Textual Analysis of a Film Opening: Bridge To Terabithia
Bridge to Terabithia tells the story of Jesse Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) and Leslie Burke (Anna-Sophia Robb) and their vivid imaginations, creativity and their growing friendship as they face evils in their everyday lives, such as facing a bully or Jesse's strained relationship with his Dad. The film uses special effects and drawn animation to create a whimsical world that draws audiences in and keeps them invested.
1) Conventions
The opening of 'Bridge to Terabithia', firstly, adheres to general film conventions by including the logo animations for two production companies involved with the development at the beginning of the opening, these being Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media. The clip starts with an opening establishing shot of what we presume is our main character's house, outside of which is a truck and a small green house. From this visual information, and the size and architectural styling of the house, it can be assumed that the film is set in a Southern part of the US, due the stereotypes of the Southern states being full of 'rednecks' and farm-based living that takes up a lot of space, hence the wide open spaces shown later in the sequence and the shrubbery around the house. On this note it can also be inferred that this character lives on a farm of some sort, as a result of the gardening equipment near to the greenhouse. In the same beginning establishing shot, the camera begins to zoom inward slowly, as a man walks out of the house and gets into the truck outside. He makes no necessary action to unlock it, suggesting the house is secluded enough to feel safe or the area is relatively crime free. This man is visibly middle aged and dressed in a uniform, we presume he is going to work per the typical expectations of society, so arguably he is the father or main earner of the household; the camera does not follow him so he clearly is not the main character. The camera zooms closer to a window of the house in which a boy around the age of eleven or twelve is shown looking out of the window to see if the older man has left. The audience assumes this boy will most likely be the protagonist due to the extreme close up on his face. This character is a boy, which is typical of this genre: the main character is usually male and he will have often have a female sidekick or secondary protagonist to join him during the course of the narrative. There are several subsequent shots of this character running, further cementing him as the main character. Nearer the end of the sequence we begin to see someone's hand drawing and the pictures coming to life, which suggests that the film may be about art, creativity or imagination in some way. Throughout the sequence, there are titles displayed in the blank space of the shots, showing the names of the actors, producers and the director of the movie. These are used as an aid to the audience telling them who has worked on the film and almost advertising the crew. The font is also appropriate in that it is clear and easily readable whilst also being recognisable enough to specially associate it with this film afterwards.
2) How is tone/genre established?
The genre is established as family by introducing the main character as a pre-teen, 'tween-age' boy, which is in alignment with the demographic of the film. The music during the opening is fairly calm, nothing too eccentric or upbeat, suggesting the atmosphere of the home is somewhat settled, that the area is agreeable or that at this point in the narrative the equilibrium is intact. The opening is mostly dedicated to shots of the main character running early in the morning, which can be assumed, as previously the audience has been shown a character that is presumably the rural-working father of the protagonist leave for work, which in turn suggests that he is practicing for something physical he is strongly passionate about. In between him running, there are various hand-drawn animations of someone's hand illustrating imaginary characters or creatures from, mainly English, folklore such as Trolls and Faeries. The act of drawing imaginary or fictional characters is usually associated as a children's past time, further highlighting the genre of the movie and suggesting the artist is a child. The opening sequence comes to an end and the audience sees the boy taking off his tatty, presumably old shoes, which implies that his family is poorer side, hence the previously shown dirty equipment outside the greenhouse in which the family can grow their own produce.
3) Music/Sound
The only music and sound throughout the sequence is a soundtrack piece. It is light and makes the viewer think of wonder or the unimaginable, due to the lilting string tones and strange off beat, almost metallic, twangs. This soundtrack adheres to the enchanted nature of the movie and the characters, and by extension the world they create in Terabithia. The soundtrack builds up, gets heavier and heavier with more instruments, which could again could be symbolic of the dramatic nature of the plot. This continues for a while but drops when they begin to show you the pages in the notebook turning, which, as the drawing seems to be linked to the main character Jesse, suggests that drawing is a calming process for the protagonist.
