Analysing Action Genre Opening Sequences - 'Mad Max: Fury Road'

 

The second opening scene I will be identifying the action genre conventions in is 'Mad Max: Fury Road'.

The opening scene of 'Mad Max: Fury Road' uses several action genre conventions which allows the audience to understand that it belongs to the action genre. 

The sans serif font instantly suggests it's an action film as this is a typical font used in the genre. As the film begins, a voiceover can be heard as the credits play, and the character delivers exposition to the audience about how civilisation has collapsed which needs an action ‘hero’ to ‘save the day’. This gives the audience insight into the character's thoughts and motivations, and we therefore assume that he is the protagonist as the director wants us to feel connected to him from the beginning (a typical use of voiceover or narration is to align the audience with a specific character). Additionally, this exposition establishes a bleak tone and creates enigma as the audience are unaware of what will happen next.

The iconography is typical of action films as the first shot of the film is an establishing shot of the protagonist standing above a vast empty desert; this highlights to the audience that he is isolated and, therefore, no one can help him. As he squishes the lizard without even seeing it, his figure behaviour suggests that he is a quick-thinking, skilled hero - actions which foreshadow that he will have to use these skills later on in the narrative. 

His costume looks dirty yet practical as his vest is torn but he is wearing protective armour and sturdy boots. This suggests to the audience that he is trying to survive and his dirty face and clothes reinforce that he has been living in tough conditions. 

As he drives off in his run-down car, which the pleonastic sound of the engine revving reinforces, many cars and motorbikes begin to chase him with people holding sharp axes and guns (chase sequences are typical set-pieces of the action genre). This emphasises to the audience that the protagonist is in danger as he is massively outnumbered. These are all typical props of action films and the audience would understand this instantly.

 

Cinematography is used in this scene to enhance the action elements of the film, as an extreme long shot is used to show how the protagonist is being chased by lots of others and is in extreme danger, this is reinforced through the trucking shot following the car chase from a far back distance. Loose framing is used constantly to highlight how isolated the setting is and how the protagonist has no chance of escaping the enemies. 

A long shot of the explosion reinforces the genre and creates excitement for the audience as the film begins with a thrilling scene. When the explosion occurs, a dolly out is used when the protagonist crawls out the car, and the tight framing used here shows he is trapped by the enemies and can’t escape them now. Fast-paced editing is used during the chase to highlight the intensity of the scene and to give the audience an adrenaline rush as they don’t know what to expect from the outcome. The flashbacks which the protagonist has as he’s captured create enigma for the audience as they don’t understand what has happened previously in his life, but they can assume he has been captured before. In conclusion, all these elements combined engage and immerse the audience as they are intrigued to find out more.