Wolverine textual analysis
- 1. Moving Image Textual Analysis X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
- 2. 1. Mid Shot of Logan. He is shown as distressed and is defending himself from his half-brother (Victor). The lighting is dim which creates a tense atmosphere and the setting is a forest which links with the animal like nature of the characters Wolverine and Sabretooth. Logan is shown to be distressed which is reflected in the quick pan of the camera and his quick jerky movements to defend himself. 2. Close Up of Victor’s face. He is shown to be angry, but not directly at Logan. The lighting is also dim (as with the rest of the scene) to show the conversation as tense. The editing from the first shot is quick to show the quick pace of the conversation. Victor is shown on the left side of the screen to show authority and dominance over his younger brother.
- 3. 4.Close up- Victor explains he thinks Logan did the right thing which eases the tension slightly. The lighting is still dim which could suggest that the outer world is a threat and that they aren’t safe wherever they go- they have to keep running. 3.Mid Shot- Logan is shown as vulnerable and ready to ward his brother off as he knows Victor blames him for killing their father. Logan is in the centre of the screen- so he’s shown as strong, but only because of an adrenaline rush.
- 4. 5.Mid shot- Logan is relieved as Victor doesn’t blame him and his body language is less tense. Facially he is still shown as scared, but there’s a resilience that wasn’t there before. He knows that he will have to rely on Victor as they are brothers and this is shown by the closer shot of Logan as it is representative of his new closeness to Victor. 6. Close Up- Victor is shown to be more out of breath and reaches out to put his hands on Logan’s shoulders. The movement towards the camera could be seen as intimidating, however it isn’t as he is only touching Logan’s shoulders which suggests that Victor as a character is misunderstood and there is more to him than meets the eye.
- 5. 7.Mid Shot- Logan still has his guard up, but he’s accepting this help from this new brotherly figure who he doesn’t seem to trust that much, though they are now aware of their relation. 8. Close Up- “We’re brothers, Jimmy”, this shot shows that, despite Victor’s gruff and intimidating nature, he genuinely cares for Logan and wishes to protect him. The background being out of focus adds to the idea that Victor is the only one Logan can rely on-that the world isn’t safe.
- 6. 9. Close Up- “You realise that”, the emotional delivery of the line shows the brotherly bond will be a key theme of the film, and that Logan realising this will be significant to the plot. The expression on Logan’s face is that of sudden understanding but exhaustion is still present. 10. Close Up- “brothers protect each other”, the colouration of this scene is very cold, which reflects the cold and gritty plot to the film and to possibly foreshadow dark events in the future.
- 7. 11. Close Up- Logan’s face is still comprehending this new bond and his costume is red which has connotations of blood and violence which connects to his violent tendencies when he’s extremely angry. 12. Close Up- “We have to be hard now”, this line implies that they will go through many events which will cause trauma but will keep moving on, and his facial expression is that of trying to teach Logan how to be tough- he needs to prepare Logan for anything the world throws at him.
- 8. 13. Close Up- “I wanna go home”, this line is deeply associated with children which shows that though Logan is shown as tough and powerful, he still just wants to go home. “We can’t”, said off screen by Victor, shows that he has to push himself out of his comfort zone and supress these emotions which make him vulnerable. 14. Close Up- “We stick together no matter what.” confirms to the audience Victor’s determination to keep Logan safe, and set up the bond which is prominent throughout the plot. The pain in his voice shows that Logan genuinely means something to him, which is a contrast to the “we have to be hard now” comment saying that they can’t be vulnerable.
- 9. 15. Close Up- “Take care of anyone who gets in our way.”- this line sets up the attitudes Wolverine/Logan has towards his enemies later on, the mercilessness and vicious fighting style which are associated deeply with the character are rooted to this point. 16. Close Up- “Can you do that, little brother?”, this line then reminds the viewer that this is still to do with family, a human bond, despite the mutations and action- family is more important in this universe which in my opinion makes the film more realistic. In these close up shots of Victor, the rule of thirds is used and he is placed on the left side of the screen to show his power.
- 10. 17. Close Up- Logan’s nodding is quick and shows the audience that he is scared, despite putting on a brave face and it shows that his character is versatile and willing to change. 18. Close Up- This shot is Victor accepting this and taking Logan under his wing as a brother and a protector.
