Batman Begins Film Opening Analysis2 minute film opening analysis of Batman Begins relating to

theories.

Elliot BrownAS Media

Todorov’s theory is the Narrative theory, which studies devices and conventions governing the organization of a story into a sequence.He believed that stories would start with equilibrium where any potentially opposing forces are in balance. He then said that this balance would be disrupted by an event, which would set chain a series of events. He then said that the problems would then be solves and order would be restored.His theory is structured into 5 stages:• Equilibrium at the start• Disruption of equilibrium by an action• Recognition of disruption• Attempt to repair disruption• Reinstated equilibrium

Todorov’s Theory

This links to the Batman Begins film opening.One way in which you could argue that it fits with the opening is by the 5 stages all being shown just in the opening 2 minutes. In this argument, the 1st stage (equilibrium) is evident as the young boy and girl play and all is light and happy. The 2nd stage (disruption) would be when the young boy falls down the hall and is fronted by a swarm of bats. The 3rd stage (recognition) would be when the older man wakes up and the audience can see that this was just a flashback to his childhood. The 4th stage and 5th stage, however, are not evident clearly although it could be argued that him being in a prison and acting normal is a reinstatement of equilibrium.Alternatively, you could argue that the film opening would be just the start of the narrative theory and the film would go on to complete the stages left. In this argument, the 1st stage and 2nd stage of the narrative theory is evident. The 1st stage (equilibrium) would be when the young boy and girl play and are seemingly happy without any problems. The 2nd stage (disruption) would then be from when the young boy falls into the hole, all the way up until the end of the 2-minute opening where we can see that the man seems to be in a prison. The following stages would then follow as the film continues.

Levi-StraussTheory

This links to the Batman Begins film opening.The way in which this theory links into the Batman Begins film opening is by the viewer having an idea of who the bad characters are in the film by seeing the contrast, the good. We see the young boy and young girl playing innocently and we see them laughing and smiling. From this the viewer can recognise these as the good. The viewer then sees the boy grown up and is imprisoned with others around him. These people can immediately be recognised as the bad as they are in this dark environment with the man we see as good and they are not acknowledging him.Another way this theory could be applied to the Batman Begins film opening is by recognising the young by seeing the old. This is by the viewer seeing the older man and linking him to the younger boy we saw, so the viewer understands that the younger boy was the older man.

Claude Levi-Strauss’ theory is the theory of binary opposition. This theory is that the audience understand things/words is by its opposite. An example of this is that we understand a villain by its relation to the evident hero. Another example is that we recognise the young and will then understand the old.

Roland BarthesCodes

Hermeneutic CodeThe Hermeneutic code is the theory that a story or film will avoid telling the truth/revealing the facts so that they can create mystery throughout and can drop clues about the truth. Proairetic CodeThe Proairetic code is the theory that a story or film will build tension and leaves the audience guessing what happens next.

This links to the Batman Begins film opening.The hermeneutic code links to the film opening in the scene where the young boy falls into the cave and is caught in a swarm of bats and we then see that this is a flashback to an older man. Later on in the film the audience will find out that this young boy/older man is “batman”. The hermeneutic code links in with the film opening of Batman Begins because the bats are a clue that the young boy will be associated with these bats and the fact that this is a flashback will hint to the viewer that the scene is an important moment in the mans life.The proairetic code links to the film opening because at the end of the opening we can see that the man is in a, which seems like, prison. Before this we saw a scene that was a flashback of this man as a boy who was scared of the bats in the cave. We then see that it was a flashback and are shown this man in a prison. The tension is built throughout the scene of the young boy and then it is evident that this is the older man. The audience will then be left asking what relevance that scene has to the next thing that happens, which links to the proairetic code of tension being built and leaving the audience asking what will happen next.  

Propp’sTheory

This links to the Batman Begins film opening.In the film opening we can recognise some of the ‘typical characters’ in Propp’s theory. From the film opening we can recognise the hero, false hero/helper and princess. We can label the hero as the white man who has the flashback. We can recognise this man as the hero as he is seemingly innocent and seems to be the man that is the main character, so immediately the audience will believe that this main character is likely to be the hero. We can recognise the false hero/helper as the people in the prison with this hero. The viewer will presume these men are either false heroes or helpers. This is because they seem to be in the same position as the hero and therefore are likely to be people who will either help him or block him. The princess can be recognised as the young girl with the younger boy at the start of the film. This presumption can be made because the hero is recognised to be the young boy, and the girl is likely to have some role later in the film and is likely to have some significance, so she will be the presumed princess.Propp’s recognition scene theory could be applied to the film opening. This recognition scene would be in the film opening when the older man has flashbacks to his childhood and his encounter of bats. He then wakes up in a prison. The viewer will recognise this character as the hero as he seems to be the main subject of the film and is seemingly innocent and substantial to the film title because he is immediately linked with bats as a young boy.

Propp’s theory is broken into three parts. One is that there will be typical characters in a film or story that will have a certain role. Another is that in a “struggle scene”, it will be in a certain order. The last is that there is a recognition scene.

Typical Characters• Hero – seeks something• Villain – blocks hero• Donor – provides something• Dispatcher – sends hero on a quest• False hero – disrupts hero’s success• Helper – Aids hero• Princess – Hero’s rewards• Princess’ father – Rewards hero

Struggle Scene• Struggle between hero and villain • Hero is branded• Villain is overcome• State of disorder is settled• Recognition Scene• The recognition scene is the scene in a film or story in which the

audience will recognise a specific character as the labeled hero.