THE BREAKFAST CLUB ANALYSIS OF OPENING SEQUENCE The

THE BREAKFAST CLUB! ANALYSIS OF OPENING SEQUENCE

The first section which is shown is the title sequence, which has non diegetic soundtrack. This music is the song “Don’t forget about me”. I feel that this song is useful because it foreshadows, which keeps you interested till the end. This quote alone also tells us the genre of the film, which is teen drama. It shows this through the fact that it is talking about children, which can mean anybody through the day they were born up until they are 18. It is also a vary dramatic quote which gives us the drama. At the end of the title sequence, this quote of David Bowies comes up which is signifies that the film is about children/teenagers. It is also significant because it gives a little insight into when the film was set – 1980’s, the reason the quote shows this is because in the 1980’s David Bowie was a famous artist and was iconic to lots of children and because the film is directed at teenagers the quote wouldn’t be important if the audience didn’t know who had said it. David Bowie’s quote also has connotations that the film will be meaningful. This is because the quote itself is very meaningful and children understand it greatly which tells the audience that the film will carry on this way.

Throughout the next few cross cuts, a non diegetic voice over is playing. This voice over foreshadows the end. It also tells you about the characters but is very stereotypical about them. For example: the brain, the athlete, the basket case, the princess and the criminal. This gives us an insight to what the rest of the movie is going to be about as it shows us what the 5 main characters stereotypes are. As well as the picture of the school to show us where the film will be taking place the voice over also gives us an insight into the setting by telling us that the day is; Saturday March 24 th 1984. This is helpful because it explains more about the stereotyping, as that was more of a thing back then, although it still happens it doesn’t happen to that extreme anymore. Editing The setting of this film is shown at the very start by giving us a glimpse of the school, (Shermer High School). As the setting is a high school it also tells us more about the characters, as it is very likely that they are going to be of high school age. The lighting here is quite a main factor. As you can see it is light on the outside which is a metaphor for a hope and freedom, where as when you look closer at the school doors and on the inside of the school it is dark. This suggest that the inside of the school is almost scary and it is where people don’t want to be. It could also suggest that because it is a Saturday nobody should be there. Editing is used to transfer between the David Bowie quote to the image of the school. The editing that they use would have been very high tech for the 80’s but nowadays seems like something which could be done on Power. Point. The transfer is supposed to look like the quote is shattering like glass. Whilst this happens it cut of the backing music and again uses non diegetic sound but instead of glass breaking. This helps the effect. The editing used is a metaphor for the school breaking what David Bowie said and going against his words.

Princess Characterisation She looks attractive; she has done her hair and it looks very neat and all in perfect order, she is wearing make-up but just the right amount so not so much that she looks horrific but just enough to show that she is wearing it, has straight teeth. She is wearing expensive clothes; a leather jacket which would have also been very popular in the 80’s and a pink silk top which makes her look girly. Her father is wearing smart wear and looks very formal like he is an important man. She turns up to school in a BMW car which is stereotypically known to be an expensive car. She has a high pitch voice, which is again stereotypically girly. She is wearing diamond earrings which would have been very expensive. Ideology The fact that she has turned up to school looking very nice and wearing make up with her hair done shows that she cares about her appearance and also cares what other think about her. This suggests that she is a princess she is always looking good which is what a stereotypical princess would be like. Secondly her clothing is very expensive along with her earrings and he BMW that she has turned up in this tell the audience that she can get things bought for her and can basically get anything that she really wants to. Again this suggests she is the princess because she can buy anything she wants and get anything she wants which is what a stereotypical princess would be able to do. Her father is also wearing fairly posh clothing which proposes he is a important person – metaphor for the king since she is the princess. Lastly she has a high pitched voice, this isn’t obvious to a princess but does show that she portrays a stereotypical “popular” girl. Usually the most “popular girl plays the princess.

Brains Characterisation He is wearing a hat so doesn’t care about his hair or appearance as it is not a “cool” hat. He isn’t muscular and is pretty weedy for a boy. He turns up in a unmarked, filthy car. He walks two strapping his backpack (when you use both straps on your backpack). His sister is younger than him but still gets to sit in the front of the car with =himself and his mother. He is wearing a puffy jacket which will keep him warm but also makes him look like his mother dressed him. His mother looks very stern and controlling. Ideology Because he is wearing a hat and not a “cool” one at that, it tells the audience that he doesn’t really care what he looks like and therefore doesn’t really care what other people think of him , meaning he probably doesn’t have friends who are that judgemental. This suggests that he is a brain because the stereotypical geek looks smart but also doesn’t care what people think of him. The fact that he is weedy is tells us that he isn’t a stereotypical man, instead he is still a boy and also lets us know that he isn’t into sport as he has no muscle. This helps back up the fact that he is the brains because stereotypically brainy people are weak and small, as it makes them easy prey. He turns up in a dirty unmarked car which says that he doesn’t have much money and again backs up the fact that he doesn’t care about his appearance. Since he doesn’t have much money this means that he would be the brains to help himself get a better job so he can have more money in the future and get a good job. The fact that his mother looks very stern gives you a bit of an insight into his life, this suggests that he is under a lot of pressure from his family although it doesn’t tell us what about. His sister sitting in the front of the car is also fairly important because it tells the audience that to his mother he is as important as his sister and they have the same status even though he is older.

