Genre -
'Ali' is a film within the genre of a drama. This is shown through the use of low-key lighting and the set of night time at the very beginning of the film(shown in the picture on the right) - giving the audience the idea that what they're about to watch is more dramatic and serious than a light-hearted comedy that might have used lighter colours. Similarly, the font used when giving the title of the film and the main actor is a very ordinary and isn't over-the-top, its just plain white or red font - again giving the serious theme. However we also find that the film is supposed to be set in the 60s, so the genre of the film could also be described as a historical and biographical film as it is looking at past events that have already happened.Narrative / Character -
The narrative of this film is supposed to be very serious and dramatic and it gives the audience the idea that the film is going to be about an event in time, or a person's life. We get this idea through the use of low-key lighting and slow editing pace that suggests the film is going to be more a serious portrayal of a time or place rather than a fictitious story, we also get this idea through the use of dates that are given to use(shown to the left), adding to the verisimilitude of the story and showing us what date we are living through. In terms of character, the audience meet whom they assume is the main character, Ali, as he is seen training - however we also meet a singer who has no relevance to the storyline and so the narrative and character roles in this opening could be confused.
Sound -
In the sound of this clip, the audience hears all diegetic sound - most notably the live singing of a character on stage that is constantly cut to and away from to show Ali training. The use of this live music portrays that the film is going to be a positive and light-hearted film as the music played is quite positive and happy, however this is contrasted by the constant use of low-key lighting and night time shots. The happy music helps to exaggerate the use of dark lighting and darkness in the film and this portrays the seriousness of the film. Similarly, the song style is also stereotypical of the time that the film is set in and therefore adds to the verisimilitude of the film and helps make the audience to get the full idea of being within the film.As well as this, the audience is given a scene where we see a police officer ask the main character of the film 'what you running from son?' as if he assumes he has done something wrong, this again portrays the seriousness of the film and is exxagerated by the happiness of the music behind it
Lighting / Atmosphere -
A lot of this film opening is filmed at night and therefore has a dark atmosphere, however even the shots with the singer on stage and when Ali is inside training has a use of low-key lighting. This constant use of dark lighting portrays the seriousness of the film and gives the idea to the audience that the film they're about to watch is serious and dramatic, it isn't going to be light-hearted. Similarly, on most of the shots there is a use of a very bright light in the back, which gives the effect of making the characters look like dark silhouettes. This creates the idea of the characters being mysterious, you cant really see them, and adds to the attraction of the film to the audience, as they want to find out m ore about the film and the characters. The use of lighting intrigues audiences.
Themes -
The themes of this film set up the rest of the film as it shows us what kind of film the audience are going to watch - a historical drama / almost a documentary. We are shown this through the use of real existing characters (Muhammed Ali) and the dark lighting of the opening. Similarly, we find that we are going to find themes of racism and light action (Boxing). this is shown through Ali's encounter with the police in the very first minute, as well as the scenes of Ali boxing towards the end of the opening of the film and his training scenes.
Titles -
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