Film Opening Sequence Analysis *Comment on the following aspects in relation to your film opening title sequence choice

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Supporting Images

Cinematography & Camera Techniques

In the opening sequence of ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’, many camera and cinematography techniques are used. A technique frequently used is the crane shot. As shown by the first picture on the right, it’s first used in the establishing shot. The 4 children are pretending to be airplanes in this first scene which is done by a crane shot as that’s high up as are planes. It’s also high up to show the city, including its atmosphere which is dull shown by the dull brown and beige colours. The crane shot is used too when the Germans are taking the Jews to the concentration camps on the back of the wagon. The crane begins at a low angle which could suggest that the Jews have little place or no place in the hierarchy of Germany at this time, as they’re being pushed and shoved reluctantly into the wagon. A track is used to follow the carpet being rolled up. A low angle shot is used when the family are coming to the main little boy down the stairs. Once down the stairs, an over the shoulder shot is used to show the boy over the shoulder of his sister. A high angle shot is used fairly frequently, first when they’re putting the cloth on the table, when we watch the mother go upstairs we can see her from the top of the stairs walking up and also when the family are talking about moving away we see it from above on a high angle. When the woman is getting out of her fancy car, a medium shot is used. This medium shot is also used to show the maids and when the children are pretending to be planes too. The very first shot we see is the swastika very zoomed in and we can only see the corners of the black on red and white. This establishing shot allows the audience to see firstly what is going on in the film from the very start, as we all know

Film Opening Sequence Analysis *Comment on the following aspects in relation to your film opening title sequence choice

where the swastikas came from. An extreme close up is used when the woman is sorting out and laying out her fancy cutlery as it is very zoomed in on her hand. Finally, a close up is used to show the reaction the boy feels as he is being told he’s moving away, even if he’s still going to make friends when he’s there.

Visual Effects & Colour Scheme

The colour scheme of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is very dull and full of brown and beige colours. This shows the conservatism during the times of the Holocaust in Western Europe as the Nazis were trying to clean their country of what they thought was right at the time.

Film Opening Sequence Analysis *Comment on the following aspects in relation to your film opening title sequence choice

Genre Conventions

The genre of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a war time tragedy. This is shown by the establishing shot of the swastika, which is iconic from the Second World War period due to the global threat of the Nazi party, extremely zoomed in as it is globally known that the swastika came from Nazi Germany during the Holocaust, which was a massive tragedy. The setting of this film is a war time period which is not only shown by the clothes worn by the characters which would not be worn in modern day and the guns held by the Nazis, but also the Jews being forced into the back of a wagon. We know that they’re Jewish as the men getting onto the wagon have a traditional Jewish headwear on (Kippa).

Narrative

The narrative of this opening sequence of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is telling the main little boy (Bruno) that he’s being made to move away in order to stay safe from the war about to happen. We see that it’s the Holocaust from the swastika in the establishing shot. It is a standard linear narrative.

Editing Techniques

Editing techniques used in this opening title sequence include continuity editing. This is used throughout the whole sequence as different scenes are cut and put together to make one sequence. The credits are used. Cross cutting is used in this sequence as there is a story going on in it which is split up by the young boys pretending to be airplanes round the city. Cutaways are used when the young boys pretending to be planes ends another scene where the mum is walking upstairs which is totally unrelated.

Film Opening Sequence Analysis *Comment on the following aspects in relation to your film opening title sequence choice

Title Credit Design

The credits are used and they are faded in and out on the screen in capital letters which are bold and striking, even though it’s a dull colour.