film analysis of Laura
Film analysis of the opening scene in the film Laura (1944).
In the opening scene of the film Laura, there is much to analyse. Be it from unusual casting options, to the cinematography, it seems that the director Otto Preminger knew exactly how to make the audience to think when making Laura.
Casting is of a big importance when analysing the film Laura. What is interesting about Premingers work is how he makes unusual casting decisions, that always seem to make the feature a success. It seems that Preminger liked to cast actors with very conflicting personalities e.g. Clifton Webb as the flamboyant Waldo Lydecker against the hard and serious personality of Dana Andrews as Detective McPherson. In addition, we don't meet our heroine in the flesh in the opening scene. As the credits appear there is a huge, very elaborate painting of a very beautiful woman. As a viewer it is easy to come the conclusion that the woman in the painting is Laura, the heroine of the film.
In addition, the genre of the film is also a key factor when analysing any film and the film Laura sits comfortably in the genre of Film Noir. Film Noir is known for its unequalibrium in the plot. For example in the film Laura in the opening scene, we learn that the heroine Laura is dead. Its seems that this early death set up was not uncommon for the Film Noir genre at the time. As already mentioned Film Noir for its twists and turns in the plot and this early death of the heroine sets the stage for the mystery of Laura’s death to unravel.
Furthermore, the narration at the beginning of the film is also another key factor when analysing the film Laura. In the opening scene, it is a man narrating. We do not know this man as of yet, as the frame is filled with black. However as the narrative progresses, the narrator introduces himself as Waldo Lydecker, this therefore makes him a homodiegetic narrator, as he actively tells the story of Laura’s death with himself involved. As the narrator of
In the opening scene of the film Laura, there is much to analyse. Be it from unusual casting options, to the cinematography, it seems that the director Otto Preminger knew exactly how to make the audience to think when making Laura.
Casting is of a big importance when analysing the film Laura. What is interesting about Premingers work is how he makes unusual casting decisions, that always seem to make the feature a success. It seems that Preminger liked to cast actors with very conflicting personalities e.g. Clifton Webb as the flamboyant Waldo Lydecker against the hard and serious personality of Dana Andrews as Detective McPherson. In addition, we don't meet our heroine in the flesh in the opening scene. As the credits appear there is a huge, very elaborate painting of a very beautiful woman. As a viewer it is easy to come the conclusion that the woman in the painting is Laura, the heroine of the film.
In addition, the genre of the film is also a key factor when analysing any film and the film Laura sits comfortably in the genre of Film Noir. Film Noir is known for its unequalibrium in the plot. For example in the film Laura in the opening scene, we learn that the heroine Laura is dead. Its seems that this early death set up was not uncommon for the Film Noir genre at the time. As already mentioned Film Noir for its twists and turns in the plot and this early death of the heroine sets the stage for the mystery of Laura’s death to unravel.
Furthermore, the narration at the beginning of the film is also another key factor when analysing the film Laura. In the opening scene, it is a man narrating. We do not know this man as of yet, as the frame is filled with black. However as the narrative progresses, the narrator introduces himself as Waldo Lydecker, this therefore makes him a homodiegetic narrator, as he actively tells the story of Laura’s death with himself involved. As the narrator of