- 11. 19. Over Shoulder Shot- Action off screen alerts the characters and creates tension again as there is a danger in the forest which is behind Victor. This induces a brief fear in the viewer that the characters would be caught by whatever it is. The pace of the editing increases, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and assuming danger to the audience. 20. The danger is men looking for them, and the lighting suggests that these men are a danger- and the open shot (though usually positive) shows the world as a dangerous place full of enemies and pain. The colours are mostly dark and the only bright colours are that of the lanterns. This orange colour usually has connotations of safety, but this is turned around as we as an audience know that these are Logan’s enemies.
- 12. 21. Over Shoulder Shot- “Can you run?”, Logan is shown as broken but determined to carry on, his hair is ruffled which suggests he has a wild personality- though this is juxtaposed with his vulnerable body language and facial expressions of fear and sadness. 22. Long Shot- The previous shot panned into a long shot showing the two protagonists running into the darkness. The title is promoting the production company provider (Twentieth Century Fox) and the music adds to the already tense atmosphere created by the low lighting and dialogue.
- 13. 23.Extreme Long Shot- shows the forest the characters are running through as long and mysterious. The colours used are dark and associated with monsters hiding between the trees, but the danger behind them is men. “In association with Marvel Entertainment” is another production company involved in funding and creating the film. 24.Long Shot- The closer shot is used to create more tension as it’s like the camera is also following them- intensifying the theme of isolation from mankind and seeking somewhere to be free as a mutant. “Dune Entertainment” is used to show the company’s involvement with the film. The typeface of the title is like a stencil which is associated with criminality- contrasted with the colour white which often has connotations of purity and good will.
- 14. 25.Mid Shot- Shows Victor looking back as they are running which is a piece of Body language which increases the tension as it shows that he is uncertain if he will outrun the men looking for them. Logan is shown to be less scared than he was but shows more reliance on Victor as he holds his hand to keep up with Victor’s running pace. The slow motion used in this shot emphasises the desperation to get away on their facial expressions. 26.Mid Shot- “Donners’ Company” and “Reed” were also involved in the production process. The two characters ease slightly in body language- implying that they’re used to the running pace, which is relevant as they get very used to running as the montage ahead shows.
- 15. 28. Mid Shot- The camera is panning away from the shot which creates the illusion that it’s a moment where time has stopped. The colouration is more yellow and the main actor “Hugh Jackman” is titled. 27. Mid Shot- Shows an older Logan and Victor charging in what looks like a battle field at an assumed enemy. Victor is very sturdy in body language and grits his teeth as he runs- not making a sound whereas Logan shouts as he runs and doesn’t look like he’s enjoying the war as much as Victor. The transition between the previous shot and this was smooth and clever as it shows that they haven’t changed in around 20 years without needing any specific details other than the fact that they’re on the run.
- 16. 29. Mid Shot- This shot is brief and shows the enemy charging at them. More of the battle field is shown as we can see a red flag and a group of soldiers charging alongside the enemy. The colour grey in the uniform could be interpreted as showing that he is a generic enemy who has no morals or personality- the shouting shows he is an aggressive opponent. The fact that he’s wearing the hat shows his as mysterious as his face is barely seen, his eyes covered slightly by shade. 30. Mid Shot- Logan and Victor continuing to charge- only they’re near the centre of the screen, showing that they are quickly about to reach their enemies to confront them in battle. Victor’s costume is shown to be similar to Wolverine’s (classic, 1800’s soldiers uniform) which shows they’re in the army together.
- 17. 31. Mid Shot- panning camera with a match on action in terms of the charge. Logan runs and hits the enemy with his gun, presumably killing him. The American flag is seen in the background, implying he is fighting in the American army- perhaps in a civil war. The editing is fast paced to match the intensity of the battle and colours used are fairly light, paired with the high key lighting implies that the battle isn’t that intense or significant to the plot. 32. Extreme Long Shot- the war is seen in more detail, soldiers are running from the right to the left side of the screen, implying they aren’t the ones in power (the left side characters are dominant). Explosions are happening everywhere in foreground and background illustrating the danger of this battle. The lighting isn’t that light which shows the viewer that the battle wasn’t significant, but it will stay with Wolverine in memory, and will affect how he acts in the future.
