For my essay I will be analysing the cinematography of the opening sequence The Dark Knight, I also will be focusing on some of the mise-en-scene of the film. The opening scene of the film starts with a bank heist where the Joker, along with five other men, rob a bank wearing clown masks and then slowly get killed off one by one, leaving only the Joker escaping on a school bus. I have chosen this scene because ithe opening scene sets out one of the most popular and effective character introductions ever.
The opening scene starts with an establishing shot of the city of which the film is being set, which in this case will be Gotham City. The establishing shot also sets the atmosphere for the audience. During the establishing shot the camera zooms up closer onto one building, while simultaneously the music of the violin changes from a low key to a higher key. This is used to create anticipation and tension for the audience because they don't know what could happen next. Once the camera has zoomed in the window is then broken, the camera then shows a person with a clown mask and…show more content… The clown mask introduces him as also a criminal and that it is not a one person robbery, it is a heist. The man holding the clown mask is also indicated as a powerful being within the robbery group. It also shows that the robbery being made has been thought and planned out very carefully. The camera zooms up to the mask the man is holding which gives audiences the impression that they might see his face, as he is not wearing his mask like the other clowns are. This creates tension for audience as they are anticipating what is going to happen, this tension is then settled as the camera stops zooming and a long shot angle is then used showing the man getting into the back of a van which pulled up next to