Opening Scene "Last King of Scotland" Camera Work Analysis

After the fox searchlight pictures music and screen;

• We start with a black background and the words (in a shade of white) fade in: "This film is inspired by real people and events". This then fades out into darkness again. Non-diagetic background noise (shouting) kicks in at this time.
  

• Then the words "SCOTLAND, 1970" fade in (the purpose of this is to establish a year and a location without use of a camera)

Prologue

• The camera starts using an extreme long shot,(you could say this is our establishing shot, as we see the large building in the background, the scenery in the back and foreground and also a 'mob' of people running towards the camera, which establishes the setting).
• This then cuts into a tracking shot of a few of the character's upper torsos and their heads. This follows the characters for a short distance, pivoting from one location, without breaking the 180 degree rule through use of extensive panning.
• Then a medium-long shot is used in which we see the characters attire (undergarments covering appropriate bodily parts eg genitalia). This raises questions like: "What are they doing?"
• A reverse shot is used to show where they are running to; a wide and seemingly deep lake. and the camera uses a slow pan to 'track' where they are going
• This is followed by an extreme long shot to show the valley in which they are located and the wooden pier they are running along towards the water. You see the huge lake surrounded by lots of steep, green hills in hazy weather. The fact that we see a 'break' in the valley makes us assume that they are situated near the coast, and this opening could indicate that someone travels out of his cold, hazy, empty home in search of a warmer, busier country/place further on in this film. Throughout this shot we hear diagetic environmental background noise of animals and footsteps.
• A low angle shot is used from the perspective of the water to show the mob of half-naked characters running towards it. This shot is accompanied by an extreme slow zoom, which gives us a better view of the expressions of 'determination'.
• A reverse shot to the previous is used to show the characters growing ever further away from the camera and drawing closer to their destination.
• As the characters leap off the wooden pier a medium shot is used to show them jumping into the water, and as the front character submerges the camera goes underwater with his waist and legs. His groin is in the centre of the camera (although he is wearing underwear), hinting that sex will perhaps play some part in this film later on.
• The camera pans up and out of the water as (what seems to be) our main point of focus shouting and splashing, and with the sudden movements the sound changes to muffled and as difficult to hear as you would expect it to be if you were underwater, and then changes back as you come out of the water. This adds a hint of realism to the movie.
• The camera then cuts to later in the day in which our character is formally clothed and dry, seated in his dining room - he possesses a look of hidden mischief indicating his parents are kept in the dark about lots of things he does.
• Then a 'master shot' is used. This shot contains all the characters from the scene and their environment/setting and all the mise-en-scene, which gives us an idea of their lifestyle.
• Slight low angle shot of the 'mother' engaging in conversation with the 'father'.
• Medium close up of main characters shifty expression to what the mother and father are saying.
• Same shot of father concentrating on serving food and making a mini-speech to his family. Talk of a celebration (diploma)
• A reverse-shot sequence is used to show who the exchange of dialogue is between (main character and his father (now standing)).
• Master shot again, except this time with a slow pan to the left
• Over the main character's shoulder shot of mother giving shifty look about the father's monologue
  
• Over the mother's shoulder shot of main character's reaction (reaction shot)
  
• Medium-close-up of father looking to his right still engaged in his monologue
• Over the shoulder reverse shot sequence used again to show reactions to father's comments.
• Master shot used again to show them sharing a toast and celebrating for their son's diploma completion.
• Cuts in to an overhead shot of the main character laying on his bed relaxing and smoking. Suddenly he screams/shouts loudlyYou hear diagetic conversation between him and his father.
• Cuts to him moving off of his bed with a tracking shot and a slow pan following his movement
• His torso at the side of the screen and a globe in the centre, indicating moving to another country, as it is the main point of focus in the shot.
• Over the shoulder shot of characters face from behind the globe.
• "First place you land, you go". Sure of what he is doing, moving away from home to anywhere else; not fussy about where he is going to go.
• Pans across globe spinning in a close up shot
• Cuts to over the shoulder shot; but slightly zoomed in so you can only just see the side of the globe, it focuses more on the characters expression.
• Cuts in to determined position he has pointed to on the globe; "Uganda"
• Non-diagetic music comes in; Native Ugandan Music.

Opening Credits

The opening credit text is in two colours; one in a red colour and one in an orangey/yellow colour, showing that war/conflict may be a key theme for this film. Also the colour red resembles blood and anguish, which would coincide with the theme of war.
A variety of shots is used which show the lifestyle and environment of our main characters new home; Multicoloured (green for vegetation, orange/yellows for desert and landscape and lots of bright colours for the attire of the natives of Uganda are wearing). The first establishing shot used is where we see our main character, totally outnumbered on a bus full of native people, and he stands out because he is the only white person on there.
Tracking shots are used numerous times, which shows a changing environment, from empty, dry and barren to full, lively and colourful settings. The fact that tracking shots are used helps us to put ourselves in the shoes of the main character or the other passengers on the bus. The camera work is fast paced which gives us the impression of a long bus journey through a few time changes.