4) Text/Font
The text and font on this opening is fitting for the genre of the film in that it appears and disappears as if it were smoke, which could arguably symbolise and foreshadow the friendship between the main characters in that it is short lived, memorable and snatched away earlier than both the audience and the characters themselves expected. The text animation could also be seen as rippling water, which could be symbolic of the river that runs around Terabithia and carries away Leslie and her boat, or the soft fading in and out of inspiration, an ongoing theme within the film. The font is very clear and easy to read, it is white which is normal for a film, it helps to contrast with the background. The text has been placed within the blank space sections of the framing, so that they are so that they do not become the focus of the scene and are not overwhelming.
5) Main Characters
The audience only 'meets' two characters within the opening sequence of the film. The first person seen can be assumed to be the father of the protagonist's family, as he appears to be leaving for work and only has seconds of screen time, suggesting he is not overly vital to the plot and is not the primary character. The next character shown is a pre-teen boy: the main character. As this character is shown almost immediately after the first character departs, it associates them, leading the viewer to, again, assume that the first character is some kind of father figure or significant presence in the household. The camera then follows the pre-teen character as he runs, apparently aimlessly, through the fields surrounding his home. He is the centre of focus for almost two minutes of screen time, further indicating that he is the main character and, as such, his actions become more significant as there can be some belief that his activities are somewhat plot-related. The fact that he is running for example infers that he is athletic, entirely able-bodied and dedicated, as he runs in and through various different places. As for his physical appearance, his clothes are mostly neutral and typical of boys' clothing, as he is wearing just a t-shirt and some shorts. HIs shoes are not seen clearly until the very end of the sequence, however, and when they are shown, it is obvious that the shoes are worn, with almost no sole on the shoe, and dirty. This leads the audience to believe that he, and his family, are not rich, though it could be argued that the shoes are hand-me-downs, as this character is later shown to have several older siblings.
6) Technical Codes
The sequence begins at a high angle, looking at a house. The shot is long, framing the house, a truck and what appears to be greenhouse, while also showing small aspects of the surrounding area. As the man walks out and gets into the truck outside of the house, the shot does not change and there are no cuts, instead extending the shot while gradually zooming in. The title of the film then materialises in the middle of the screen by using an animated effect to make it seem as if the text appeared from nowhere.
Once the truck has driven off, the camera zooms closer to the top right window of the house. Eventually, the camera is close enough to allow the audience to see and notice a young boy looking out of the window. Then there is a cut to the scene inside the window, depicting the boy watching the man leave the property. From a relatively high angle, the cautious but determined expression of the boy is clear, endearing the audience to him. The room and surroundings inside the room are incredibly dark, which leads the audience to the conclusion that the time is still around the early hours of morning.
The scene then quickly cuts to another long shot, in which the boy is leaving the house and begins to run. The main credits begin to take shape at this point, showing the names of the actors in accordance to their characters' relevance to the plot, first being Josh Hutcherson, who portrays main character Jesse Aarons. The framing of this shot could debatably be using the rule of thirds, as the protagonist is on the line of the first third and the credits are on the third third.
7) Mise-en-Scene
This film, or at least the opening, is clearly set on the family home, and possible farm, of the main character. The family appears to own a classic red farmhouse, as well as a truck and greenhouse, all of which are stereotypically associated with farms. It can also be deduced that the house, to some degree, is isolated, as there aren't any other houses visible, though there is a lot of neighbouring greenery, and the presence of the greenhouse suggests there aren't any shops nearby to buy produce from. This also implied that the family owns the surrounding fields and likely farms food from them. The outfit that the main character is wearing is overly generic and is very worn, suggesting that the family isn't particularly well-off. On top of this, his shoes are falling apart and, though they appear to have once been white, are covered in mud from all the dust and debris around the land where he runs causing them to be an unappealing grey colour. His shirt is red/orange in colour and connotes feelings of optimism, courage, creativity and warmheartedness. These are all personality traits that we later find out that this character has under the surface. His outfit could also be making reference to his creativity in terms of drawing and painting, seen later in the movie in more depth. Creative people are typically said to be more messy and scatty than more mathematical or scientific people as they have so many different ideas and inspirations going through their heads.
8) Impact on Audience
This scene somehow simultaneously intrigues and bores the audience. The introduction of the characters is at first kept vague, as the audience is not told their names and are only shown them physically, so this raises questions and begins to establish elements of enigma. However, at the same time, the drawing animation sequence is too long and begins to become uninteresting after a while, which can deter the demographic from watching the rest of the film, particularly as the audience is primarily children, who are known for having short attention spans.
