Captain Fantastic Opening Analysis

The first thing seen in the opening of the film is a quaint woodland area with very light atmosphere, with two establishing shots that linger on to show the setting. A deer is then introduced, and for the next few shots it's in the centre of the frame, which aligns the audience with the animal but this allegiance is quickly revoked. A variety of different shot types are used to enforce this alignment, mostly the close up right before a sound is heard by the deer, in which the shot quickly cuts to an unknown figure hiding in the bushes. We're then given a POV type shot from the perspective of this mysterious person watching the animal, which provides an almost looming sense of tension which further pushes the idea that the audience is supposed to feel a strong sense of alignment with the deer. More shots of the animal are shown, in which it's just going about its business, until the figure is now present in the frame with the deer. The figure, who is now clearly seen as a young man, leaps out of the bushes and pounces on the deer, shattering any sense of hope the audience had for the animal's survival. A struggle ensues between the man and the deer, resulting in the animal swiftly getting its throat slit and being tackled by the boy, further removing alignment from the scene. The tone of the scene is completely changed after this, with a close up shot of the boys hands and the knife that was used to kill the deer, both covered in the animals blood. The camera then follows the boy as he stands up and looks at the now dying deer, and a close up is shown off the deer and then the camera goes back to the boy