Opening Analysis: 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'

Opening Analysis: ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’

To begin, there is a wide angle establishing shot which captures a quiet street. It then pans towards the taxi that is driving as it comes to a stop. The use of a taxi is a typical convention. There is non-diegetic music playing softly in the background on a violin or other peaceful instrument. The shot captures who we suspect to be the main character getting out of the taxi. The shot then changes to a low angle shot to demonstrate how large the building is which the character is looking up at. This also emphasises to the audience how great it is in size. The shot then pans down to capture the character beginning to walk away towards the window of the building. The choice of all black clothing shows sophistication. The use of sunglasses also shows that she is trying to hide her identity so must have some sort of importance. She is looking inside at expensive jewellery. The use of this prop helps the audience to establish the character as she appears to be able to afford it as she has multiple strings of pearls (which are known to be very expensive) hanging around her neck. She then opens a white paper bag that she has in her hands and takes out an item of food to eat. The fact that she has brought it from a shop shows that she must have wealth, because she is able to purchase something as simple as a cup of tea which could be made at home.

She walks away and a panning shot follows her. This allows the audience to feel like they are present in the scene. She is walking slowly which demonstrates the usual slow pace of romance films. There is then another shot into a shop window which captures the reflection of the character walking elegantly towards the window before looking in again at a piece of artwork. This is followed by a shot from inside the shop directly at the main character. She is directly in the centre of the shot which shows that she has importance. It allows the audience to become aware of the authority of the character and her position in society. The shot then cuts to a wide shot of her walking down the pavement. The continued movement of her eating makes the cut seem less jerky and a more natural movement as we follow the scene exactly. The music acting as a sound bridge also has this same effect. It is important in a romance genre that everything seems realistic as the audience like to relate to the situation.

The shot continues to pan and capture the character around a corner then stays zoomed out to ensure the full wide angle shot of the street looking down towards the sunset is captured. A sunset is a typical convention of the romance genre as it links to a feeling of awe. The shot continues until it dissolves (the last shot is still visible in the next shot) into a wide angle shot of her holding her scarf whilst walking along. The focus is on the character. The colour white used is contrasting the black of her costume so stands out and makes the audience feel it must have so some sort of significance.