Film Analysis and Breakdown - Essay Example

The filming is a spectacular mix of close up and panoramic shots that encapsulate life before and after the Hurricane. No shot is wasted during the opening sequence, as the view is taken on a journey through two different time periods. Documentaries are often designed to elicit emotion and to tell a story. This opening sequence certainly accomplishes this aim. While there is nothing spoken, the music tells the story. There are great editing features employed here that cut between the massive flooding that occurred when the levees broke, yet we are then cut back to an earlier time when the area was beautiful and life was good.

This editing technique provides a comparison and contrast that make the film effective in communicating its intended message. The music itself appears to be carefully chosen as well. Rather than shifting its message and tone, the jazz played during the opening sequence is a consistent representation and reminder of what the Gulf Region was, and hopes to once again become. Finally, the opening sequence has a cut in action that takes us to the present time to begin telling the story that forms the foundation of the film.

Two images truly dissolve into one another as the region of old and the region of today is meshed together to pain a vivid picture in the mind of the viewer. That opening sequence is designed to serve as the introduction to a story. It captivates the viewer and leaves them wanting to know more. That is the essence of a good