Opening Narrative Synopsis

Since being given the coursework task for my AS Media course, i have begun researching and analysing films of the genre that me and Stevie have chosen. Below is a analysis of the opening scenes of 50 First Dates.


50 First Dates

The very first thing we see is a black screen with a title informing the audience of the distribution company. It is coloured in blue and has the effect of the sea, as if it is swaying. After, there is an establishing shot of a Hawaiian beach at sunset, tying in with the effect of the title. This is a very typical scene for a romantic film and so the audience immediately know what genre of movie they’re watching. The non-diegetic music adds to the atmosphere, relaxing the audience and making them want to sway along to it. The camera pans around and the shot fades into another scene, a kitchen, we then see the name of the film ’50 First Dates’. Each word is in a different colour, showing that they all have equal importance to the narrative.
Two women then enter the kitchen and converse, talking about a man that one of them met on a vacation to Hawaii. The way she talks about it shows that she had a great time, but the scene changes before she can finish her story. The next thing we see is another woman, her dress codes communicating that she is very business-like and high powered, who is talking on her mobile saying ‘It was the best week of my life!’ There are more quick cuts between different women, of all shapes, sizes and social classes, who are all talking about a man, with whom they spent a short time together whilst away. The way that these shots have been edited makes it appear as if the women are finishing off each others’ sentences, which tells the audience that they are all talking about the same man.
By doing this, the women create the character of the unknown man by showing that he is very promiscuous, and uncaring towards the feelings of these females, as he obviously has left them after a short period of time. They all say that he gave them a reason for leaving them e.g. gay, married, entering the priesthood.
We then see this happening for real as he is leaving his new ‘fling’ and giving her the excuse that he is a secret agent. The woman appears to be fairly ditzy as she is gullible enough to believe his story, showing that he picks the kind of females that are easy to leave.

By the introduction of this film, the audience can guess that the man (Henry Roth) will meet a kind of woman that he is not used to, and fall in love with her, as this is hiow traditional romance movies pan out.