Opening Scenes - Analysis: 3 - Star Wars VIII The Last Jedi

The third opening sequence I'm going to look at and analyse is "Star Wars VII - The Last Jedi", a Sci-Fi film.


The opening sequence contains the following conventions

• Sound
• Establishes genre 
• Production company logo
• Introduces the setting 
• Establishes style
• Introduces important characters, revealing traits

As with The Purge, this opening is almost entirely about exposition, establishing for audiences unfamiliar with Star Wars that this film takes place in space, in a science fiction future, and in a war between two factions of people. But rather than simply establishing the world our story takes place in, its primary focus is to establish the stakes of the conflict. One of these factions is losing the war, and when the enormous fleet of ships arrive, this quickly tells the audience that our heroes are massively outgunned.

The history of cinema is replete with stories about underdogs, and by establishing a losing side we immediately create empathy. This exposition is even found in the cinematography and the shot composition; the camera is down on the ground looking up at the sky as it fills with ships. This is a clear indication that our perspective as an audience is aligned with the people on the ground.

The villains (information which is quickly conveyed by the mis-en-scene, and the choice of clothing coded specifically to remind the audience of the Nazis) explain that this is their moment of triumph and they are about to wipe our heroes out, setting the stakes as high as they can possibly be. This is what makes the opening exciting.

Finally, the opening scene establishes one of our main characters, facing down the fleet with "a single light fighter", further demonstrating that this is an underdog story about facing down impossible odds. The character himself though is not terrified, but instead makes jokes and brings levity to the scene. This not only tells us that the main character is brave, foolhardy, and a rogue, but also establishes the tone of the film as a whole: ie, it's ok to laugh, the stakes are high but this will not entirely be a dark journey, and that the film's primary objective is to be fun to watch.