'LEON: The Professional' Film Opening Analysis

Shot One:

•The film opens with a stark black background with principle titles shown over the top in a bold white font.

•The director is a well known auteur who will be a draw to the film, it’s therefore important his known appears prominently and early on.

Shot Two:

•The films title appears during a long, high level tracking shot that flies over New York.

•The large, bold title hints at the films action genre. It’s full title ‘Leon: the professional’ also ties into business like font.

Shot Three:

•The camera then moves to another high level tracking shot, this time presumably on top of a bus or lorry. The shot is a little shaky to convey a rough, working approach to the scene. This ties in with the change of location from upscale central park to a busy, working class area of New York.

Shot Four:

•The camera then moves to another high level tracking shot, this time presumably on top of a bus or lorry. The shot is a little shaky to convey a rough, working approach to the scene. This ties in with the change of location from upscale central park to a busy, working class area of New York.

Shot Five:

•This is a medium establishing shot which identifies the restaurant where the opening scene is set to take place.

Shot Six:

•This is an extreme close up on the hands of the first character to come into the film. The drinking milk represents his abnormality in society and the well kept hands and nails identifies his professionalism. 

Shot Seven:

•This is another extreme close up shot, this time of a middle aged man’s sunglasses. The dark lenses of the glasses hide his identity and give an emotionless, neutral presence.

Shot Eight:

•This is a close up of an ashtray, perhaps to represent a poor lifestyle with bad choices. The multiple cigarette butts shows that the two at each side of the table have been talking for a while.

Shot Nine:

•This is another extreme close up of a middle to old aged man’s eye. The limited shots of the characters face and identity as a whole signify his detachment from society and maybe that his emotions are hidden from the public eye. 

Conclusion;

These opening shots already are hinting at a mystery, perhaps action movie. The shot where a picture is handed to one of the two men instructs someone to be found and killed, definitely identifying an action packed movie to follow this opening scene.