Film Opening Research #1 - Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Only one title appears in the intro and it is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. In the opening sequence, the prioritized images are the credits and the castle. The images carry a variety of connotation. In the credits, there is very strong humor as two different styles of credits appear. When the images of the movie begin, there is tension and and then humor as the first few scenes are meant to be distracting from the satire of the film. The genre is comedic and satirical and this can be seen through the codes. Symbolic codes include the medieval setting and the serious versus non-serious attitudes of the first few characters. The lighting and audio play with the viewer's mind in both the credits scene and the actual start of the movie. The movie sets up it's enigma from the sudden switch of the credits in styles and in the constant confusion on the time period. The film uses very formal language at times as well as very educated characters to contrast the formality of the main character's and other "normal" characters. Technology is used once again to show humor as some futuristic forms of technology exist, but very primitive tools are also used. Fog machines are used to create an atmosphere of eeriness. In the beginning of the scene, the camera angles switch between a medium-long shot to show the missing horse, and the end of the introduction has low angle shots and high angle shots.