Analysis of British Film Bronson

The opening scene of the 2008 film Bronson starts with a very dark room, which has a red light that helps the audience just make out a bald headed naked man (Tom Hardy playing Charles Bronson). Non diegetic sound is used by using a song by the Walkers Brothers the Electrician, which adds tension to the scene as it is a very slow song that uses a very dark bass sound to add effect. This scene shows Bronson in a cage doing press ups, punching the cage and looking as if he is ready for a fight, as he has a very aggressive look to his face and is covered in blood and looking very dirty. All of the shots in the previous scene are simple mid shots, because if complicated shots where used because of the lack of light, the audience would not be able to make out what is happening. The next scene is of a set of prison guards opening one of two doors to access the cage that Bronson is in, as the door opens all of the lights come on, by now the audience have discovered that Bronson is in a very high security prison, which you would think for serious actions his part, but the audience are not aware of what he has done in his life so far. As the cell doors to access Bronson are opened he has his fists clenched and looks like a heavy weight boxer, in good shape and on his toes ready for a brawl, as he his approached by the set of guards he does not look intimidated at all. As the guards are in touching distance to Bronson, he swings for one of them hitting the top of his helmet, as contact is made the song drops into what seems like a happy more uplifting part, but that is why it goes so well as Bronson is fighting off guard after guard, the song is more cheerful that it ever was before. The Scene then finishes with a Mid Shot of Bronson laughing towards the camera and the title comes up in Red ‘Bronson’