell also uses the sink with water as a key prop, as it establishes a fight scene in the toilets. During the opening scene the use of dialogue is another factor that helps establish a character’s personality. For example, during Bond and the ex-agents’ conversation both characters use a lot of sarcasm to express neither really cares much for the other (setting a difference between sides/ teams). Dialogue is also reasonably formal; to help represent the fact that James Bond is there on a matter of work. 

Martin Campbell uses little variation of cinematography during the opening scene, for example he uses a lot of close-ups or medium close-ups and many shots from different angles, such as low angle shots or aerial shots (these give off the impression of either low class or authority...). However, he does use a lot of jump- cuts a wipe pans to show a sudden flashback or fast action. This allows the audience to get thinking quickly and to catch their attention, rather than making them feel bored having to wait a long time for a clue or important past detail!

Throughout the scene, various sound and lighting is used as well, to help set the scene for the audience. For example orchestral music is played to build tension and give off fast/ eerie effect. We can also hear gun shots and heavy breathing throughout the opening scene, which also gives off a creepy sense of someone near you (drawing you into the film)! The sound of things breaking and jump –cut’s from quiet to loud scenes, gives a dramatic and mysterious expectation for the film. Martin Campbell has also used lighting to establish a scene. For instance, Campbell used shadows and low key lighting to show how gloomy and criminally opportunistic it would be for a villain or a crime fighting hero (such as James Bond). Up until the title graphics/ credits the scenes are all in black and white, I believe this is due to the reason that old fashioned films put crimes ass black and white, also because many CCTV cameras record in black and white. However during the bathroom clips, some of the lighting is bleached-out, this is due to the fact that it took a dull scene into a dramatic fight scene.

Overall the theme of this film from the opening scene, I would expect to be an action packed thriller, including violence and adventure or mystery.     

By Maddy Fox