- 18. 33. Mid Shot- a brief shot of Wolverine running towards the camera. He is carrying a gun and his blue uniform implies the time period is around the late 1800’s. His hair cut and beard both add to this animal like look as the long hair could have connotations to some of a lion’s mane or the fur of a bear- showing the ferociousness of the character. 34. Long shot- an action shot of a mine exploding and a bodies flying through the air. This shows the danger ahead of Logan and makes the audience fear slightly for his safety. This fear is helped by the extremely sharp editing which reflects the split second decisions made in a battlefield.
- 19. 35. Mid Shot- Wolverine continuing to run towards the camera, showing that despite the danger- he is going to keep on going. The mist in the background could have connotations of mystery which could be linked to Logan as he is a mysterious character. As this is a origin movie, we are finding out part of this mystery , but some pieces may be omitted- as years are skipped to keep the pace of the movie smooth. 36. Mid Shot- We see Victor trying to get through the bustling crowd of his comrades. His facial expression is that of aggression, but his body language is eager to fight.
- 20. 37. Mid Shot- The frame pauses and “Liev Schreiber”- the actor who plays Victor appears on the screen. The frame and title are moving in opposite directions towards and away from the viewer, creating the illusion of depth. 38. Mid Shot- Victor’s movements resume.
- 21. 39. Mid Shot- the camera follows Logan through some high grass, he is running towards an enemy. 40. Cut Away/Medium Shot- a cut away to a cannon being fired at Logan (it is presumed). The editing is fast which represents how fast the cannon is and the little time Logan had to react to this.
- 22. 41. Mid Shot- Logan being hit by the cannonball. He convulses slightly in pain and looks like he is about to fall, dead from the fatal wound. 42. Close Up- This shot is close up to show Victor’s fear that Logan has been fatally injured. His facial expression is that of nervous expectation that Logan will resume fighting as the alternative is that his brother has been killed. The background to this shot is fairly empty, drawing all attention from the viewer on Victor.
- 23. 43. Mid Shot- This shot is a match on action of shot 41, and shows Logan shaking the cannon ball off and continuing his charge at the enemy. His facial expression is rage at this injury, but he briefly looks down to see it’s healed- implying he doesn’t know much about his healing abilities. 44. Cut away/mid shot- This shot is used as a transition. The sound of the cannon fires (the sound itself, fairly loud- but the music overpowers it) and the camera follows the cannonball until it hits Logan. Logan is propelled backwards which matches the action of the next shot.
- 24. 45. Mid Shot- Shows Logan fighting in a different war as his uniform has changed to a different style associated with another war era. His facial expression is that of irritation and slight distress at his injury- and his body language is still tense, suggesting he has been fighting for a long time. The murky colours shown often have connotations of old military (world war one), the trenches and conflict. 46. Extreme Long Shot- a plane flies towards a point behind the camera (which the camera follows), shooting at something. The camera pans to match it’s movement.
- 25. 47. Extreme Long Shot- The camera pans to see the plane crash into a tower, the explosion sound effect isn’t emphasised and the explosion acts as a flash transition to the next shot. 48. Extreme Long Shot- the soldiers are seen walking slowly through the marshes which has connotations, to me, of slavery as they seem to be in chains and this is relevant to the story line as mutants aren’t free to have a normal life.
- 26. 49. Long Shot- this shot shows an attack on the soldiers and “Danny Huston”. Another actor in the film. 50. Long shot- the dead body in the foreground may be reflecting the theme of death in the film- and Logan is running behind the body. The shot is low key but has high key outbursts to show the gun fire and bombs.
- 27. 51. Mid Shot- “Will.I.Am”, cast member. 52. Cut Away- a plane flying away from the camera, indicating victory on Logan’s side.
- 28. 53. Long Shot- the soldier has been shot and collapses, the death is quick and unmeaningful. 54. Mid Shot- Logan is shooting at the opposition.
- 29. 55. Long Shot- the opposition Logan was shooting at fall to the ground dramatically (dead). 56. Extreme Long Shot- among the chaos, Logan and Victor jump into the trenches as explosions go off everywhere. The lighting is more high key despite the gritty tense atmosphere suggesting normality in war for the characters.
