A series by Juan Carlos Ojano
Romantic drama, political thriller, romantic dramedy, disaster drama, and fantasy comprise the vast span of genres that this year’s nominees appear in. This difference is also reflected in the varying acting styles and demands of these performances. And yet, for their character introductions, each performer is working with some sort of disruption. Whether reflected in the film’s narrative or simply on the formalistic construction of their scenes, each entrance highlights the force that their characters will be in their respective stories.
Are you ready? The year is 2012...
Jessica Chastain as Maya in ZERO DARK THIRTY
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow / Written by Mark Boal
Opening scene (after an audio-only prologue featuring phone call recordings during the 9/11 attacks). A man (Jason Clarke) and his masked-up companion (Chastain) enter a room where a battered man is held in captivity. The other men in the room proceed to physically torture the prisoner. The man and his companion leave. Once they exit, the companion removes his mask and is revealed to be Maya. She is obviously unsettled with what just transpired with her first interrogation, but she tells him that they should go back in. This time, she refuses to wear the mask. The place is revealed to be a black site.
While this opening scene does not start with Maya as the focal point, its progression reveals a structural gambit that the film will employ for the rest of its narrative. Maya is our entry point to the story, but not so much a surrogate, and the film is also giving itself the permission to expand beyond Maya’s own perspective. But close inspection sees a woman who is determined to do her job - hunt Osama Bin Laden down - and will do that at all costs. Even if the initial proceedings give her discomfort. Even if some micro-moments in the scene can be examined through the lens of gender politics inside a male-dominated environment. Chastain’s physicality also dwarfs compared to Clarke’s, but this seeming underdog quality plus her determination is key to understanding Maya despite her unknowability.
Jennifer Lawrence as Tiffany Maxwell in SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Written and Directed by David O. Russell
Around 25 minutes into the film. Pat (Bradley Cooper) and his best friend (John Ortiz) talk about not bringing up the death of the husband of Veronica’s sister Tiffany (Lawrence) just as she has arrived. Mid-conversation, Tiffany enters the room and asks “how did who die?”. They are introduced to each other. Pat tells Tiffany that she looks nice and then proceeds to clarify that he wasn’t flirting and then abruptly asks her about the death of her husband. She is shocked. She is then asked about her job. She said she just got fired. Veronica (Julia Stiles) enters and asks them to go on a house tour.
A late entrance for a leading lady, but a fun one. The way this scene was framed tells you what you need to know about Tiffany’s place in the film. She literally enters the room with Pat in it - from behind the man Pat is talking to - and then proceeds to take center stage and even get shots - from Pat’s perspective - on her own. This signifies her impact with and effect on Pat. This opening, together with Lawrence’s somber but commanding presence and black aesthetic that contrasts the warm colors of the scene, sells why Pat would have his attention be caught by a stranger. Her late entrance is by no means unintentional because Tiffany serves as a disruption to Pat’s life. This scene also shows the film’s pivot from a one-man show into a two-hander.
Emmanuelle Riva as Anne Laurent in AMOUR
Written and Directed by Michael Haneke
Opening scene. The fire brigade breaks the door of an apartment down while neighbors are seen reacting to the foul odor coming from inside the apartment. The head of the team goes around to try to open the door leading to the bedroom and, when he fails, opens the window to let air in. The brigade calls him once they were able to open the door to the bedroom. The man walks towards the bed and sees the corpse of an old woman (Riva) lying peacefully and with her head surrounded by flowers.
An opening that catches you off-guard by design. The filmmaking choices - editing, cinematography, sound design - immediately throws you off by throwing you in medias res. While we are not made aware of any of the (living) characters we are seeing, the film asks you to pay attention and search for clues as to what is happening. With this, it doesn’t seem like an introduction for Anne. And yet, the stench of her decaying body is already present from the first frame of this scene. As the scene progresses, her presence is becoming more strongly felt even when she is still off-screen. And that’s Anne as a character: even in scenes when she is not present, she determines how things will go with the people around her. When we finally see her, it’s a stunning reveal that immediately raises questions about how this happened. And while this is happening, the film cuts to the title card.
Quvenzhané Wallis as Hushpuppy in BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
Directed by Benh Zeitlin / Written by Lucy Alibar and Benh Zeitlin
Opening scene. The light inside a shanty is turned on while rainfall or storm is imminent. A young girl (Wallis) fills a small lump of soil, formed like a well, with water using her right hand. On her left hand is a small bird that she holds close to her left ear. She places the bird on top of the lump of soil. She watches the bird. Suddenly, she notices the thunder.
Despite having a literal storm as the setup for this opening, we are actually introduced to Hushpuppy in a moment of quietness and peace. She is in control while interacting with the elements of nature (thunder, soil, bird). The nuances of this moment telegraphs the assertive quasi-leadership that she will take on as a presence in the community on Bathtub. And while the tenacity is there (her lack of fear when hearing the thunder), there is also a doting quality to how she interacts with the soil and the bird. The connection between her goodness and her strength encapsulates why she is the force that she will be (this opening is a great setup/parallel to the climax of the film with the aurochs).
Naomi Watts as Maria Bennett in THE IMPOSSIBLE
Directed by J.A. Bayona / Written by Sergio G. Sánchez
Opening scene. Inside an airplane mid-flight, a page of a book falls on the floor. A woman (Watts) picks it up and continues reading. It is revealed that she is traveling with her husband (Ewan McGregor) and children. He starts to ask questions if they set the alarm when they left their house. She assures him multiple times that she did. A turbulence occurs, rocking the airplane. This makes her nervous. After one of her sons complains about their eldest brother (Tom Holland) refusing to speak to him, she trades seats with him and sits beside her eldest.
Interesting character and inter-character details established here. First, she is in charge of making sure the family runs smoothly even more so than the father who is more of a worrier. Calmly, she gives him an assurance that she has got things in control. Quintessential maternal authority, if you may. Secondly, interactions with the uncontrollable parts of nature scare her. Her shift from assured to the one needing assurance when a turbulence hits is jarring and noticeable. In a way, this is why her helplessness in the majority of the film is devastating since this is not her usual tempo as a person. Thirdly, as the final point of that film, she has quite a bond with her eldest son that is distinct with her other children. Perhaps it is his age that he could talk to her in a more straightforward manner, adjacently co-parental even. This dynamic is important once the tsunami hits since it will be her and her eldest that will be together while her husband and other two sons are together (and then separated). While she is nervous, she laughs off her nervousness. Him showing control during her moment of anxiety mirrors how their relationship will go down post-tsunami. Their eventual seating arrangement (Maria + eldest / husband + two sons) is exactly how they will be divided physically during and after the tsunami rips through their family. Also, the dropped page from the book will return during the actual tsunami.
Any other observations from these introductions? Whose introduction was your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
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