Snatch Opening Titles

I chose to analyse the opening titles to 'Snatch' because it shows different camera shots and editing effects in just introducing the audiance to the characters. Introducing the audiance to the characters first is effective as it makes them feel connected and more comfortable in the environment that they are being put in. It also helps them understand as the quick scenes each character gets interprets to the audiance what they are like and how we should see them as. This is important to this film as the idea is that they are all off the streets, and this is how the audiance can fit in by seeing who they should be careful of, copying the characters emotions. This makes any people from the audiance who don't know what it is like get an understanding of what it is like to live the way each character lives. This film is aimed for ages 18+, and this immediatly makes the audiance ready for any type of violence or cursing that comes with the age tag.

For the opening to these credits it starts with the music that is played all the way through to introduce all the characters, this music is set more on the upbeat side to make the audiance understand that there is no immediate threat. You first get to see the two shot of men dressed in uniform, this is used to reinforce the audiances stereotypical and ironic humour that all foreign people have to dress the same way with the use of mise-en-scene, which involves the costumes and the use of fake hair to reinforce the beards. The camera pans around the truck which these people are dressed in to a man holding a giant diamond, and the way the music gets louder it engages the viewer to see that the diamond is important to the story of this film. This is determined also by the camera quickly zooms in on the diamond until it is the only thing on the screen. The diamond turns into action in the background as the camera spins round, and in front is the Title of the film. This exites the viewer to the knowledge that there is more to come.
From one character to another the diamond ad other props link them all in the introduction. The diamond is used first to introduce the first character, as the camera pans around the diamond with the screen cut down, and as the screen inflates to full again it reveals another scene altogether with another character looking at the diamond with a magnifying glass you couldn't see before it panned. This is effective as it doesn't confuse the viewer at an immediate jump, it all seems cleverly linked to keep the audiances attention. The camara zooms away from the magnifying glass to the character in mid shot to see his expression. The expression he pulls is a connotation of smugness, which the audiance can interpret as greed, but it is taken that he wants this diamond, which immediatly makes the audiance understand the first important plot to the film. The use of graphics is used to show all the characters names in bold, this is done with a frozen picture of them next to it in black and white. This is effective as the audiance can get a brief understanding of who they are so they can follow important parts of the film. The first character is shown in his frozen scene is 'Cousin Avi'. The frozen names only last a split second until their scenes carry on, which is where he goes towards his safe to place the diamond inside, which leads to the next character opening a safe simultanously on the other side and collecting what the last character puts inside. This again is effective as it stops the jump from one character to another.
The next character takes out another item to the last character, which can then make the audiance understand the difference other than misinterpreting that the safes are linked. He is briefly shown by his frozen part as the character 'Sol', and he is represented as the stereotypical black jewel thief as he takes out a bag of cheap gold from his safe, this prop is effective as it helps the audiance reinforce this idea. The use of mise-en-scene is further developed when the props are old and worn compared to the last character 'Cousin Avi' who was in a brightly lit room with expensive clothes. 'Sol' on the other hand has a dark and dreary atmosphere to his area he is in, and his clothes are ordinary and lack and colour or detail. 'Sol' throws the bag of jewellery in an area that can't be seen on the screen, but the camera then jumps to another scene with the next character, which has been introduced with a high angle shot of the newly changed prop, this time into money.
The money prop is effective as it immediatly makes the audiance sense that the next character is ambitious with making money, but the old table it is placed on, with the use of mise-en-scene also lets the viewer know that this next character isn't rich. The camera pans upwards to the next character which is frozen in place to let the audiance know his name is 'Mickey', and the setting he is placed in with another character shows he is in an enclosed space, but the use of netting and the natural light that is shone through it makes the audiance know with the unpersonalised props that he is in a caravan. He is dressed in cheap clothing and the way he slaps off the hand that comes his way is a denotation that he is struggling to earn money, therefore he is protective of any he gets. It furthers the idea that it is a caravan that they are in by the number of characters in an enclosed space, this forces the audiances cliched view that all people that live in caravans share one between a large amount. 'Mickey' takes a bag and just like the last character he comes onto with he copies the same idea by throwing the bag into another direction to the next character, and the bag is shown this time coming to the next character in a mid shot.
The audiance understands immediatly that this next character is linked to 'Sol' as the reinforced stereotypical view that all black people know each other are entwined with the fact the prop he gets is the same as Sol's, also the setting is the same as what Sol was placed in. This , within the first 30 seconds already makes the audiance involved with the plot as they know who works together and who are friends. The expression on his face is a connotation of greed, unlike Sol's which was indifferent to the idea of money. This shows a difference in opinion between the two and already dignifies the differences between them. Like the other characters the camera freezes to let us know his name is Vinnie. The camera then turns his image upside down whilst he empties the bag contents, which leads on to the other character which is first seen by the props of a blackjack table full of different, more expensive looking styled Jewellery. This immediatly interprets that the next character has money, or he has an addiction to gambling.
The camera turns the right way up to let the audiance see the next character, and the setting the audiance are now placed in is a dark room full of people surrounding a table, the dark room is effective as it makes us think that they are hiding in an old surroundings. The camera immediatly focuses on the character in front of us by zooming in, to get the full view of the character holding up his cards, and to see that he is missing a finger. This also helps the viewer understand why he is called 'Frankie Four Fingers'. This can make the audiances go different ways, as some may be questioning why he lost the finger, but others in the audiance could already know that it is because of a gambling problem, which plays on some of the audiances darkest secrets, this would make anyone addicted to gambling more connected to this character. I think also that is why this film was successful as each member of the audiance can feel more connected to a seperate character. The expensive cards are placed down on the table, zoomed into, and are then changed to more old and worn cards on a rusted old table, which links us in to the next character.
