Mulan opening scene analysis

The first shot in the scene is if the great wall of china. This is shown in a panning long shot that moves its way along the wall, showing the audience that this is a large, imposing structure. The great wall of China is a major and famous landmark and so the audience can immediately tell that the film is set in China. From the opening scene we can learn that the film is about the huns invading China. The scene starts with deep and apprehensive music. This creates a feeling of suspense in the audience as they get the feeling that something bad is about to happen. The music changes to a high pitched note when the bird knocks the soldier's helmet off of his head. This change increases the suspense. The the music changes again when the grappling hooks are thrown on to the wall. It changes to a panicked tone as the soldier shouts "we are under attack". The music changes again when the Main antagonist reveals himself for the first time. A low angle shot is used to show that he is a powerful man.