Opening Sequence Analysis: 'Legally Blonde'

In the opening to 'Legally Blonde', the audience is introduced to the protagonist Elle Woods and what kind of life she leads; she is wealthy, popular, and clearly of high importance in her social group as we see the other characters pandering to her needs. The setting is also established and questions are raised such as what is in the letter, why she is so popular and what she is getting ready for; all of which makes the audience want to watch on, formed through the use of various technical aspects.

Camerawork:

  The first shot is a close up of a letter which immediately draws attention to it and lets the audience know that this as well as the character it is addressed to will be of high importance throughout the film.

Throughout the opening sequence close ups and extreme close-up of various parts of a woman's body, like her hair, hands, and feet, are shown, but never her whole self of her face. This creates the idea that she is someone very important as prestigious as an image of her has to be built up, and an air of mystery surrounds her. 
 Point of view shots from the character on the bike is used which provides the audience with a unique insight into the film world from the perspective of one of the student's at the university, which makes them feel more involved rather than just like an outsider looking in.

  A long shot of a sign reading 'Delta Nu - Private Drive' is used as an establishing shot to show that the setting is quite exclusive and posh, and the pink hints at the fact that it is a sorority due to the gender stereotyping of the colour.
 Inside the house an aerial shot is used to show off the size and the full extravagance of it, to convey to the audience that the girls living here are fairly wealthy and perhaps materialistic.

Editing:
Cross-cutting between following the card and Elle getting ready occurs throughout the opening sequence which creates a link between them and lets the audience know they are happening at the same time. An action match on the card sliding under the door is used to further highlight its importance. When we are following the card through the house, slow motion is used in contrast with sped up sections which creates a sense of the wild and exciting lives the girls in the sorority lead. Furthemore, jump cuts are used between shots of the girl carrying Elle's card which adds to this and also creates suspense as she carries it closer and close to Elle.

Mise-en-scene:
 The film opens with the frame completely filled with blonde hair, echoing the film's title and pushing the idea that first and foremost her hair colour is what defines the character of Elle, something created deliberately to set the scene for the theme of the film about challenging preconceived stereotypes of blonde women.


 High-key and natural lighting is used throughout the sequence to create a light-hearted, happy atmosphere and a scene that looks natural and inviting to the audience.

 The colour pink is used repeatedly in the opening sequence in almost every shot, this shows that it is Elle's favourite colour and is a stereotypically "girly" colour so sets up a preconceived idea of what she is like for the audience.

 The text for the credits is also pink, and white, which connotes both femininity and innocence/purity. They are reminiscent of candy which conveys the idea that Elle is quite sugary sweet and possibly fake.

 Props such as Elle's hairbrush, nail polish, and mirror reveal she information about her including a) she is a stereotypical, fashion and beauty-obsessed girl, and b) she is the president of the Delta Nu Sorority, showing she must be popular and well-known among the other girls.

Sound:
 Throughout the opening the non-diegetic sound of a song entitled 'Perfect Day' can be heard; the fact that it is very upbeat combined with the lyrics reflect Elle's own "perfect" life, however the lyric 'don't you try to rain on my / perfect day' could be foreshadowing the fact what is to come in the story when Elle's boyfriend dumps her. Therefore a sense of mystery is created as the audience question whether her 'perfect day' will remain so. Dialogue between Elle and the person she is talking to on the phone show she is interested in typically feminine activities like shopping, reinforcing the stereotyped idea the audience is forming of her. Ambient sound is also used, mainly crowds and people talking, which helps to immerse the audience in the film world and make them feel more included into it.