Researching Dystopian Film Openings

  HOW WE DECIDED THE GENRE

   My partner and I, Sofia, finally decided to talk about what we plan to do for the final genre of the two-minute opening for the portfolio project! When we were researching, Sofia researched coming-of-age and action. Since we both researched action our first thought was to choose that as our genre for the project but we thought about it and didn't really like the idea of an action movie as we thought it would be somewhat difficult to create a storyline. As we were pondering ideas for the final genre we decided on a Dystopian film with some fantasy aspects on it.

    In this blog post, I want to research the openings of 3 dystopian films, which are The Matrix (1999), The Hunger Games (2012), and The Giver (2014). These are all movies I've watched before and have thoroughly enjoyed so I know that the films are good examples of an opening scene and great movies to analyze.

ANALYSIS OF DYSTOPIAN FILMS

      The Matrix (1999) 

 

   The Matrix (1999) is a famous dystopian film known and loved by many people. The story follows a man in a dystopian world overrun by computers to give all the people their utopia when in reality every single person is being controlled. He is given a chance to stay in his fake utopia or see the real world and never go back to the perfection.

    

    Right from the start, The Matrix throws the audience into something weird and mysterious. The green digital rain sets up a tech-heavy, almost otherworldly vibe, and the audience immediately gets an intense action scene with a woman escaping from agents. There's no explanation, just fast, fluid action and a sense that something bigger is going on. This opening does a great job of making the audience feel just as lost as the main character, Neo, will be later, setting up the film's core themes of reality, control, and breaking free from an illusion.

The Hunger Games (2012)

    The Hunger Games (2012) is another widely known dystopian film. The movie follows the story of Katniss, who lives in an awful dystopian society where two kids from each district (there are 12) from the ages 12-18 randomly get chosen to play in vicious games that are broadcast live on TV. The goal of the games is to be the last one standing which means all 24 of the contenders are fighting to the death. 

    The movie opens with an explanation of what the Hunger Games are before throwing viewers into a polished TV interview with Serena Crane and Ceasar Flickerman. It's flashy, upbeat, and even a little unsettling, at least when the scene cuts from that back to Katniss in District 12, where things are grim and colorless. The shaky, documentary-style camerawork for most of the film makes her world feel raw and very real, really bringing out the huge chasm between the rich and the poor. The intro immediately sets the scene as dystopian through the Capitols control and a tough, caring, survivor, Katniss.

The Giver (2014)

    The Giver (2014) immediately begins with a voiceover about "Sameness", which sets the tone for something being off, even in this place that seems all so perfect. Black and white visuals make it all really sterile and controlled which can possible translate to the thought of a work devoid of real emotion and humanity. It's a quiet opening, almost unbearable so, but what sets up the whole movie is the fact that there's so much beneath the surface, and the protagonist, Jonas, is going to start asking questions about the truth of their society.