'Love Rosie' Opening Sequence Analysis

In this analysis I will be discussing the opening for the film 'Love Rosie' starring well known actors such as Sam Claflin and Lilly Collins, both whom have previously featured in similar productions, therefore attracting a similar target audience.

Firstly, the film begins with the shot of the female main character sat alone, using a long shot to convey this to the audience and set the scene. Also using mise-en-scene in the background with the use of flowers positioned just in shot, allowing the audience to assume the scene is set at a wedding, the characters white costume further implies this. I believe the director may have decided to use the long shot to establish the scene to reflect the female’s lonely life in order for the audience to sympathise and relate to her character.  The long shot is used for a long duration of the opening scene as the voice over describes the thoughts of the character.  As the scene continues characters begin to obstruct the view of the camera, making it a dirty shot; using this shot to make the female seem inferior and not cared for as the audience has a restricted view.

There are many effective camera angles and movements used in this film opening to lay the foundations of the characters personalities and ensure the inclusion of the audience in the story. For example as the female is sat at the table the audience is eyelevel in the scene, this puts the audience in a similar position to that of the character, making them feel included in the scene. However, in this particular shot Lilly Collins’ character is looking slightly off camera which may suggest that she is attempting to conceal her emotions by averting her eyes and not clearly showing her facial expressions. Furthermore, in this shot the character has been positioned slightly to the right of the screen which, according to the rule of thirds, suggests that she may lack importance in this scene, or alternatively it conveys her feelings of being out of place at the event.  Another effective use of camera shots, throughout the opening, is the constant use of mid shots and lack of close ups used throughout the whole opening. This prevents the audience and other characters on screen from seeing and sharing the emotions of the characters, which then begins to reveal aspects of her personality and the story line from the beginning to intrigue the audience. Despite this in the flashbacks, included in the opening, the shots are closer to the characters face, showing it is more personal, the proxemics between characters is also closer which juxtaposes the current event where she sits alone, this suggests that something has happened and causes the audience to question it and want to know more.

The Editing throughout the beginning is continuous, however, as the scene progresses to the flashbacks there is a more frequent use of jump cuts, demonstrating memories from her childhood.

This is effective as it only gives the audience snapshots of her past with the male character, however still feels very personal and is edited so it gives the impression that it is being recalled by memory. There is also the use of shot reverse shot between the male and female main characters, allowing the audience to see how the other reacts to the dialogue between them and develops their relationship. The director has also chosen to edit the opening sequence using text overlaying the image on screen, the font chosen resembling handwriting which appears similar to what would be written in a diary, demonstrating how personal this scene is.

Mise-en-scene has significant importance in this opening sequence, in the use of sound, lighting and costume. To begin non-diegetic sound is used in the music played alongside the image. This music including lyrics such as “I’ll never fall in love again” which ironic and links heavily to the story line and matching the visual images.  The diegetic noises include that of a glass clinks which interrupts her thoughts and abruptly ends the music and the other noises around the room which mean the female characters dialogue cannot be heard clearly, again showing her inferiority. The sequence also uses a voiceover throughout which gives an insight to the characters feelings without there being action to convey this. The lighting throughout is prominently bright and high key, focussing on the centre of each scene to indicate to the audience what to look at. However this lighting is juxtaposed in the final section where the character is crying and the lighting changes giving the entire screen a red tint, connoting the love and heartbreak she is experiencing.

For the costume, many of the characters are in very simple smart clothing, suiting the occasion and setting. Contrasting this is the main character whose costume and hair appears quite comedic and makes it apparent that she does not fit in with the crowds as it is very large, noticeable and unfashionable, suggesting further traits about her character,  that she does not conform to society.