Coming-of-age Openings

 Hey blog!!!

Here are 3 openings for the genre my partner and I chose...

Little Women (2019)

The opening scene of "Little Women" does is unlike other films, it begins in the end. This movie is very different from others in the sense that it isn't a continuous story, it jumps from the past to the present as events happen, paralleling both points of time. So, the end of the story serving as the beginning, not only fits with the rest of the films' structure, but it also shows a clear ending, eliminating confusion caused by the time jumps. This type of opening also helps build anticipation. It shows a clear ending but leaves the audience wondering why or how this happened to the character, making them want to continue to watch. 

The main character, Jo March, argues with a male newspaper publisher in a tense manner, immediately showing some of the main themes of the rest of the story: gender roles, individuality, class differences, and work. She is shown as a lesser being, both class wise as she is clearly a little in poverty while the publisher is higher class, and gender wise, being a woman in the 1800s wanting to pursue a creative, male dominant job. But she ignores that and continues to fight for her place in society, not letting anyone tell her she can't achieve her goals, setting her aside from the stereotypical woman in that time period. Lastly, her hard work is demonstrated when she shows the publisher all the pages she wrote and the excitement she felt running on the streets after they agreed to use the short story. Altogether, this demonstrates the main conflict of the rest of the film, before it even actually starts.

Film wise, this opening contains a lot of mid and long shots, developing the setting and the characters reactions, actions, and moves simultaneously. The use of these shots allows for audiences to understand where and when the story takes place, while also learning who the main character is as the background and characters are balanced. Also the use of a mid shot of Jo March's back at a lower angle to introduce her, is a very powerful move that you don't see often. Introducing a character without actually showing them at first adds a sense of mystery, making the audience curious as to who this character is and why they are important. And to ensure that watchers know that Jo is important, they shot this from a low angle, which asserts authority and gives her power, only making the audience even more curious. Not only that, but making her centered, framed by a square/door, with contrasting colors (her being hidden in the dark shadows in the middle of the light door, shining outside light), only makes this shot even more powerful. 

The use of color is also very big in this film, with the present being shown in dark, cool tones and hues and the past in bright warm ones. In the opening, this is shown as it is in the present and uses these colors, demonstrating reality hitting Jo March and her life shifting from childhood to adulthood. This along with the use of low lighting really emphasizes how Jo sees her current life compared to her past. At the end, however, when the title is shown as a book, the audience still not knowing that it is Jo March's book, color is brought back, the cover saturating the colors shown. This illustrates how Jo sees her childhood as a special, colorful moment in her life and it is all documented into this little book that is being told to the audience.

Lastly, I did not mention this, but the beginning shows a quote by Louisa May Alcott, the writer of the original book and basically the real life version of the main protagonist, Jo March. This isn't something you see in every film, but commonly used in period pieces or adaptations. This quote set the mood and tone of the film before it even starts and gives some context to the tense scene that is about to play out.

Dead Poets Society (1989)

The opening of "Dead Poets Society" focuses on developing the setting and environment of the story rather than the main characters. Through the use of symbols and people's reactions, the school is shown as a very strict and pretty suffocating place. The authority asserted by the teachers with the students all being lined up perfectly, in a military way along with the introduction of the 4 pillars demonstrates the pressure these boys experience to be a stereotypical "perfect" son and scholar. It also shows how little individuality each boy has, introducing one of the conflicts that will be developed later in the story. The students are not allowed to be themselves, do what they want, and are clearly being pressured by their parents, as well, who seem to enjoy the ceremony and look to be very serious and put together. 

The costume design, hairstyles, and overall mise-en-scene all show how prestigious this school is. They are in a very small room but the use of candles, straight and color coordinated uniforms, and almost identical hairstyles, show how lack of freedom these boys have, being tied down to fit into the school look. The action of lighting up the candles are also symbolic as they are lighting up a dark room, demonstrating how the new knowledge, sense of individuality, and creativity they will discover throughout the rest of the film, will open their eyes in the tough times they are experiencing. 

Film wise, the boys are almost always shown at a high angle, showing them as inferior to the adults in the room. And to further establish the setting and illustrate what is happening, long establishing shots are often used in this scene. Lastly, there are multiple sequences of close-ups focusing on the elegant place, clothing, and the pillars of the school, again showing the obedience demanded of its students.

The color scheme, however, contrasts from the tone in the opening. While the opening establishes a serious and strict mood, the orange hues convey warmth, happiness, and nostalgia. This shows that this is still a part of the boys' childhoods and foreshadows the happiness and freedom they will feel in the future.