Media Homework Levi-Strauss' Theory

This is the Opening to Casino Royale (Martin Campbell, 2006)

1. The genre of the film is action, and there are many signifiers which are introduced in this opening sequence. Firstly, the tranisitons between shots are cuts, which show that the action is fast paced. Also, there is a chase and a fight scene in a public location, which also signifies the genre is action. The signifiers are introduced near the beginning of the opening, so the genre is established early on.

2. There are three main characters in this sequence. They are all opposed in different ways. The main protagonist is a white male with short blonde hair in his 30s wearing a dark suit. The second main character, the antagonist, is a Pakistani male with curly black hair in his 20s in a casual shirt. The third main character is an old white male with short grey hair in a dark coat. There are binary opposites with all the characters, which shows the audience that they are going to fight each other at some point.

3. The main theme of the film is for the protagonist, Bond, to earn his "Double O" status. In the opening scene this is explained as he needs to kill two people. The first kill is shown in a flashback, which involves a fight scene in a bathroom of a cricket ground. The second kill comes at the end of the opening, when he shoots the man in the office. The main themes of the film are not yet introduced, which leaves the audience in the unknown about what will happen.

4. The narrative shows conflict as there are many binary opposites between the characters. The protagonist is in a suit, whereas the antagonist is wearing a casual shirt. They also look different, as the protagonist is a British male with short blonde hair and the antagonist is a Pakistani male with long curly hair. The other main character in the office also has conflict with the protagonist, and this is shown as he tries to shoot the protagonist at one point, but doesnt have any bullets. It is also shown as he wears dark coat and hat and is considerably older, more binary opposites which imply there is conflict.