We Were Soldiers Opening Scene

Opening Scene
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU-RutTOpgA

In the opening scene of We Were Soldiers, the camera pans, quite slowly, across the screen, from right to left. The reason for this is to show the audience the type of terrain that the film is set in. Also, the camera is not on the ground but just off it, and seems to be looking down at the road. This gives the impression that it is in the trees and in a way is spying on the soldiers that are coming down the road.

In this shot, the camera yet again pans from right to left, but the speed quickens slightly. Like the previous shot, the reason for this shot is to show the audience the type of terrain. My first impression of the terrain is that it is quite dry and very warm. Also, the camera is just below the ground, because in the top left hand corner of the screen, the top of the soldiers head's can just be seen.

This shot is filmed just off to the side of the road. This gives the audience the feeling that they are hiding from the oncoming soldiers, almost if they are going to jump out and attack them. This screen shot is not that clear, because there are blades of grass in front of the camera, which also adds to the feeling of lying in wait.

Note that in this shot, the camera is once again looking down at the road and it is almost as if the camera is spying on the soldiers. Also, unlike the previous shot, the camera is not as close to the road or the soldiers but instead is quite far away. This may give the impression that something important may happen, because there are so many different views of the road.

In this shot, the camera goes from being at a distance to quite close up to the two men in the jeep. This is a full close up because only the face is seen in the shot. The camera also stays in the same place while the two men have a brief discussion.

As the audience hear a gunshot, they see a frontal shot of the soldier, who was in the right hand side of the jeep. This is a good shot because it shows him being covered in his commander's blood. Also, because the audience does not get to see him being shot, but instead only see his second-in-command, it adds to the confusion of the situation because no one knows what is going on. Also, this is a medium-close shot, because the soldier's head and shoulders are in the camera's sights.

I like this shot because the camera is at the same height as the soldiers, which makes the audience feel as though they are equals with the soldiers and that they are actually there. Also, when there's the explosion, all of the soldiers take cover and the camera shakes. I like this because it make the audience feel as though they are actually there and looking at the explosion through the eyes of one of the soldiers.

Here, the camera is looking up at the officer, who is ordering the bugler to give a warning. Since the camera is not at eye level with the bugler, it seems like it is crouching on the ground and taking cover from the explosions. Also, since the camera is looking up at the camera, it makes it seems as though they have superiority over the camera and audience.

Once again, the camera is placed back in the trees to give a good view of what is happening. Since the camera is not on the ground, it gives the audience a better view of the battle and a better chance to see the extent of damage that is being done. I like this because the shots vary from different angles which let the viewer see different aspects of the battle.

I like this shot because the camera is just behind the officer and it is also at eye level which means that it is like the viewer could actually be a soldier on the battlefield. Also, this is good because it is a different view of the firefight and in a way it looks as though the audience is looking down the officer's gun sight and when he shoots the enemy soldier, it seems as if the audience are the ones who have pulled the trigger.