How the Director Manipulates the Audience's Reaction to the Opening and Closing Sequences of the Film Bend It Like Beckham

How the Director Manipulates the Audience's Reaction to the Opening and Closing Sequences of the Film Bend It Like Beckham

The Film 'Bend It Like Beckham' is shown as a light hearted comedy in

the blurb and also at the very start of the film. The term 'Comedy'

means humour, a film with a comedy genre is supposed to make people

laugh. So, it seems that 'Bend It Like Beckham' is comedy, however

once the storyline of the film begins the director starts to add

themes and particular issues. The Director makes the issues apparent

not only through the narrative but also film language and techniques.

So is the film just another comedy, or does it have a serious message

behind it?

The opening sequence starts with contrapuntal sound. The audience

hears the commentary of a football match whilst seeing the credits on

the screen. Immediately the audience is thinking the film is about

football. David Beckham's name is mentioned, and he is praised of his

football skills. The visuals then complement the diegetic sound

because it shows an extract from a televised football match. Use of

camera movements, close-ups, long shots and especially the low-angle

point of view shots make the football match more intense. This then

makes the goal look even better and exaggerates the glory of the girl

who scored it. The audience's reaction is immediate laughter because

the possibility of a teenage Indian girl scoring a goal for Manchester

united is ludicrous. This lures the audience into the false perception

that the film is a comedy. The director then has Gary Linikker and

others doing a football focus of the match and of Jess, the girl who

scored the goal. At first the scene appears to be realistic and then

you see an Indian women saying she doesn't approve of her daughters

football. This scene brings a lot of humour to the audience, but

underneath the layer of laughter there is a serious issue being

conveyed.

This is also obvious when the film moves into the real world.