The Wolverine - Opening Sequence Analysis

The Wolverine (2013): Opening Sequence

The opening sequence of The Wolverine (2013) begins with the 20th Century Fox sequence. This is because it acts as an iconography for Fox’s Film Corporation. It is important for their company because it lets other viewers acknowledge the fact that it was their company to release a specific movie.

This sequence is then followed on by the Marvel Studios sequence. This is iconography for Marvel because it tells the audience that it’s their production. This type of iconography is important for any productions because it represents the movie as their production.

We then see the first shot of the opening sequence. This shot is presented to be quite an idyllic scene which represents Todorov’s theory of equilibrium – everything seems peaceful, which is also represented by the sound effects (birds, waves) which are diegetic sounds – this means that the characters/actors

are able to hear these background noises as well as the audience/viewers. This type of shot is called the golden ratio (2:1). This is when the shot is split up by 3x3. But this 3x3 is split into the ratio of 2:1.LANDSCAPE WISE:In the 1/3 and 2/3 of this shot, it divides the sea and the sky.

PORTRAIT WISE:This 1/3 shows the image Whereas this 2/3 shows the ocean instead of of the mountain which is having something in the shot (foreground, mid-in the mid-ground. ground). It only shows the background.

This shot is also known as an establishing shot. This is when the shot is of the setting/scenario in which the audience are able to establish where or what type of setting/scenario it is – it tells us where the action takes place.

This equilibrium is then disrupted by the 2 war planes appearing in the shot. This is done by the sound effects of the planes – which are non-diegetic sounds. This means that the sounds are edited into the shot. The characters/actors are not able to hear this sound effect because it didn’t exist in the process of filming. It disrupts the peacefulness of this idyllic still shot. This disruption is acknowledged by the audience/viewers when the camera movement follows the planes moving across the shot. This type of movement is called panning – this is when the camera follows the movement of someone or something. However, the audience/viewers may not necessarily know that these planes are a disturbance to the peace. But we acknowledge that our attention is to focus on those two planes.

The panning of the camera continues to follow these planes until the shot focuses on the city of Nagasaki. The camera has made sure that the movement is slow and subtle so that when they are editing, they are able to keep the planes moving at a realistic time. They made sure that the planes are kept in the top left corner of the shot. This helps to create a little tension to where the planes are headed towards.

The planes are then taken out of the shot when the location has been revealed (Nagasaki, Japan). We now acknowledge that there is a disequilibrium. This is done by the evacuation sirens (which yet again are non-diegetic sounds because it is edited into the shot in the editing process – we immediately recognise that there is an issue/disruption because we associate that siren with war. We also know that its war related because we can see that the city of Nagasaki is on fire and we can see the smoke arising into the atmosphere.

The camera continues to pan until reaches the watchtower of a prison camp – so the camera would have panned from the idyllic still shot of the sea to the view of the city of Nagasaki and finally to the watchtower. This is when the watch guard creates an alarming bell which creates more tension for the audience because it suggests that trouble is arising. This type of trouble creates a plausible scenario (in which the movie is made out to be realistic and believable) in which the audience/viewers can engage into.

The camera then pans downwards which gives us a view of the prison camp. The camera is held at a high angle shot which makes the prisoners seem small and vulnerable. This vulnerability makes the prisoners seem helpless to this situation.

At this point, we are able to hear diegetic sounds made by the actors – we hear screaming made by the prisoners and sounds of peoples feet stomping against the ground as they run.

This type of shot and sound effect makes the shot effective because it creates tension for the audience/viewer as we don’t know what the storyline is about just yet.

James Mangold (the director) then cuts from a high angle shot to a point of view (POV) shot. A point of view shot is a shot where it shows what a character is seeing from their perspective. So in this shot, we are able to see the Wolverines POV. We know that it’s a POV shot because this shot is not filmed by the use of a tripod. The way that it moves around a bit portrays that it’s the movement of someone peeking out.

The shot then cuts from the Wolverine’s POV to a still medium close up shot of a chain secured container. This suggests to the audience/viewers that our attention is to be focused on that. This type of shot is in a shallow focus – this is when the container is in focus to its surroundings. So in this case, the container in the background is in focus, which makes the foreground not in focus. This still shot

includes other types of shots such as a medium close up of other characters legs.

Mangold then refers back to the POV shot, but this time he includes the wolverine in the shot too. This helps the audience to acknowledge that it’s the wolverines POV that we are seeing, It also introduces the actor/character because up until this point, we have not yet seen him.