Athlete Characterisation He has a broad bulky figure, and looks very muscular. He has short hair but he has styled it in a way that is slightly messy but still presentable. He is wearing a blue sports jersey with a wrestling patch on the arm. He has a deep voice. He turns up in a big car (like land drover size). Masculine face including a good strong jaw line. His father is wearing a shirt but with the top button undone. His dad has grey hair, but is still big and bulky like his son just with a bit more fat tan muscle. Ideology Having a broad bulky figure gives him the stereotypical athlete look about him. The fact that he also is wearing a sports jersey as well gives a lot away and makes it almost definite that he is the athlete. Not only is it a sports jersey but it also blue, which isn’t overall significant although it is a very colour which you associate with the male sex making him seem even more manly. He has short but styled hair, this suggest that he has judgemental friends so has to look good at all times, but can’t look over done otherwise he would lose the manly appearance. This back s up the fact that he is an athlete because stereotypically the jocks banter each other and make fun of each other if they do not look right or presentable. Him having a deep voice is also significant because it has connotations of strength. His masculine face just adds to his manly appearance. Him turning up in a big car displays that him and his father have quite big ego’s because they feel they need a big car to make themselves feel big. His father having grey hair but still looking bulky shows that he is older but portrays an athlete status and suggests that he wants the same for his son.

Criminal Characterisation Unlike the others he is walking in where as the others have all got lifts from their parents. His boots are broken and flapping about, he is wearing a grey long coat and has shaggy hair which is still slightly styled. He is wearing sunglasses on a dull day. He has fairly broad shoulders but doesn’t look masculine. He is wearing a red scarf which is hidden behind his grey coat. He doesn’t take any notice of others and just walks in front a car. He is fairly covered up so you can’t see much about his appearance. He has no dialect in this opening sequence. Ideology As he is walking in instead of getting a lift this suggest that his parents don’t really care about him and just get along with his life and let him do what he wants to. This could show that he is the criminal because he could be rebelling and trying to get his parents to notice him, or because his parents don’t care about him he feels that he shouldn’t care about others. His boos being broken again shows that his parents don’t really care about him otherwise they would buy him news ones. It also suggest that he doesn’t care much about his appearance along which the fact that he has shaggy hair. Although his hair is still styled even though it is shaggy, and he is wearing a well kept coat with a red scarf which suggests that he still wants to look nice and juxtaposes not caring what people think of him. The red scarf is the only bit of colour that he includes in his outfit and could be a metaphor for him having some potential but the fact that the coat covers it is like his attitude overshadowing his potential. He is wearing shade whilst it is dull outside which either makes you think that he wants to look cool or that he doesn’t want people to see him. This again suggests that he is the criminal because stereotypically criminals don’t want to be seen as they don't want to be caught. Him walking out in front of the car tells the audience that he doesn’t care for people around him, and does what he wants to. Again telling us that it is likely he is the criminal. Him not having any dialect tells us that he is not like the others before him which could show that he is not a usual stereotype and isn’t “normal”.

Basket Case Characterisation Hair crazy and wild, not styled in anyway. Wearing along scruffy coat. She is wearing socks with tights and scruffy shoes. She gets out the back of the car where as all the others have gotten out of the front of the car. The car which she gets out of it dirty. You don’t see her parents they just stay the car, all you see is the silhouette of them. When she tries to say goodbye to them, her parents just drive off. She doesn’t have any dialect unlike the first 3. Ideology That fact that she has a scruffy appearance shows that she doesn’t care what people think of her. Also her hair is crazy and not styled at all which could reflect her personality, this signifies that she could be the basket case. The car which she arrives in is not shown in great detail, because her parents aren’t shown. The fact that you only see a silhouette of the parents suggests because we see them like that, that is how they see her. She is also not important enough to sit in the front of the car which makes the audience start to think that her parents don’t really like her. This could cause her to be the basket case because she doesn’t really have anybody and all her feelings are kept to herself meaning she is a bit loopy. Like the criminal she doesn't have any dialect which could suggest again that she is not a normal stereotype, and is not like the others in anyway.