Analyse the opening sequence of ‘Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels’ Essay Example

main view point is on this mystery character that we have not yet been introduced to yet.

So still not formally introduced, the actor beings to talk, he talks with a strong cockney accent, putting the first anchor in on being able to realise where the film is set. The audience will have probably already assumed that the scene is in a large city like London. The character talks using slang language and humour, interacting with the audience around him. The connotation of this is that he is educated but not in a well off family, he speaks quickly without stuttering, and also has a lot of things to say, he knows what he is doing and that is plainly obvious to see. He is a dodgy dealer, his language , attitude, and styles scream this from the start.

When the action starts to cut in, so does the music. It is quite quirky music with a guitar base line and a good beat. The words in the song echo what is actually happening in the scene. This is where the next of the characters in going to be introduced... he is seen running along away from the police men with the dodgy dealer character. The words in the song say ' I am on the run and I need a car', you can already tell this film is going to be packed full of criminal activity!

The next scene is very cleverly put together, as the 'business' men slide into the next scene, it turns to slow motion. And this is then the point when the characters are introduced to us by the narrator. The narrator is

also telling us all about them in a strong cockney accent, telling us about them as people and what they do. Bateman is the guy from the street who was selling his stolen goods, and then- - - - - - is introduced.

The next scene is in a shop, a running camera angle following the actions as the characters walking towards the camera into a back room, referred to as 'the office'. it is obviously the place where a lot of his dealings go on. And during the walking scene this is when we are introduced to Tom. When they get into the 'office' Tom is selling a radio to Nick the Greek. The lighting is dark and moody, but not too dramatic and daunting. Then as the deal is talking place and the price of the radio is being decided we have shot/cut shot camera angles on all the conversation going on, as well as over the shoulder shots again to add realism. Also more cockney slang is used, quotes from the film include ' tighter than a ducks bum', also 'feel the fabric in my fingers' referring to money, which I feel will be a big part in this film, as so far everything revolves around the earning of money. Once the radio is sold the mention of money is rife.

The next scene is of tom taking money from inside the cooker, but the camera shot is actually from inside the cooker, tom mentions the chef, and suddenly the next shot is strikingly similar using again inside shots of a cooking tool, but this time it is a cooking pan. This is when

we are introduced to - - - - - - - - . all the characters so far have a nickname. This shows that the films will not all be serious and very sombre.

The scene after this is of Hatchet Harry, another of London's local business men, who is in association with Barry the Baptist, and then we find out why he has acquired this nickname. With montage shots of him pushing men's heads in buckets and troffs, hence his name. While the business is being done between Harry and Barry, Harry mentions some new 'stock' he has in, a leather spanking device that he will sell in his sex shop, and when he tells Barry what it is using the word 'spanking', the shot rapidly cuts to the next scene to where the story basically beings.

So from the opening ten or so minutes we have established already a lot about the characters in the film, the setting and maybe the sort of things that are going to take place. They are all London lads, who all have individual ways of earning their money, but in the same crooked way. With its realistic shots and cool music, you can already see this film is upbeat ,modern and going to keep you interested in it. The mood of the first 10 minutes are fast and furious, not just the music and speech but also the shot/cut shot action going on. The genre is quite mixed, I would say that it has a little bit of action, a bit of comedy and a lot of wit, dealings and money troubles.