Dune Part 2 (2024)
Research
Jessica and her song Paul join the freemen, and Paul becomes closer to Chani while Jessica manipulates the prophecy. Paul drinks the water of life, making him the messianic leader, uniting the freeman tribes. Paul leads the Freemen against the Harkonnens, while others join to try to crush the rebellion. Paul uses his power over the Freemen to defeat them. He eventually rejects Chani's feelings and ascends the throne in a political marriage.
Analyze
Dune Part 2 opens on a black screen with a creature talking about power. A woman then begins narrating from her diary entry. There are mountains of bodies being lit on fire in a desert, and the woman says it's from the battle for Arrakis. The focused close-up on the fire cut scene to the pin on the ground suggests all this destruction is the owner of the pin's fault. It can also mean someone important who owned the pin was a victim of the battle for Arrakis. The piece falling off can symbolize the end of the destruction or a weakening of the universe in which Dune takes place. The close-up on the emperor's face shows his reaction to the deaths and his worry for his people. The woman reveals she is his daughter, and she isn't the same after the Arrakis battle, nor is her father. She reveals that his inaction is difficult for her to accept, especially since Duke Leto died during the battle and her father treated him like a son. The close-up of his frame being burned suggests he meant something to both of them. She reveals that the Harkonnens have done her father's dirty work; the younger man walking up to the older man symbolizes a passing down of power. The all-black clothed army, the Harkonnens have symbolize evilness and are the perpetrators of the battle. The woman says Arrakis has many secrets, but the darkest of them all may remain, while suspenseful music plays in the background, and they show a mid-shot of a planet, creating mystery for the rest of the film. The music becomes louder and orchestral when the title is shown establishes its weight and impact. The child in the next scene is referred to as her sister, in the next scene, revealing her father is dead, and that her brother wants her to "go back to the stars," which is a metaphor for dying. Her brother waking up in the next scene provides a good transition from the opener to the beginning of the plot.
Discuss
I think they did a good job establishing the battle and its importance in the beginning. The reveal of the woman talking in her diary entry about introducing herself when her dad isn't reacting shows how big a deal it is that Duke Leto died and how much it's affecting the emperor. They introduce the Harkonnens by saying they do the emperors' dirty work, and showing a ceremony of passing the torch, implying the next in line to the house of Harkonnen is about to become the leader. The all-black clothing of the Harkonnens symbolizes their role in the movie as the antagonists to be defeated by the messiah. The transition to her brother waking up builds suspense and makes the viewers question how powerful he really is.
The Matrix (1999)
Research
The Matrix is about humans unknowingly living in a computer-generated world, while the real world is being overrun by robots. The Matrix is designed to distract humans from going back to the real world and seeing the destruction. A resistance group led by Morpheus' ultimate dream is to free humanity. There are agents in The Matrix who enforce the rules and make sure no one escapes.
Analyze
The Opening starts with a warped green photo of warehouses, then transitions to the Warner Bros logo. This establishes a sense of mystery and suspense. It creates the questions: what does it mean, what is the location's significance, and what would make them use it as an establishing shot? The music is dramatic and grand, orchestral at first, then uses more futuristic elements for the Village Roadshow Pictures Logo. It then speeds up with the violins, creating a sense of urgency. Coding then appears with the title The Matrix written in code, with the letters slowly disappearing, setting a mysterious tone. The beeping as the green box ticks on and off suggests it's a computer screen waiting to be typed on. The phone call begins with a man surprised that a woman is there to answer his call. She says she felt like taking a shift, then the man begins interrogating her about a man she supposedly likes. The man she likes will be killed due to being the "chosen one" by a man named Morpheus. The call ends when she hears something and double-checks if the line is being tapped into. While the call is happening, the code starts tracking numbers as the phone call is going on, suggesting she may be getting hacked or tracked. The transition from the planet to a flashlight being held by a man suggests she will be getting raided soon, and is in one of the warehouses from the beginning. The music, being quiet and eerie, reflects the setting in a dark alley with electrical wires hanging from the ceiling. The woman looks down at the computer like she knew all along, or at least had a hunch this was going to happen.
Discuss
The opening does a good job of establishing characters and providing hints of context in the beginning. They mention Morpheus, a leader of a resistance group against The Matrix, a fake computer world designed to keep humans distracted from the real world, which is overrun by robots. It establishes Trinity's love for Neo and how, even though he is the chosen one, she values Morpheus opinion more than Neo's life. It also shows that other characters are aware of her feelings for Neo. It shows the agents and the power they have in The Matrix; they were able to track down Trinity through her encrypted calls.
Star Wars (1977)
Research
The galaxy is ruled by an evil galactic empire that is building a weapon called the Death Star. A boy named Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia work together to stop the Empire and prevent the Death Star from causing destruction.
Analyze
Grand orchestral music for the 20th century fox logo. The music suddenly stops, and the story begins, "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away". The music stopped suddenly for a dramatic event. A 2nd orchestral theme begins this time, sounding more futuristic than the first. Then, a rolling portion of the setting of the story. It starts off with a battle and ends with a princess racing home to protect her people.
Discuss
Opening crawls were considered old-fashioned back then, but Star Wars elevated it with its own space background.
Citations
1. Dune: Part Two – Opening Scene (HDR – 4K – 5.1) [Video]. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved January 31, 2026, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjJWvAhNq34
2. The Matrix Opening Scene HD [Video]. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved January 31, 2026, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIXNpePYzZU
3. Star Wars (1977) original opening crawl [Video]. (n.d.). YouTube. Retrieved January 31, 2026, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXDnFYu91vY
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