- 30. 57. Mid Shot- The setting of this shot is in a trench, and it’s primarily an action shot of Victor throwing a soldier off a wall. The action is quick and with the editing suggests a vicious nature to Victor’s fighting style. 58. Mid Shot- The scene before pauses and shows another cast member “Lynn Collins” on the screen.
- 31. 59. Mid Shot- the match on action is complete and Victor slams the soldier into the wall. The music playing in the background is fairly upbeat which suggests a light nature to the film despite the images of war and death. 60. Mid Shot- This shot is edited quickly from the last shot to imply desperation of some sort. Logan is running towards somewhere while Victor takes out one of the guards. This sequence itself foreshadows a similar sequence near the end of the film. The focus on Logan makes the lighting seem more high key on him, whereas Victor in the background is low key- this could imply that Victor is the darker character.
- 32. 61. Long Shot- This shot is of Victor jumping to attack a soldier. His body language is very animalistic and the jump itself could be seen as a type of pounce. The lighting of this scene compared to the previous is lighter, which could be implying that Logan and Victor are comfortable in war. 62. Long Shot- a match on action of the jump showing Victor kicking the enemy. The movement is quick an d suggests great power and the music’s beat adds to the fight almost like the war is a dance that the two mutants are in time with,
- 33. 63. Mid Shot- the shot pauses before Victor strikes with his claws to show another cast title (“Kevin Durand”). The positioning of Victor on the left and the saturated lighting suggest that Victor is the one in power. 64. Mid Shot- Match on action, the shot resumes and Victor’s swinging arm is seen in slow motion which seems to increase the weight of it- implying great power he is wielding. The contrast of the dark silhouette and the light background suggests a dark character in a world full of light, the dark colour has connotations of evil , deceit and mystery.
- 34. 65. Long Shot- The match on action continues, but the time isn’t slowed down and Victor strikes the soldier, presumably killing him. The explosion in the background shows the danger in this setting to the audience and makes them wonder if the two brothers will survive this seemingly endless war. 66. Mid Shot- The facial expression of Victor is very animalistic, he is baring his fangs like a tiger as he wards the enemies off. The costume is brown in colour which could have connotations of camouflage and war, perhaps also of impurity as the mutants are seen as impure in this film.
- 35. 67, Mid Shot- The enemies are punched away towards the viewer revealing Logan who then says to Victor “Back to Back”. This phrase is said quickly and this with the fast editing pace makes the war believable to the audience. 68. Mid Shot- This shot shows Logan, gruff in expression, throwing a rifle over his head to Victor behind him. This action is quick and shows that they know each other well enough to co ordinate their movements on the battlefield. It also shows Logan’s body movements as inhumanly quick, emphasising his gifts of agility.
- 36. 69. Mid Shot- Match on action with the previous shot. Extremely quick movement of Victor catching the gun and hitting the soldier with it. 70. Mid Shot- a snappy cut to Logan as he also attacks an enemy. He is seemingly giving this fight his full effort as his facial expression suggests weariness.
- 37. 71. Mid Shot- The previous quick shot is juxtaposed with this paused title shot (“Dominic Monoghan”), again creating the image of a moment in time paused and it’s use of depth creates the illusion of three dimensions to the audience. 72. Mid Shot- The sequence cuts to Victor again and as he’s shot he lashes out like an animal, again showing how animalistic his mutation makes him act. The slow motion of his lashing out in pain emphasises this, and the Over the Shoulder style shot element (the gun coming from off screen) makes the audience detach slightly from Victor’s character to show how different from Logan he is.
- 38. 73. Close Up- This is to record Logan’s facial expression as he reacts to Victor being shot, and the war around him in general. He seems to genuinely not want to be there which establishes a difference to the audience between Victor and Logan- one likes war, and the other only does what is necessary. This idea is seen later on in the title sequence. 74. Extreme Close Up- The previous shot zooms into Logan’s eyes and then zooms back out to smoothly transition between the two wars. The fact that he looks no older also shows the fact that he doesn’t age quickly-which would be a curiosity to the audience. He looks around briefly in this shot to something behind him.
- 39. 75. Close Up- This then reveals that the object behind him is a man looking at him with fear or curiosity. The lighting is tinted grey slightly, which is associated with plainness- suggesting these wars are meaningless. 76. Close Up- The frame then pauses and shows another cast member, “Taylor Kitsch”.
