I don’t know about you but I love the beginning of movies. In fact, sometimes I’ll watch just the beginning and then turn the movie off at a certain point (only movies I’ve seen before of course) and imagine that the characters never experience the conflict or turmoil that only real life dishes out.
I like to call the beginning of the movie (or Act 1) the calm before the storm. This act usually serves as an opportunity for the filmmaker to get in the most exposition. This part of the movie establishes characters, relationships, plots, conflicts, and most of all it introduces us to the world in which we’ll reside for the remaining 2+ hours. I love this part because it’s usually before anything goes wrong. Of course there are exceptions where we’re plunged right into the action (Total Recall and The Shawshank Redemption come to mind) but for the most part, our main characters are happy in the beginning. They’re still blissfully ignorant to the s$%! storm coming their way, and that’s just the way I like them.
Let me explain what I mean with a few examples of some of my favorites. [Read more…]