RESEARCH: Deconstruction 3

Opening Scene Deconstruction of 'Goal 2: Living the Dream'

Directer: Jaume Collet-Serra
Year: 2007
Certification: 12A
Genre: Sporting drama

In my final deconstruction of an opening scene from a film, I shall deconstruct ‘Goal 2: Living the Dream’. Each film I have spoken about so far has implied a feeling about the genre and atmosphere of the film and this one is no different. The genre is a sporting genre, and dramas about sport can often be taken lightly so I feel the opening tries to rectify this by a serious atmosphere. Between the mise-en-scene, camera types, editing and sound this opening 2 minutes clearly shows the viewer that the movie is based on sport but is a serious drama.

The movie begins with a mix of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. The non-diegetic sound being the music which plays throughout the opening and the diegetic is the sound of a crowd cheering. At this point editing is used to fade in a picture of the top of a very large sporting stadium. This lets the viewer now that this setting is a very large occasion with plenty of passion as you can hear by the sound, although the occasion is not yet clear. Now the camera zooms and spins down onto the pitch, and it is clear that it is a football match.  Also, if you are watching the movie you are probably a fan of football, so you would be made aware this is Barcelona vs Real Madrid. This is a massive Spanish derby with plenty of importance and passion, so anyone with outside knowledge of football will be feeling this is a serious occasion. Here some sound kicks in of the player kicking the football and the commentary. Both of these things you would hear in a football match, so the viewer knows this scene is meant to be like you are watching a football match.

In this first clip you see that Barcelona take the lead in the football match, and their plays burst into elation. This is connoted with a long shot of the players cheering and the fans in the background. The diegetic sound of the roar from the fans in the background also implies the elation. On the other hand, the camera then cuts to Real Madrid players who look very deflated. There is a mid shot of David Beckham, who is seen as a role model figure, looking disappointed. I feel such a massive figure is used so all viewers can relate to his feeling of deflation. You then hear and see a Real Madrid player trying to rally his players with positivity. However, the music contradicts this positivity because it is very glum and serious. I feel this is done on purpose to give a sense of misguided hope, which makes the viewer feel empathy and happiness is not meant to be the overall vibe from the scene.

After Real Madrid concedes, the editing cuts together a series of football highlights of them missing countless chances. The camera angles show that this is meant to be more football highlights than a live match, because a live match can not display such precise angles. Gradually as Real Madrid miss more and more chances to score, you can feel the despair building up on the pitch and the in the stadium. This is implied through sound of an agitated crowd and with Real Madrid with heads in hands. Following these missed chances Barcelona go onto score 2 more to make the score 3-0. The viewer now knows the only tale of this opening scene is misery for Real Madrid. The camera shows a close up of their new signing player, and the commentator comments on how he isn’t doing well, and they need someone else. This is the only implication of the story line as you get the feeling the story might be Real Madrid needing a new player and seeking one.

Overall, I feel this opening clearly displays genre and mood. It goes straight into a football match so this is clear for the viewer to see what kind of movie it shall be. The focus seems to be on misery of Real Madrid rather than elation for Barcelona, so this is a way making the viewer feel downbeat rather than happy. Also, the music which plays throughout isn’t necessarily what you’d expect and tries to offer something to someone watching the film that doesn’t like sport.