- 40. 77. Mid Shot- this shot reveals that Logan is with a group of soldiers. He puts a cigar in his mouth and loads the gun casually-this body language and neutral (yet with a hint of aggression) facial expression show that this is normal for Logan now. 78. Mid Shot/POV shot- This shot shows the backs of the soldiers- so we see what the soldiers see as the wall of the truck is lowered and they run into battle. The uncertainty and danger of the situation makes the audience sympathise with these soldiers- but we know that Logan and Victor can’t die so we begin to be comfortable with their mutations.
- 41. 79. Mid Shot- We see the wall lowering from outside which shows the soldier’s facial expressions and this is only seen briefly which again emphasises the pace of war through sharp, fast editing. 80. Mid Shot- This shot is brief and shows two soldiers firing a gun at the truck soldiers. The lighting is high key but only because of the gun fire, which suggests that war is a positive thing for Logan and Victor as it’s where they are comfortable. The costumes are again, brown or grey in colour which are associated with war camouflage to some.
- 42. 81.Mid Shot- This shot shows several soldiers falling down (dead) and Logan running in the centre of the screen, showing his importance over the men around him. The shot is quick, perhaps to show the quickness of death which Logan can never have. 82. Long Shot- This shot shows the soldiers running towards their target, The shot is open, which shows their freedom of movement despite the restrictions war places upon those involved. It’s Low angle, suggesting these soldiers are fighting for a good cause.
- 43. 83. Long Shot- a match on action of the soldiers running. 84. Long Shot- This shot shows the soldiers running towards their target, A soldier is shot in the foreground and falls into the water.
- 44. 85. Close Up- Shows Logan’s face as a silhouette to perhaps show that his identity is a mystery to his comrades and that he hides in society to avoid being exploited for his abilities. The mist often has connotations of mystery which links with this idea. 86. Long Shot- The shaky camera movement implies instability in the battlefield and the audience knows that no one is safe- not even the person holding the camera which makes the audience feel uneasy in watching this scene slightly. The background to the shot isn’t seen which implies that they are running into the unknown.
- 45. 87. Long Shot- Shows a soldier being blown up and propelled forward violently. This shows the mercilessness of war and sets up Logan’s feelings on being a soldier, and Victor’s enthusiasm for war. 88. Long Shot- the falling pauses to show another title of a cast member, “Daniel Henney”. The title frame movement makes the image of the soldier falling more vivid as we can see the dirt moving in different directions in slow motion.
- 46. 89. Long Shot- The match on action connects this and the previous shot, showing the soldier hit the ground. 90. Extreme Long Shot- This shot is of Logan and Victor running towards the turret tower. The background of the shot shows the battle happening with explosions everywhere which keeps the danger prominent in the scene for the audience.
- 47. 91. Mid Shot- We see the soldiers in the turret shooting at Logan and Victor. The turret is made of stone, which is a material often associated with hardness and grittiness. 92. Long Shot- Shows Victor running on all fours (animal like body language) to attack the turret shooting at them. The background shows another soldier (Logan, presumably) running another way.
- 48. 93. Long Shot- the shot pauses as Victor is in mid air to show the title of another cast member, “Ryan Reynolds”, and the colouration is changed to detach this moment from the scene, making the pose relevant. 94. Long Shot- match on action of the running on all fours, and Victor reaches for the soldiers in the tower.
- 49. 95. Long Shot- The match on action connects this shot with the previous, and Victor pulls the soldier out of the turret tower. This action is quick and merciless- again reinforcing this idea that Victor isn’t as noble as Logan when it comes to using his abilities. 96. Long Shot- The US casting and Australian casting directors (“Debra Zane” and “Christine King”) are both listed. The action shot has been paused for maximum effect on the violent action.
- 50. 97. Mid Shot- Victor pulls the soldier towards him using the soldier’s gun. The soldier’s facial expression is that of intense hatred at Victor 98. Mid Shot- The shot is continued with a match on action. Victor punches the soldier he grabbed quickly and sharply. The edit is quick to show Victor’s quick fighting pace.
