To gain some inspiration on how spy films edit and construct their opening sequences I will analyse 3 film openings from movies that are either spy or action orientated.

A good place to start with a spy genre is James Bond but because most of the film openings from 007 films involve massive stunts and suave lines I chose to analyse the opening sequence from Casino Royale because of its harsh gritty realism unlike any other James Bond film. This particular beginning is perfect for inspiration because not only is it vastly realistic but the scene involves James Bond fighting his first target which is almost the exact same storyline of my film. Not only this but film contains flashbacks which break up the action and give some perspective which is again similar to my film idea.


Note: This video contains an extra minute of cricket which isn't included in the original film. I will not take this into account and analyse the final cut.

The first thing we notice about the opening is the unusual film noir setting which displays classic elegance and silence and adds the perfect mood, but this set alongside a very modern building gives it an even more unusual mood as the only light we see bounces off the glass walls of the building making it almost spooky. The camera shots at this point range from all different angles and use close ups at the same time to get the audience in a detective frame of mind and forcing them to think about the obvious changes in the environment, this again adds a spooky mood with a tinge of thrilling suspense. It is only until the character we are watching enters his office that we start to look for James Bond.
The scene then develops a darkened mood as the music fades in with spiking violin tunes that excite the audience's senses, as the character moves across the room our eyes are struggling to see any light and start to see things as the character and understand them as the character does. The pinnacle of this suspense is reached when we finally hear the voice of James and the audience is rewarded with a shot of his face but with his body covered. The shots are all slow and mid angled but little do we realise that they slowly reveal where James is sitting.
The effect all this has on the audience is making them search for the light in the room and with clever positioning the light only falls on James's face and the back of the mysterious character.
After this the obvious enigma code of action is developed through a quick shot of a gun hiding in the man's desk, this acts strongly on the audience who start to wonder if this mission isn't all it seems and fear the safety of our hero. Already the gripping music and mysterious dialogue maintain the film noir background but also start to make us anticipate some brutal action that reflects the gritty mood. Overall this is a perfect example of setting the scene, the soft realism makes the scene entirely believable and prepares the audience for a rocket ride of gritty action that hooks the audience in new way.
The audience's hopes are rewarded quickly with a flash of action completely separate from the setting we received but to keep the continuity of mystery the film remains in black which adds to the flashback's abrupt entrance. This highly basic setting for the action would have very little colour in it but by placing it all in black and white the geometric shapes become very drab and claustrophobic, which is perfect for the realistic edge the scene has to give. At this point we are drawn to the harshness of it all and almost request that the realistic nature of it ends and the man is dealt with but as we establish before hand this is the first kill and it had to be shocking enough to give the sharp and cold image James Bond has about him. This is critical for me to achieve, if I manage to give the spy a cold hard status the chase will instantly look realistic. This combined with thrilling music and sound effects will ultimately hook the audience to every slight movement and make them feel the danger and seriousness of the situation.
After the initial flashback the action is heated up in the original setting when the enigma of the gun gets more thrilling. As we're so used to James Bond handling these situations with ultimate knowledge and being able to stay 2 steps ahead we start to fear for his life even more and wonder if the danger is going to be resolved. This works by breaking the conventions of a spy thriller and showing a weak spot to the hard shell these characters give off. I will try to replicate this as best I can by showing the spy to make simple mistakes but actually coming out on top afterwards.
All the action is finally and supposedly resolved with another flashback that finishes with a brutal death and the slow realisation of what has happened. Expecting the scene to end with some more dialogue yet another convention is broken and the man is killed abruptly during his final line. This is yet again realistic by breaking the code of action films and not letting the villain finish his monologue, however it does add to the supreme suave nature that resonates throughout the whole scene.
Overall the areas of the film that I will take away are the film noir setting and how the strong use of black and white photography strengthened the mysterious nature of it. Furthermore I will now look into using longer flashbacks that break up the scene even more and give a more detailed description to the film so it can be as hooking as possible without leaving the audience lost. And last I will strive to use unusual camera shots that incorporate close ups, back drops, pans and slanted angles to grip the audience and show them something new.