Analysing Opening Sequences and Characters - 'Hot Fuzz'

The first opening scene that focuses on introducing character and character traits that I will be looking at is from Edgar Wright's 'Hot Fuzz' starring Simon Pegg as PC Nicholas Angel.

The film opens with a shot of a policeman walking into an empty office, immediately suggesting to the audience that he is incredibly hardworking and devoted to his job so much so that he is the only one to come in after hours (this establishes character traits that we see repeatedly throughout the film). 

His body language of striding into the office suggests that he is very confident and feels a lot of pride in his identity and job (further traits established in the opening scene which we see play out later in the narrative). The audience are not exposed to his life outside his job, only witnessing events that are related to progressing in his career - establishing to the audience that his identity is his job, and that his career is the only thing he is focused on. 

He then holds up his police badge to the camera, further showing his pride in his job.  

The opening scene then incorporates a montage which demonstrates how serious, effective and hard working he is, showing him winning in various activities from judo to chess, and excelling at his police exams. This further demonstrates his skills which shows the audience that he is a very high achieving officer, creating expectations for the audience that he is very efficient and perhaps is the standout police officer compared to his peers. This is highlighted by the voiceover which explains how he excels in every area and has been awarded with commendations.