- 51. 99. Mid Shot- The sequence cuts to Logan who has just defeated the enemy and looks at Victor as he takes out the turret. His facial expression is that of annoyance at Victor who is killing without noble reason. 100. Mid Shot- This shot shows Victor taking the war personally as he takes the gun and shoots the fleeing soldiers. His facial expression is a grimace, but he looks almost happy in killing these men and his body language is military-like (rigid and tough). The lack of background object draws all attention to Victor.
- 52. 101. Mid Shot- This shot shows Victor shooting the fleeing men in slow motion to emphasise the needless action, and the music at this point takes a more menacing tone to show the audience that Victor is changing into a more violent person because of war. 102. Close Up- Logan is seen looking exhausted at battle, but his facial expression suggests he doesn’t approve of Victor’s blood lust and that you should only kill if absolutely necessary. The grey tint is still prominent, which shows that his past is grey and full of meaningless violence which is seen in this sequence.
- 53. 103. Close Up- His look at Victor is paused, perhaps making this point significant to their relationship- a turning point in which Logan sees Victor’s true nature. The title of the costume designer is shown as well (“Louise Mingenbach”), which suggests that costumes are important in this film. 104. Mid Shot- This shot draws attention to Victor’s face, which shows him happy in killing these men. The shot looks slightly slowed down, and the effect of this would be emphasising his gleeful facial expression even further.
- 54. 105. Over Shoulder Shot- This shot shows the man trying to flee as Victor shoots at him. The shot is definitely slowed down which makes the man seem helpless faced with this man with a blood lust. The transition to the next shot is quick and shows Victor shooting at some villages in what could be South America from a helicopter. The transition is quick to show the audience nothing has changed since this point. 106. Mid Shot- the camera pans around from the previous shot transition to show Victor shooting people from a helicopter and enjoying it. Logan grabs him saying “That’s enough” roughly and with anger- but Victor recoils, perhaps showing a separation of the bond we saw at the start.
- 55. 107. Mid Shot- The shot is paused to show the title of the music creator/composer- “Harry Gregson-Williams”- which shows that music is important in the film and worth crediting. The music in the opening is good as it sounds like a cliché superhero melody but it has elements of dark tones which reflect the film’s dark moments despite the superhero genre. 108. Long Shot- the camera pans around outside the helicopter to show Logan trying to turn it around to stop Victor from shooting everyone. The colour of this scene is less grey and hazy, implying it happened in recent memory as this sequence is basically summarising Logan’s life and involvement in these wars.
- 56. 109. Extreme Long Shot- This shot shows the turning around movement of the helicopter in the foreground and mountains in the background, setting the scene somewhere remote in this world. 110. Long Shot- The previous shot transitioned into this with the movement of the helicopter’s tail, which creates a fluid movement. This fluid movement makes this part of the story seem more memorable than the other scenes (sharp cuts) which implies something significant is about to happen. The setting is presumably the outskirts of a village and we can see soldiers arresting people as the camera pans around to reveal some straw houses.
- 57. 111. Mid Shot- The next scene is sharply introduced with a quick cut and the image of Victor carrying a screaming woman into the room. She is terrified (looking at her facial expressions, that of dread) and he is unremorseful about what he is about to do. The background is slightly hazy to draw attention to what is going on in the foreground. 112. Mid Shot- The Special Make up effects designers (“Alec Gillis” and “Tom Woodruff”) are credited as the scene is paused and zoomed out on. The music has a menacing tone to it, heavily implying Victor is about to do something horrible to this woman.
- 58. 113. Mid Shot- The woman is thrown onto the bed and is screaming. Her body language is shown as slightly paralysed by fear but her facial expression is that of great terror. Her position on the bed heavily implies Victor is about to rape her, which is the implied reason why she’s shown as terrified. 114. Close Up- Victor is looking at the woman who is off screen with a look of longing on his face, further implying he intended to rape her. He is tanned, which has connotations of working in tropical conditions so he may be on a special military forces mission. His vest makes his muscles visible which is often associated with masculinity, which adds to his on screen dominance as the rule of thirds is used in this shot- and he’s centred on the screen to show his power over her. The shot is also low angled to show this.