Mangold then alternates between the POV shot to wolverine and back to the POV to give the audience a sense of what is happening in the wolverines perspective. The 2 planes as previously seen before, returns into the shot from the POV angle. We acknowledge that the planes are icons of danger – people recognise that they are a threat.

Sound effects at this point are still being made by the other prisoners (such as the sound of people running, screaming and the occasional sound of chains clashing).

Mangold then returns to the image of the wolverine. This helps the audience to acknowledge that the wolverine is actually in the secured container as previously seen. We know this because the camera cuts from a POV shot > the still image of the container > POV with the wolverine in the shot > POV shot and then to a low angle looking up to the top of the container in which the wolverine is holding his weight to peek through – this helps to represent the wolverine to be superior because the camera is held at a low angle, suggesting that the audience is looking up on him. To some extent, this sequence represents match on action because it shows a continuous flow of events of the wolverine’s actions.

Mangold then develops the acknowledgement of the wolverine’s strength and superiority by filming at a close up angle of his hand and claws. By filming it at this angle, it basically tells the audience to focus/acknowledge what is being portrayed. This is also supported at the fact that Mangold uses a shallow focus. This means that there is one specific thing that is in focus compared to the rest of the image. So in this shot, we can see that Mangold focuses on the claws compared to the rest of this shot. The claws are iconic in this movie because it belongs to the main character – it is the wolverines special feature.

Mangold continues to use more POV shots, but alternating it between the POV shot and the shot of the wolverine (in the shot) looking. This helps to give the audience a sense of what is happening in the surroundings – it sets the scene.

Mangold then films at an extreme long shot. This is also sometimes called wide shots. This means that the shot helps to establish the scene and setting.

Mangold then uses an over the shoulder shot. This type of shot helps create a sense of tension in the character or to what is going to happen. We can see that this character is walking towards the sealed container – in which we already know that the wolverine is concealed in.

Mangold then develops the idea of this guard walking towards the sealed container by including alternating shots of the wolverines POV and the shot of the wolverine actually looking out.

Mangold then uses another over the shoulder shot in a different perspective. Over the shoulder shots are mainly used when showing a discussion between 2 people. This shot shows the discussion and it also shows how the wolverine is insignificant in this well-like container.

This insignificance is then portrayed once again when Mangold films his shot from the bottom of this well-like container. We can tell that he is ‘treated without consideration’ with the chains hanging on the walls of this well. Mangold has deliberately placed those chains there for specific purposes. All props/costumes/sound/lighting/scripting and characters stage directions are all done on purpose because it enhances the genre – the director doesn’t just turn up to a film set with everything not planned to filming expectations of what they want to portray.

After alternating between the shots between the wolverine and the guard, Mangold films the 4 guards at an almost side angle. This is effective because we get an image from different planes (foreground,

mid-ground and background). We also see different types of shot – from order: close up, medium close up (the 2 in the middle) and a medium shot. This is effective because it shows the characters in different planes of the frame, even though they are next to each other.

Mangold then uses a medium close up, over the shoulder shot. But shot uses a shallow depth of field – the background is in focus to the foreground (or it can be other way around – the foreground is in focus to the background). Mangold then introduces the planes again in the editing process. The shallow focus helps us to acknowledge that we as the audience are supposed to focus on the planes.

Mangold then uses a close up shot of the character to portray a closer image of his emotions. For example, his facial expression helps to portray danger being involved and his sweat can represent there being a lot of action involved.

Mangold then refers back to the over the shoulder shot – this helps to portray what the character is overseeing and it is effective as it was the same shot before the close up shot – by alternating the shots from behind the character to the front and the back again, helps to develop a more tense feeling.

Mangold then uses an over the shoulder shot to introduce the wolverine back into the shot. This is effective because it also helps to develop a conversation between the two.

At this point, Mangold used more developing conversation shots which then led to this shot.

This shot is effective from the angle it is filmed at. By filming at a low angle looking up, it helps to make the wolverine seem superior to the character on the floor, also looking up at him.

Mangold then ends the opening sequence with the wolverine waking up from a dream (flashback). This makes it effective because that’s how we know that the movie is based on the sequence of the opening story – which makes the opening sequence important in many ways, so that we as the audience don’t figure out what is going to happen – this is done by making sure that not too much of the storyline is given away.