The camera is in a high angle shot as they are sitting down, and it makes the audiance feel more important in wealth. It then changes to a mid shot as the next character stands up with importance and walks away from the table. The use of natural light helps the audiance realise that they are outside, and they can see the old caravan, suggesting that they are underground. The next character is called Turkish, and he is dressed appropriatly for the old run down area he is placed in, which also sets up another of why he is there to begin with? As he walks along in his surroundings the next character is shown boxing, with Turkish shoting soundlessly at him, the noise was unnessecary as Turkish's facial expression reads what he is doing. This helps the audiance understand his occupation which also helps them understand how he is dressed the way he is, a boxing trainer.
The next two characters are with him in this scene, which shows they are linked. There is a mid shot to show the next character boxing, which is then shown as his name is 'Gorgeous George'. This links to the last character Turkish as he is the man who is being trained. As Georgeous George is boxing it links to the next character by punching the bag too hard and throwing the next character off the screen. By the facial expression on his face the audiance feel linked to this character as someone to laugh at, as he looks vulnerable but in a humourous way. The camra freezes at his scared expression to the name of 'Tommy', and it is shown in this expression to represent how he will be like in the entire film, and therefore not a threat to the audiance. The camera then focuses back to Turkish, which tells the audiance that he is in charge of Georgous George and Tommy, it shows his facial expression as angry and sees him walking away, from behind the punch bag, which takes you to the next scene to the next character after the punching bag disappears from view.
The next character is seen as a threat as he is putting a man in the boot, he is considered a threat to the audiance as the man being thrown in the boot is majorly injured whilst the character is unharmed, and perfectly groomed. He is rich, you can tell by the costume he wears and the prop of his car which hasn't even remotly got a scratch. The camera is then shown from the man in the boots point of view, which means that the next camera is shown from a low angle shot, which makes the viewer vulnerable in his presence. He is further imtimidating as he is called 'Bullet Tooth Tony'. This makes the viewer question why he is called this, encouraging them to keep watching. As the boot is shut it takes them on to the next character by going into dark and then seeing natural light again with the next character peering in.
He pulls out a gun from the area the audiance are put in, a low angle shot is still used as the following character is also intimidating and makes the audaicne wary of his presence. There is a zoom in of his face and he cocks the gun and he is frozen in place to tell the viewer that his name is 'Boris the Blade'. This character is lead on from Bullet Tooth Tony as he gets the audiance asking similar questions, why is he called Boris the Blade? That is why they are some of the last characters to be introduced, as they are more interesting than others. The gun makes the audaince hesistant to what is going to happen, and makes them question which character he is about to kill. The camera then drops down to a low angle shot in the box again, and Boris The Blade closes it, as he does so the next character closes a book, which links them together.
The next character goes to sit down onto a chair, and analyses a diamond that the character Cousin Avi looks at. This makes the audaince understand the link between him and Cousin Avi but also makes them question why. The hat he wears signals to the viewer that this character is Jewish, and it makes the audiance wonder why this is important. He is wearing expensive looking clothes, which could justify how he links to Cousin Avi and makes the audiance want to continue viewing. He is shown as angry by his facial expressions, which makes us wonder why. This character is called 'Doug The Head', which makes the audiance assume he is an important character to this film. He gets up to walk away from his desk and just as he is out of the camera's sight the next character follows on walking to where Doug the Head just was.
The scene suggests danger as the lighting is darker and more gloomy than the last setting, but the character which the camera is focused on is dressed in expensive clothing, and he reinforces the stereotypical view as the villian in this film as he is surrounded by the butch sidekicks who have a man held down on the table. Judging by the mans viewe he is terrified, which adds hostility to the character that is being focused on in this scene. It shows the characters name as 'Brick Top' in a low angle shot as he has a hammer risen to attack above his head, this shows that he is the more violent character of the others, and that he a character not to like. The man who is being hit screams, and as he does so the camera focuses on his mouth, which with the help of graphics it starts to fade and turn into the diamond at the beginning of the introductions, and the camera again cuts away the screen until it turns 180 degrees back to the moment that it left off of the character, which we now know is called Frankie Four Fingers, back to looking at the diamond.

The use of diegetic sound is finally being used to converse with a character opposite, and this signals that the film is starting, by this time the audiance are anxious to know what happens to all these characters and are concentrating. To help the audiance feel like they are back in this scene they use a character with a russian accent to interpret as a villian who wants the diamond. This reinfoces the cliched view that all foreign people are villians. The audiance question where they are as they can hear the noise of an ambulance outside the truck but you can't actually see it, this makes the audiance think that they are on a bad side of town. The gun is made loud when the bullets hit the floor as these props are important to the entire film.
I like how this is worked as it doesn't use speech to hook in the audiance, it uses all the characters as introductions in order to make it work. It reinforces the age group of 18+ as it already uses violence and the film is based in old downtown streets. It also lets the viewer understand that this is an action comedy by using humour in the idea of violence, and this helps the viewer know that all these characters aren't there to scare the audiance, it plays on theeir darkest thoughts of hurting and finding the humour within it.
I would like to do something very much simialar to this, as I enjoyed how each character was linked in the opening to mundane objects.