Film Mapping and Opening analysis for American Gangsta

Film mapping for American Gangsta

Time shown: 0:00 - 2:00

Twenty second Universal animation

Twenty second Imagine animation

Twenty second animation for Imagine icon

30 Second film opening, scene showing Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington) setting alight and then shooting an unknown character, in the presence of his mentor

AMERICAN GANGSTA (5 second zoom on text, black background, white text)

BASED ON A TRUE STORY (6 second zoom)

Graphic match from black, doors lifted as mentor from opening is seen in a juxtaposing scene giving away food to citizens

HARLEM - 1968 (1:55)

Film Mapping for American Gangsta

Within the opening to American Gangsta, there is violence being shown instantly on screen to cement the film’s genre and level of maturity from the beginning. It also opens up a large number of enigmas as we know nothing initially about the man being set alight or the people committing the act, or why. There is also a clear hierarchy of power between the two characters as they are clearly dressed differently and carry a slightly different attitude. One character (frank lucas)  performs the execution and is dressed casually in a Cardigan that does not appear especially powerful or commanding; while his mentor is dressed in a suit and tie,  accented by an overcoat and scarf that looks expensive and secures his higher status.

When this violent scene is paired with the sinister setting of an alleyway at night, the enigmas are even more profound. Even within the short thirty seconds we see, the audience gets the sense that no-one is coming for the victim and there are no witnesses. This also makes the victim seem a little insignificant as the character is not named at this point and maybe suggests that this execution is not critical to the storyline,  the most important aspect of this true story-based film.

After the aforementioned murder scene,  we see a totally juxtaposed image of the character dressed in a suit previously. Now he is giving away food (what appears to be Turkeys around Thanksgiving) and smiling brightly in the middle of dawn as citizens look upwards at him, begging for food. This is a powerful juxtaposition as not only has the time of day changed to perhaps represent two different personalities, but he looks completely unfazed by the actions he witnessed being performed (presumably) last night. Also, his level of power has not been adjusted here as others are begging from him and there is no-one yet positioned above him on the hierarchy. His proxemics also place him above every other visible character as he is standing on the back of a van, giving even further levels of power and control.

Finally, this is the only scene within the opening that gives a sense of time chronologically; not only by the text appearing on screen (Harlem 1968) but by mise-en-scene. Props in particular play a part here as they are clearly from a certain era: the buses, cars, surrounding shops, street signs etc all represent the late 1960’s that the film is placed.