The director instantly establishes genre one of the four areas i highlighted in my last post , narrative- genre- character- location, the scene opens with a extreme long shot panning around space then centralizing earth in the centre of the frame, by setting the initial scene is space it instantly resembles the sci-fi genre establishing genre through iconic signs and symbolic subjects of science, in both mise-en-scene and dialog. this film is a sub genre which means it blends two genres in this case sci-fi and action, to establish the film as action the scene soon builds to a fast pace extract as the meteor hits earth while fire is used again to set the title of the film alight as it explodes all signifiers that relate to the action genre, finally the use the US government and army reinforces genre and something i think directors use to establish genre is actors. By casting Bruce willis , a big action film actor , again links the film to the action genre.
A wipe transition is used to show a different location where the audience are shown nasa working on a satellite again reinforcing genre. the pace builds and as the meteor hits again a symbolic close up is used revealing the american flag ripping apart, this reflects how this natural force can destroy Earths most powerful nation with ease, which is symbolic and hints at the possibility of the events of a meteor hit but also links the possible narrative of the film. so within the first few minutes the director has linked genre and narrative 2 of the 4 areas i feel that most directors establish at the start of the film an example of this is in The Italian Job , which i posted before this analysis. within this scene there is a dual narrative between the meteor hitting and the pentagon trying to figure out the impact, with quick straight cuts to different location such as the pentagon - nasa - government office - new york adds to the national threat and the lack of understanding from the US , showing them as inferior. dialog is always key to an media text be it tv drama or film narrative can be established and key lines of dialog can be just as important as semiology in the first 5 minutes repetition of "unidentified" and "surprised" again shows the US to be inferior to this natural destruction.
the director introduces a variety of characters all from different classes jobs and background, first we identify with the main instructor at NASA and then we are introduced to the black "slag spoken" poor but charismatic individual and finally Carl a man who seems to be a lower class than the people at NASA this is shown through his attire the director has put him in very casual cheaper clothes than the NASA workers. by having the range of characters and people reinforces how powerful this natural disaster is and the range f classes shows how this meteor will effect each class and each nation , making it a global issue and something the whole human race come together to fight this issue
not finished
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