We are immediately invited with non-diegetic sound in the back while viewing the scenery. As the camera pans down the orchestral, violin led music slightly changes giving us a sense of worry. This compliments the landscape as we get a closer view of the lower ground where it seems as though fog fog is almost suffocating the area.
The dull and foggy atmosphere suggests isolation which jars the atmosphere as well as the soundtrack as it begins to take over.
We come to discover some movement at the bottom and establish that is it a character. The exposure of the character from the middle of the shot implies that she is a main character and is important to the story. We see her from a high angled shot which imposes the idea that she is being watched. The camera tracks backwards to show a close view of the young woman coming up, pulling her way up with full efforts which makes the audience think about her character and the situation into greater depth. As she stumbles along, she looks around her which gives the impression that she may be getting away from something or someone. The film making and director played upon the unknown very effectively as we see the character from a medium close up wearing jogging bottoms and a baggy jumper which makes us think about how gender is represented
As she begins to run, the camera tracks her from behind and then tracks her feet from the side to show her speed. This all builds upon preparation to make us assume that she is a victim being chased, which is also done with the diegetic sound of an eagle in the beginning which is the bird of prey. We as the audience feel augur and assume that she is a victim because of all the previous factors but mainly due to her gender. We think that she is being chased as she is a girl, however, the film makers play with the audience's narrative expectation where it reconsiders her character and we realise that we misunderstood her and she is in fact training for something. Our representation of the female gender is reconsidered, making us wonder whether she is actually feminine when she climbs the obstacle frame with confidence.
Through the script, we learn more about her character in a subtle way when she is called from behind as starling- her second name. The mis-en-scene is very interesting as she is not wearing very girly clothes but is wearing sweat pants and a baggy jumper. She is not a typical female character as she is not very glamorous and seems almost masculine. We also begin to determine the setting as an assault course which is also hinted through the officers F.B.I cap. During the speech between the officer and agent starling, the music fades out but picks back up as she carried on running into the building. The viewers can see that she is a main character as the focus throughout the beginning is 'Starling' including long-shots, mid shots and close ups of her in the middle. She is very rarely in one third of the shot.
The camera pans and tracks her as she moves through the building towards the office where she has been called. The viewers carry on learning about the character before she has a big speaking role. Her clothing tells us that she is not a typical girl and stands out as she is petite and one of the very few women amongst many men. Her confidence is expressed when she is in the elevator surrounded by a large group of bigger men and is not the slightest bit affected. It shows that she is not your ordinary girl, she's tough and a protagonist by the way she walks with confidence and through the respect she is given by her boss.
We see her walk into Crawford's office and look around with boldness while the camera pans around her following the 180 rule. As she turns around, she pauses along with the camera to show the shock that she has experienced. Her body posture changes as she releases her arms from behind her back and the camera moves closer towards her into a close-up, showing the seriousness of what she has seen.
We see what she see's from a point of view shot and assume that her facial reactions are the same as ours- shocked. We are shown newspaper articles of a murder, files and jarring image's on the wall of dead people with their skin ripped off. We see Crawford enter the office as the camera pans around Sterling to show him take a seat from behind her shoulder. The tone in which her leader/boss talks to her shows that she is well respected and trusted to be given such responsibility. There is evidence of shot reverse shot and point of view shot through their conversation with a few shots from behind the shoulder.
There are not many special effects that have been used, however, the editing of continuity is efficient and professional. The main elements of special effects or editing in the beginning are the titles. It is shown in a simple format that stands out as it is places above the moving image. Diegetic sound has been used with the sounds of helicopters, movement of people, faint gunshots and of strong breathing while Starling is running.
I watched until this point of the opening (6 minutes) and noticed that there are a few codes of enigma. We think about many things and I feel that the main matters of enigma are:
- Why is she running?
- Why is she being called to see 'Crawford' and who is he?
- Why are there murder articles and images on the wall?
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