My Analysis of Hitch

I have recently watched the opening of the film Hitch (2005) in order to study film openings from different genres as research for my own film opening. The Genre of the film was Romantic Comedy. There were many ways in which this was made apparent to the audience. The first was through the non-diegetic soundtrack playing simultaneously to the scene, in which the lyrics of the song spoke of love. The second way this was shown was through the use of the diegetic dialogue from Will Smith’s character, who was speaking about the mechanics of women. This indicated that there would be some kind of love aspect to the play; however it also projected a humorous feel to the film.
The Narrative of the film was Closed and Linear. The camera focused on a variety of people which gave the impression that the film would be episodic, focusing on little parts of each character’s life as a pose to one central character. The underline plot I took from the opening f the film is that Will Smith’s character will help other characters get “Hitched”, which can be backed up by the name of the film.
The titles of the film were shown in quite a formal appearing font, which can make it seem as though there is an underline business aspect to the film. This can relate to Will Smith’s character’s profession being central in the Narrative of the film. Also, the name of the director and other cast members are shown in the opening scene, however, the film’s title is not. This is uncommon in generic films, which usually show the film’s name within the first 20-30 seconds of the films start.
There is a light hearted comical atmosphere set in the opening of the film. This is achieved through the jovial soundtrack and the comical dialogue. This sets the film up for the audience, who can either then ease into the film as it progresses in the same light-hearted manor, or shock or confuse the audience as the film takes a dark unexpected turn.
We are only introduced to Will Smith’s character which indicates that he will be a recurring character throughout the film. Also, as he is the only character in the opening scene to divulge any information relevant to the plot, this indicates that he will be an important character throughout the film.
The happy background music sets the mood for the scene. As love is mentioned in the lyrics of the song, the audience is made aware that love will be one of the themes in the play. Also, we get an insight to Will Smith’s character through his direct speech to the audience. Will Smith’s voice is non-diegetic throughout some of the scene, which places him outside the action. This makes his character seem like an outsider to any of the true events in the film yet we still recognise he will be an important character.
The film opening is set in New York City. This indicates that the film will be based in the city, again building on the professional, all business atmosphere initially given off in the opening.