Bridge to Terabithia tells the story of Jesse Aarons (Josh Hutcherson) and Leslie Burke (Anna-Sophia Robb) and their vivid imaginations, creativity and their growing friendship as they face evils in their everyday lives, such as facing a bully or Jesse's strained relationship with his Dad. The film uses special effects and drawn animation to create a whimsical world that draws audiences in and keeps them invested.
The opening of 'Bridge to Terabithia', firstly, adheres to general film conventions by including the logo animations for two production companies involved with the development at the beginning of the opening, these being Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media. The clip starts with an opening establishing shot of what we presume is our main character's house, outside of which is a truck and a small green house. From this visual information, and the size and architectural styling of the house, it can be assumed that the film is set in a Southern part of the US, due the stereotypes of the Southern states being full of 'rednecks' and farm-based living that takes up a lot of space, hence the wide open spaces shown later in the sequence and the shrubbery around the house. On this note it can also be inferred that this character lives on a farm of some sort, as a result of the gardening equipment near to the greenhouse. In the same beginning establishing shot, the camera begins to zoom inward slowly, as a man walks out of the house and gets into the truck outside. He makes no necessary action to unlock it, suggesting the house is secluded enough to feel safe or the area is relatively crime free. This man is visibly middle aged and dressed in a uniform, we presume he is going to work per the typical expectations of society, so arguably he is the father or main earner of the household; the camera does not follow him so he clearly is not the main character. The camera zooms closer to a window of the house in which a boy around the age of eleven or twelve is shown looking out of the window to see if the older man has left. The audience assumes this boy will most likely be the protagonist due to the extreme close up on his face. This character is a boy, which is typical of this genre: the main character is usually male and he will have often have a female sidekick or secondary protagonist to join him during the course of the narrative. There are several subsequent shots of this character running, further cementing him as the main character. Nearer the end of the sequence we begin to see someone's hand drawing and the pictures coming to life, which suggests that the film may be about art, creativity or imagination in some way. Throughout the sequence, there are titles displayed in the blank space of the shots, showing the names of the actors, producers and the director of the movie. These are used as an aid to the audience telling them who has worked on the film and almost advertising the crew. The font is also appropriate in that it is clear and easily readable whilst also being recognisable enough to specially associate it with this film afterwards.
2) How is tone/genre established?
The genre is established as family by introducing the main character as a pre-teen, 'tween-age' boy, which is in alignment with the demographic of the film. The music during the opening is fairly calm, nothing too eccentric or upbeat, suggesting the atmosphere of the home is somewhat settled, that the area is agreeable or that at this point in the narrative the equilibrium is intact. The opening is mostly dedicated to shots of the main character running early in the morning, which can be assumed, as previously the audience has been shown a character that is presumably the rural-working father of the protagonist leave for work, which in turn suggests that he is practicing for something physical he is strongly passionate about. In between him running, there are various hand-drawn animations of someone's hand illustrating imaginary characters or creatures from, mainly English, folklore such as Trolls and Faeries. The act of drawing imaginary or fictional characters is usually associated as a children's past time, further highlighting the genre of the movie and suggesting the artist is a child. The opening sequence comes to an end and the audience sees the boy taking off his tatty, presumably old shoes, which implies that his family is poorer side, hence the previously shown dirty equipment outside the greenhouse in which the family can grow their own produce.
3) Music/Sound
The only music and sound throughout the sequence is a soundtrack piece. It is light and makes the viewer think of wonder or the unimaginable, due to the lilting string tones and strange off beat, almost metallic, twangs. This soundtrack adheres to the enchanted nature of the movie and the characters, and by extension the world they create in Terabithia. The soundtrack builds up, gets heavier and heavier with more instruments, which could again could be symbolic of the dramatic nature of the plot. This continues for a while but drops when they begin to show you the pages in the notebook turning, which, as the drawing seems to be linked to the main character Jesse, suggests that drawing is a calming process for the protagonist.
4) Text/Font
The text and font on this opening is fitting for the genre of the film in that it appears and disappears as if it were smoke, which could arguably symbolise and foreshadow the friendship between the main characters in that it is short lived, memorable and snatched away earlier than both the audience and the characters themselves expected. The text animation could also be seen as rippling water, which could be symbolic of the river that runs around Terabithia and carries away Leslie and her boat, or the soft fading in and out of inspiration, an ongoing theme within the film. The font is very clear and easy to read, it is white which is normal for a film, it helps to contrast with the background. The text has been placed within the blank space sections of the framing, so that they are so that they do not become the focus of the scene and are not overwhelming.