- 59. 115. Mid Shot-The shot is paused as Victor strikes the soldier for stopping him raping the woman. The sudden stop in the action highlights this moment as significant, and the Visual Effects Supervisor is credited here (“Partick McClung”) implying the film has many visual effects in it. 116. Mid Shot- A sudden understanding is shown on Logan’s face, he’s realised what Victor’s done and the pace quickens as he runs to defend his brother. The lighting is more high key here to show that Logan is a less tense character, and has better morals than Victor.
- 60. 117. Mid Shot- This is a match on action of the previous shot (Logan running towards Victor) and the slight distance change away from Logan increases the urgency as it seems like he’s further away from getting to Victor than he thought. 118. Mid Shot- The running is paused to credit the Co-Producers (“Louis G. Friedman” and “Peter Macdonald”).
- 61. 119. Mid Shot- The music takes an even more menacing tone as Logan shouts “Victor”. He is concerned, but the look on his face suggests that something like this may have happened before. The background setting uses yellows and browns which could be seen as traditional colours, reflecting the two immortal characters and their lack of attachment to society. 120. Long Shot- Victor about to attack the soldier running at him. This is quick to show the quick response of the nearby soldier at Victor’s outburst.
- 62. 121. Long Shot- Match on action continues the previous shot to show Victor striking the soldier down viciously. Logan is seen in the middle of them, like he is interceding but he’s too late to stop Victor. 122. Long Shot- The frame pauses on impact and credits the film editors (“Nicolas de Toth” and “Megan Gill”) while another soldier is revealed running towards Victor on the right side of the screen.
- 63. 123. Mid Shot- Logan pushes the soldier aside to save his brother. His annoyance at Victor’s outburst is overshadowed by his sudden rage at the soldier he is pushing aside. His uniform is brown and has no sleeves, which has connotations of toughness- adding to his military persona shown in this sequence. 124. Mid Shot- The slow motion running of this soldier is dramatic as we know that Victor is going to kill him (as he is far more powerful, is placed on the left side of the screen to subconsciously suggest this). The slow motion shout of the soldier shows that the people who Victor and Logan have demonised from childhood also have honour and emotions comparable to their own.
- 64. 125. Over Shoulder Shot- the match on action connects the swinging motion of Victor’s arm to imply the soldier has just been stabbed. The sound effect used is sharp and has an echo which sounds not out of place from a horror film- which marks this as a turning point, a brutal murder of one of his comrades. 126. Over Shoulder Shot- to further emphasise the vicious facial expression of Victor (though we only see half his face, it is seen as full of hate). The Production Designer (“Barry Robison”) is credited at this point.
- 65. 127. Close Up- Logan seeing what Victor has done and shouting “No!”, further divides the characters’ personalities. The fact he is running towards him still, however, shows he still has the determination to protect his older brother. 128. Close Up- Victor is looking at the body and his body language is still in a defensive stance. He moves like he’s taking out his claws from the man’s chest and grimaces like he regrets the action- as he knows the repercussions.
- 66. 129. Mid Shot- This doubt is gone as Victor returns to his animalistic snarl and lets the man drop. The lighting is a lot more High key despite the darkness of this scene- which shows that this film will take a realistic view on violence and normalise it slightly. 130. Mid Shot- Before the soldier drops to the ground, the shot is paused and the Director of Photography (“Donald M. McAlpine”) is credited.
- 67. 131. Mid Shot- the music beat picks up as the soldier’s body quickly drops to the ground- Victor is shown as an animal, like a tiger looking over his prey. 132. Long Shot- This shot pans around the soldiers circling Logan and Victor. They are seen as a threat as they are raising their guns at the camera (so this could be a Point of View shot). The use of this shot separates the humans from the mutants and suggests a hatred of the other species, or a fear of mutants.
- 68. 133. Mid Shot- This shot is of Logan gritting his teeth and baring his claws. He looks more animalistic than usual with his claws out, showing a similarity to Victor. 134. Long Shot- This shot of the soldiers walking towards them in arms adds to the danger and shows the audience that Logan and Victor are in trouble as they’ve exposed their gifts to the humans. The costume design may differ slightly to have the soldiers wearing hats to show a separation between the protagonists and the humans, even in how they look.
