Analysis of a film opening - Layer Cake

Layer Cake is a British gangster/thriller film directed by Matthew Vaughn in 2003. The opening of this film is well directed and is a prime example of how excellent film openings should be. It has all met all the criteria's which entices the audience to want to watch more. A lot of money was spent making the opening and it has paid off - literally. The opening is also very long and many hours were spent on making it perfect so that the audience can relate to the main character (Daniel Craig)and understand the plot. 


The first voice we hear is Daniel Craigs ; it becomes more apparent that he is the main character later on through his voice over. The fact that it is his voice over in the opening would imply that he is the main character. We can hear that his voice is posh and he is well spoken by the dialect he uses and how h pronounces it; this would make us think he is all business and no messing around. In his voice over, he starts talking about illegal crimes such as bank robberies to illegal drugs. The fact he is talking about prison sentences makes perfect sense to the audience when we learnt hat he is a drug trafficker. The audiences reaction to this information is disbelief as his posh voice would automatically suggest that he would not associate himself with illegal actions and drugs. The audience had stereotyped him based on his voice. 


At this point, the audience may see him and his career choice as bad and not warm to him; this hooks the audience as they are intrigued about him and the illegal lifestyle he leads. Throughout his voice over we learn more about Daniel Craigs character; we learn that he is very smart, sophisticated, organised and professional as he owns a share in a  very successful estate agency; this would explain the large amounts of money he receives. 


As the voice over continues we understand that he is not the stereotypical drug trafficker that we might have pictured; he is professional and just making  a living, even if it is not honest. We learn that he understands the law is not 'stupid' and he hates 'guns and violence'. We can emphasise with him and what he is saying; this makes the audience more inclined to like him. Now not only are the audience hooked, they are also bonding and relating to the main character.


At the end of the voice over/opening scene Daniel Craigs character introduces other characters which work with him in the drug industry. He explains a bit about them and how they relate to him. Through Craigs descriptions we learn that their boss Jimmy will be important as firstly, he is the boss, secondly, Craig's introduction of Jimmy is longer than the rest and thirdly, Jimmy wants to have lunch with Craig's character. This can be referred to as the 'Inciting Incident' as what happens in the meeting will decide what happens later in the film. This again hooks the audience because they want to know what will be said; also Jimmy comes across as a mysterious important man and the audience are curious towards him. He looks like a business man who you would not want to mess around with. He is wearing a tailored suit, he looks sharp, powerful and untouchable. 


When we see Craig's character in the opening he does not look like a drug dealer; the use of mise en scene would suggest otherwise. When we first see Daniel Craig he is wearing blue jeans, a plain white T-shirt and a long black coat. His hair is short, tidy and he generally looks clean; like any other normal person; totally unlike the stereotyped perception of a drug dealer. This again makes the audience warm to him because he is not some dirty, untidy drug trafficker that we might have imagined.


Throughout the voice over, there are both diegetic and non diegetic sounds. All through the voice over there is a subtle non diegetic music being played. The music is low paced, fresh and calm which compliments Craig's appearance and his calm tone of voice. 


There are also diegetic sounds such as screaming (bank robbery), sirens (police cars) and explosions (bank robbery). Synchronous sound has been applied because Daniel Craig's voice over matches with the diegetic sounds and what we see. This is very pleasing for the audience as it makes the whole opening flow and understandable. Another example of synchronous sound is when Daniel Craig is explaining who to avoid like the plague; we see exactly what and who he is talking about and see instantly agree with him.  


Expensive transitions and complicated shots have been used throughout the opening. For example, the first thing we see is an establishing shot of a bank robbery taking place. Diegetic screams and explosions add to the hectic atmosphere as well as Daniel Craig's voice over. We then see a transition take place, a woman crouching is smoothly turned into a bearded man talking about other illegal drugs. Another example of a good transition is where a woman is walking out of a shot and then is continued by a new scene of a police guard walking; this introduces a new setting and scene. Generally, when there is a transition which leaves one scene and introduces another, the lighting changes from dark to light. There is a track shot Craig's character walking through a chemist; the chemist is selling branded legal drugs which is what he thinks will happen is  the future. As he walks past the branded futuristic drugs there is a transition and the products return to what they are supposed to be.  All of these transitions are excellently executed and grab the audiences attention; it also makes them want to watch more. 


The use of action and enigma codes has also hooked the audience and made it a brilliant opening. Even though the audience is aware that he is the main character and we learn some things about him; we still don't know a lot about him and this is intriguing. We want to know more about the people he works with, his name and why Jimmy (the boss) wants to have lunch with him. The fact he works in an illegal industry is also thrilling and we want to know more about how he is involved. There is a right balance between action and enigma codes which is good because the audience can follow the film but still want to watch the rest as they are enticed and curious.  


In conclusion, with the use of transitions, mise en scene and sound, the opening of Layer Cake is very successful. It introduces the main characters and hooks the audience mainly through the use of Daniel Craig's voice over which helps the storyline and opening scene flow. It also makes the openign scene more enjoyable as we warm to his character and we want to see what will happen to him next.