Opening Sequence Of Pretty Woman Analysis

Pretty Woman is a romantic comedy based around two central characters; Edward and Vivienne. In the clip, these two characters are portrayed to  be completely opposite to each other. Both in distance, and in status. Where eventually, at the end of the clip, we come to the point where these two characters meet each other for the first time.
At the start of the clip, we see a close up shot of two hands holding money. They are being used as part of a money magic trick. This foreshadows information that we learn about Edward later on. That he is very wealthy, and that his money seems to appear out of nowhere.
There is one significant piece of dialogue at the start of the clip. "No matter what they say, it's all about the money." This is another technique of foreshadowing. It suggests that the storyline of the film revolves around money, and the problems surrounding it.
In the opening, all the characters are at a party. The party, is in fact being held for Edward. This tells the audience that he is really important amongst the community, and that he is the main topic of conversation.
The smartly dressed party guests are used as a way of suggesting that Edward has a wealthy lifestyle, where he is able to have lots of parties and events going on in his life.
In one of the following scenes, we see Edward alone. He is situated on a higher level of the building, above everyone else. This also gives the audience the impression that he is important. During this scene, he is talking on the phone to his girlfriend. They are having an argument, and while doing so, the camera is panning around Edward's body. This suggests that no part of him is emotional in any way, as soon after, he splits up with his girlfriend.

By watching this clip, we can see that Edward's friends and workers, are not very well treated by him. We know this from when he drives off with a friends car, without asking. This is to show that he has authority and power over the other characters.

The audience, from this, will also learn that Edward cannot drive. This is due to the fact that he gets driven around by others, and therefore doesn't need to drive.

Whilst he is driving, an aerial shot is used to allow the audience to see the wealthy part of LA, before he drives to the more rougher areas. The non-diagetic sound playing is a song named "I'm over you." This is a significant song title within the film, as it portrays Edward as being un-emotional.

Following this, we see a close up shot of two hands; just like the ones at the beginning. Although this time, it is a drug deal, not a magic trick. This is used to show that the set up has been swapped around, and the location has changed completely.
The graffiti on the buildings and shutters on the shops connote a run down, poor lifestyle.

We also know that it is a dangerous place to live when we see an ambulance rushing past the scene.

Next, we are introduced to our second central character; Vivienne.

Firstly, we see an aerial shot of lots of torn up photos, belonging to Vivienne. This tells the audience that she has had many previous relationships that haven't worked out. This makes the audience feel sympathetic towards her, as they may be able to relate to her in some way.
There are several ways in which the film portrays her as being poor. One way is when we see the close up shot of her colouring in her boots with the marker pen. This tells us that, although she is poor, she is determined to earn a living.
The non-diagetic sound at this point is a song called "I'm a wild one." This gives the audience an idea of what kind of personality Vivienne has, and how it contrasts with Edward's.

This clip analysis helped me to understand how various different types of characters can be portrayed in film. The contrast between the two main characters in the clip helped to understand more about representation of different social classes in film.