- 69. 135. Mid Shot- this shot shows Victor poised like a tiger ready to pounce. He is stood in an attack position and bares his teeth like a big cat would when threatened. Behind him we can see Logan and two soldiers which confirms they are surrounded. 136. Mid Shot- as Victor bares his fangs, the shot is paused for effect and to credit the Executive Producer (“Stan Lee”).
- 70. 137. Over Shoulder Shot- This shot shows the protagonists as surrounded and the positioning of the men in front of the camera separates the audience from the characters, much like the separation of mutants and humans in the film. 138. Mid Shot- Like the previous shot, this shot is panning around the circle- but from the inside, showing what Victor and Logan can see. The soldiers have expressions of fear, hatred and curiosity as they hold their position around the mutants.
- 71. 139. Long Shot- This shot is like the “back to back” formation from earlier on, perhaps to suggest to the audience that some things will never change. The positioning of the two mutants looks threatening and much like the comic source material poses as the characters seem well played in terms of body language. 140. Long Shot- The pose is paused to credit the executive producer (“Richard Donner”) and I think it’s paused because it’s a key moment in Logan’s life, the turn around which made him leave military service, perhaps.
- 72. 141. Mid Shot- Logan is seen as less aggressive as he’s accepting his fate. His facial expression is that of vague irritation at Victor and realisation that this was predictable of Victor’s character. 142. Mid Shot- The shot is paused to credit the Producers (“Lauren Schuler Donner”, “Ralph Winter”, “Hugh Jackman” and “John Palermo”) which could suggest this is a film project with a lot of consideration as this many producers and executive producers credited shows that it’s a film product that’s been written and filmed to a sharp level of detail.
- 73. 143. Mid Shot- The camera pans down to see Logan and Victor in front of a firing squad. The lighting is High Key and we can see buildings in the background so they’re presumably back home. 144. Close Up- Victor looking at the squad and remarking snidely “wake me when it’s over.” Logan looks around and is seemingly surprised at Victor’s lack of remorse or caring about being shot by a firing squad.
- 74. 145. Close Up- The focus of this shot is on Logan and the frame is paused to emphasise his look of mild hatred at Victor. The Screenplay writers are credited here (“David Benioff” and “Skip Woods”). The warm colours used in this part of the sequence usually have positive connotations of summer and happiness, however this is contrasted with the reality of the impending firing squad. 146. Mid Shot- Logan is zoomed into by the camera and looks at the firing squad behind it. His facial expression and calm body language imply he isn’t scared of the squad, but anticipating the pain nonetheless. The brick wall behind him has connotations of toughness, which Logan aspired to become at the start of the sequence.
- 75. 147. Mid Shot- shows Logan in the expecting stance but paused to credit the Director, “Gavin Hood”. The placement at the near centre of the screen shows his importance as the main protagonist, emphasised by the crediting of the director simultaneously. We hear the shout “Fire!” from off screen which breaks through the tension. 148. Mid Shot- we see a glimpse of Victor screaming at the squad, teeth bared, as the order to fire has been carried out.
- 76. 149. Close Up- The focus on the gun shows it as important as it’s about to shoot Logan and Victor- though only Victor’s reaction is seen, implying that he’s the only guilty one. 150. Close Up- This close up is flashed just as he’s about to be shot, showing the final fight he has in his eyes and begging the question (looking at his desperate body language): Will he survive this execution?
- 77. 151. Close Up- The man holding the gun fires and the shot only lasts for a split second, showing the quickness of this type of death. The flash could be startling to some viewers as it’s a bright burst of light and loud noise which breaks through the music which has been consistent through most of the title sequence. 152. Title Card- The title card looks like the typeface of a military tag, and has a metallic look to it- like the silver of Wolverine’s claws. This silver colour has connotations of strength which Wolverine gains later on in the film.
- 78. Conclusion • Looking back at the analysis I think I will use the pause frames in my product at key points to credit people involved in the project and to emphasise certain moments in the opening sequence. • The use of Close Ups to show the characters’ emotional states are effective and for this reason I will also try to add a few shots in to my product to make it feel more human. • The Title card is relevant to the film’s themes with the military style typeface so I will make my Title card relevant to my film’s suggested themes. • Finally I will consider using different lighting to show the mood at each point of the sequence, and possibly consider using a montage of moments like this film as it covers a backstory efficiently and with a fast pace needed for a Thriller/Superhero Hybrid film.