Opening scene research on a Drama Film 'The Irishman'

 

The Drama Film opening sequence I'm going to be analysing is from the film 'The Irishman' which was released in 2019, directed by Martin Scorsese and wrote by Steven Zailin. Staring famous actors including Robert De Niro, and Al PAcino. The Film had a budget of $159 million USD. At the box office it didn't receive good profit only making $8 million USD including being on netflix.  

The film is about a fictionalized account of Hoffa's disappearance from the point of view of a mafia hitman known as Frank Sheeran. The Irishman's opening is a notable diversion from the speedy cadence of Martin Scorsese's works in the past. 

When the scene fades in from black Scorsese the hallway of the nursing home within total darkness. this technique has been used before in the film 'The Searchers' so it seems that scorsese has taken an influence from that style. The camera whilst on a tracking shot gestures us to come inside, in a way as you are entering a story and the film wants to tell you this story in a way to transport you out of your seat. The Non-Diegetic soundtrack which sounds to be quite dated and old could be a use of the director trying to push us into the characters headspace. 

Once we move fully into the frame and into the light the Props and extras in the frame begin to tell us a story of where we are and what might be happening, for example doctors and nurses running around and a small statue in the left hand side of the frame lit by a certain part of light referencing the good that comes for religion and there 

is another statue which we see clearer as we get closer on the right side. The dim lit hallways of a nursing home from what we see which we can tell by the extras around the scene and the lighting around giving us the old and greyish thought around it. we can again tell we are in a religious place as when we move down the corridor there is a priest talking to the patient this connotes to a religious environment, these could be connoting to morality and forgiveness. through these conventions that this could seem to be a religious and dramatic film. this conventions are telling us that this is set not in modern times and is old and giving us a realistic feel.

Again later through the hallway the camera pans to some old extras, who we as the audience can assume that are residents of the nursing home or visiting relatives.

We are then  greeted to the main character played By Robert De Niro who is frank, who is sitting alone contrasting from what we just saw previously with friends and family playing games, when we could have seen frank at a table playing a game or talking with friends, this could be connoting that Frank is lonely and doesn't have any friends, maybe he is the one looking for forgiveness. so this could be the director trying to show that Frank experiences lots of solitude in the nursing home where he is.

As the Camera starts to arc its way to see the front of Robert De Niro, the camera is mainly focused on a part of the costume which is a gold ring on his finger. At this moment in the film we don't know why but the director is showing but not telling the audience that that ring is going to be of some significance. The camera then leads into a close up of his face wher he is wearing some shaded glasses maybe connoting he's trying to hide from something like being in a religious nursing home? 

The first four lines of the film apart from the non-diegetic soundtrack are by a voiceover from Robert De Niro, which again is non-diegetic. this emphasizes his own thoughts and allows us into the characters head briefly and to learn about his past and his own desire to remember his past. The two lines he says after these few are spoke allowed breaking the fourth wall to the audience.  connoting to that Frank is the main character.

The scene then cuts to a close up of a gun, using pleonastic sound then fires and quickly pans to the right to see that it  has killed someone we can see that whilst on the close up of the gun there is a ring on the hands finger and from when the camera focused onto Frank's ring before there is also one on his on his other hand that looks familiar again this could be a way of the director trying to show and not tell. Maybe Frank is or used to be a part of a gang. also showing that frank is a dangerous man.

 

The camera cuts again leading to a close-up to a with a close up on the wall with blood splattered all over it contrasting between the white and red. this could be connoting between the purity, and the red symbolising the danger, and even anger. This image is a classic use of Scorsese's style. and that the film is going to be very violent and realistic again giving good conventions to the drama style that the film is showing the realism.

The symbols we are shown in each shot give us as the audience key ingredients into what Frank's lifestyle may be like in the film. For example Gun referencing he's a dangerous man, Blood again showing he's a dangerous man and is ruthless. Invitation to a wedding contrasting from earlier when he was alone this clearly shows he is a well known man and popular, The close up of Frank putting on the gold ring and putting on a gold watch and then goes to pick up some money showing he might be a wealthy man. From all of these significant objects gives a blend of family and criminality. This scene cuts back and forth between the stillness of Frank's present and his past, using non linear techniques during the scene. feeling very natural and also as its the only thing in shot maybe it's giving the main incentive to the film showing us that one of those characters are going to be a victim.

I think that the narrative of this film is going to be Frank telling a story about his life and talking about his 'gang lifestyle' that he had and all the wrongs that he has committed, but maybe now wants to change as he's in a religious nursing home. I feel that this film will be a Non-Linear narrative and keeps going back to the present in the nursing home, we can clearly see that Frank is talking about the past as he looks younger in the flashbacks. I think this opening scene is successful by setting up the film with a lot of show and not tell making the audience try and piece it together like a puzzle without much context.