The Film Opening of "Norbit"

 Last week, around October 21, my media studies teacher assigned us a discussion about our top 5 movies and what we like about them. 

We also had to tell if we had a preferred genre and how their conventional.

Fast forward to this week, October 25-29, my teacher assigned us to create a blog about the top 3 movies we selected and talk about there opening scenes.

My favorite movie and the movie I chose was "Norbit" 2007

The following is an analysis of the opening scene from the movie.

The Film

The film "Norbit" is a romantic comedy, about a child (Norbit) who was an orphan his whole youth. He lived with Mr and Mrs.Wong  who were owners of the orphanage and the Chinese restaurant next to it. During his youth in the orphanage, he found himself a friend named Kate. While young Norbit would "marry" Kate under the tree next to the orphanage when one day, Kate was adopted and had to leave Norbit at the orphanage. The film opens as Norbits upbringing how how he eventually met Rasputia. One day during Norbits teen years, Norbit was getting bullied by these twin brothers when Rasputia came and stopped the bullies by throwing them across the sand box. When Rasputia saved Norbit, she told Norbit that he is her boyfriend. They continued to be a couple and eventually got married. They both also worked for Rasputias three big brothers Big Black Jack, Blue, and Earl, working as a bookkeeper at their construction company. The Latimore brothers run a security business, instilling fear in the entire community except Mr. Wong, who refuses to sell them his business. Norbit catches Rasputia cheating on him with her dance instructor Buster Perkin, throws away his wedding ring and vents his anger at a puppet show for the orphans. He is stunned to see Kate for the first time since childhood, and his affection for her reignites as he learns she is buying Mr. Wong's orphanage, but is disappointed to learn she is engaged to Deion Hughes. With help from ex-pimp friends Pope Sweet Jesus and Lord Have Mercy and other townspeople, Norbit meets Kate without Rasputia's knowledge. Deion is revealed to be helping the Latimore brothers to turn the orphanage into a strip club. The brothers dupe Norbit into getting Kate to sign papers to renew the restaurant's liquor license in the Latimores' name. Norbit's meeting with Kate leads to helping rehearse her wedding, where a kiss between them makes her reconsider marrying Deion. Norbit returns home to learn Rasputia witnessed their kiss and threatens violence towards Kate if he ever sees her again. Kate goes to confront Norbit about the deal and sees him being held prisoner by Rasputia (who masterminded the orphanage plot) in their basement. Norbit reluctantly, deliberately drives her away to protect her from Rasputia. Satisfied, Rasputia lies that Norbit has tricked Kate since she came back to town. Heartbroken, Kate runs away, and Norbit decides to permanently leave town. Then he finds a letter from the private investigator he hired, discovering Deion is rich from various divorce settlements. The Latimores reveal their plan to Norbit, and lock him in the basement again. Norbit escapes, reaching the wedding just in time to inform Kate of Deion's schemes. Though his proof of Deion's divorce settlements was destroyed after falling into a pond, Norbit reveals Deion's ex-wives and children, and Deion flees as they give chase. The Latimores attack Norbit for ruining their plans, but the townspeople take up arms to protect him. Rasputia fights her way through the crowd and prepares to kill him, but Mr. Wong harpoons her in the rear. The Latimores are chased out of town, and Norbit and Kate reconcile. They buy the orphanage and marry under the same tree where they played as children. The Latimores move to Mexico and open up their strip club "El Nipplopolis", where Rasputia becomes their most popular and lucrative stripper. 

The Opening Scene

The opening scene is a prologue with voice over. If you want a better understanding of this type of opening scene, take a look at my previous blog of my research of 5 different types of opening scenes.

The opening scene shows Norbits up-bringing and the environment he grew up from. The opening scene ties in with the rest of the movie due to the fact of how he met Kate. 

If Norbit would have not met Kate, then he would remain in the same broken marriage with Rasputia and the orphanage would most likely get sold to the Latimore's.

The 5 Different Types of Opening Scenes

For the past week in my media studies class,  my teacher has assigned us to create a blog on the research I have gotten about opening scenes in film. 

This is very important because in this quarter in school, we will get a chance to create an opening scene as if its in a movie.

The following is all the research that I have found about the different openings in film. My source is  "The 5 Types of Opening Scenes: An Analysis of 80 Films" created by Laurie Stark. 

Everything I found is based off her analysis. I recommend viewing her post to get a deeper understanding of the types of opening scenes. 

The 5 Types of Opening Scenes

1. Prologue
2.Inciting Incident 
3.Day in the life
4.Cold Openings
5.Flash Forward

Prologue

Prologue was defined as a montage or scene to create backstory that happened in the past. Prologue was cut into two parts. Prologues with voice over, and prologue without voice over.

Prologue with Voice-over

These types of prologues were viewed as a montage with voice over narration. This usually gives the audience a lot of exposition of the story.

Prologues with voice overs can be effective when used thoughtfully.

Common in fantasy and epic movies.

These films commonly hinge on unique voice and point of view of the main character.

Prologue without Voice-over

When a prologue without voice over is done well, it can be very effective at catching the viewers on important background and building sympathy for a character.

Another form of prologue without voice over is flashbacks.

Flashbacks lack tension because the events that happened in that scene already happened.

Inciting Incident  

In some films, inciting incident happens on the first page.

Some opening scenes introduces inciting incident that sets  sets the story into motion.

Typically a wedding, funeral or apocalypse.

A Day in Their Life

(The Killing of a Sacred Deer 2017)

A scene that introduces the main character.

This scene usually reveals a key strength and key liability of the character.

Shows what the life is like for the main character before its changed by the main event.

Could be exciting or uneventful day in the life.

Cold Opens

(The Dark Knight to Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981)

In television its sometimes called a teaser.

The section of an episode that is shown before the opening credits.

Common in horror, crime and action films. 

The main purpose is to grab the audience’s attention and establish their genre.

Usually never involves the main character.

Separated from the events in the story.

Flash Forward 

When a movie starts with a scene in the present.

The rest of the movie takes place in the pass working up to the present.

The Elements of An Opening Scene

1.Introduces the protagonist to communicate their main skills, and weakness.

2.Introduces their world.

3.Offers the audience a before picture to later compare with the after.

4.Presents a “Save The Cat” moment for the protagonists, even if its very subtle.

5.Tense and suspenseful.

6.A surprise or big reveal.

7.Sets the tone and genre of the film.

Source:  http://www.storybreakdown.com/writing-great-opening-scenes/