5) Main Characters
The audience only 'meets' two characters within the opening sequence of the film. The first person seen can be assumed to be the father of the protagonist's family, as he appears to be leaving for work and only has seconds of screen time, suggesting he is not overly vital to the plot and is not the primary character. The next character shown is a pre-teen boy: the main character. As this character is shown almost immediately after the first character departs, it associates them, leading the viewer to, again, assume that the first character is some kind of father figure or significant presence in the household. The camera then follows the pre-teen character as he runs, apparently aimlessly, through the fields surrounding his home. He is the centre of focus for almost two minutes of screen time, further indicating that he is the main character and, as such, his actions become more significant as there can be some belief that his activities are somewhat plot-related. The fact that he is running for example infers that he is athletic, entirely able-bodied and dedicated, as he runs in and through various different places. As for his physical appearance, his clothes are mostly neutral and typical of boys' clothing, as he is wearing just a t-shirt and some shorts. HIs shoes are not seen clearly until the very end of the sequence, however, and when they are shown, it is obvious that the shoes are worn, with almost no sole on the shoe, and dirty. This leads the audience to believe that he, and his family, are not rich, though it could be argued that the shoes are hand-me-downs, as this character is later shown to have several older siblings.
6) Technical Codes
The sequence begins at a high angle, looking at a house. The shot is long, framing the house, a truck and what appears to be greenhouse, while also showing small aspects of the surrounding area. As the man walks out and gets into the truck outside of the house, the shot does not change and there are no cuts, instead extending the shot while gradually zooming in. The title of the film then materialises in the middle of the screen by using an animated effect to make it seem as if the text appeared from nowhere.
Once the truck has driven off, the camera zooms closer to the top right window of the house. Eventually, the camera is close enough to allow the audience to see and notice a young boy looking out of the window. Then there is a cut to the scene inside the window, depicting the boy watching the man leave the property. From a relatively high angle, the cautious but determined expression of the boy is clear, endearing the audience to him. The room and surroundings inside the room are incredibly dark, which leads the audience to the conclusion that the time is still around the early hours of morning.
The scene then quickly cuts to another long shot, in which the boy is leaving the house and begins to run. The main credits begin to take shape at this point, showing the names of the actors in accordance to their characters' relevance to the plot, first being Josh Hutcherson, who portrays main character Jesse Aarons. The framing of this shot could debatably be using the rule of thirds, as the protagonist is on the line of the first third and the credits are on the third third.
7) Mise-en-Scene
This film, or at least the opening, is clearly set on the family home, and possible farm, of the main character. The family appears to own a classic red farmhouse, as well as a truck and greenhouse, all of which are stereotypically associated with farms. It can also be deduced that the house, to some degree, is isolated, as there aren't any other houses visible, though there is a lot of neighbouring greenery, and the presence of the greenhouse suggests there aren't any shops nearby to buy produce from. This also implied that the family owns the surrounding fields and likely farms food from them. The outfit that the main character is wearing is overly generic and is very worn, suggesting that the family isn't particularly well-off. On top of this, his shoes are falling apart and, though they appear to have once been white, are covered in mud from all the dust and debris around the land where he runs causing them to be an unappealing grey colour. His shirt is red/orange in colour and connotes feelings of optimism, courage, creativity and warmheartedness. These are all personality traits that we later find out that this character has under the surface. His outfit could also be making reference to his creativity in terms of drawing and painting, seen later in the movie in more depth. Creative people are typically said to be more messy and scatty than more mathematical or scientific people as they have so many different ideas and inspirations going through their heads.
8) Impact on Audience
This scene somehow simultaneously intrigues and bores the audience. The introduction of the characters is at first kept vague, as the audience is not told their names and are only shown them physically, so this raises questions and begins to establish elements of enigma. However, at the same time, the drawing animation sequence is too long and begins to become uninteresting after a while, which can deter the demographic from watching the rest of the film, particularly as the audience is primarily children, who are known for having short attention spans.
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