15 Minutes Analysis - Thor (2011)

Thor – First 15 minutes analysis

Thor (2011, Dir. Kenneth Branagh) is a superhero film, produced by Marvel Studios and was distributed by Paramount Pictures. It's a mainstream film, due to the big name companies that it had as its production and distribution company, as well as how it was based on material from the existing Marvel franchise, which has a huge following. Thor sets itself aside from other Marvel films by its use of fantasy elements, rather than classic science fiction.

The film itself begins with dark imagery and suspenseful music, making the audience feel a sense of mystery, as the camera pans to a singular light source, a van. Later revealed to be a research team, out in the desert of New Mexico. This helps it link to it's genre of a superhero film with the expected science equipment, but it also contrasts the more fantasy parts of the whole film. 

We also get the first named character, Jane, and seeing as she's the main focus of this scene, the audience will expect her to become important later on. Jane explains how she's researching auroras and atmospheric disturbances, and 'her research'. This gives the audience enough information to know what's going on, while still keeping some plot elements for development later in the film.

Jane then goes on to discover the auroras she's been looking for, and the audience feel a resolve. They then go onto to create a dramatic sequence by use of music and moving cameras, with Jane needing to get closer to it, yelling at the driver to “GO!”. This creates the sense of urgency, and how the auroras must be a central plot device. The aurora then shows to be more of a storm, with hurricane and clouds, showing danger, and creating action in the so far quiet film. The group then hit someone with their car, which causes most of the action to dissipate as they have to find out who they've hit. The group are in a stunned silence, contrasting the previous sequence which has sound effects and visual cues of hurricanes and explosions.

The group then investigate the body, talking a lot more than before due to how the scene has little action other than them getting out of the van. After asking the question “Where did he come from?”, they have a close up on her face and then a high angle wide shot to show the emptiness of their surroundings. 

The film then cuts to the opening sequence, introducing it as a Marvel picture. The film also has a huge setting change, going back in time to 965 and to Norway. Most of the audience will know about Thor and his backstory, and will expect more about him in this sequence. The camera has a wide high angle shot showing the difference in scenery. A narrator also appears, telling the audience that 'man knew they were not alone in the universe'. This links to the Marvel franchise, and how they have pre-existing use of aliens and similar sci-fi elements. At the same time he develops his speech to talk about gods, which links back to the Thor franchise.

The film shows a simple old-age village that wouldn't be out of place in a fantasy film, but also shows the villagers with scared expressions. It then goes onto show a wide angle shot of a fantasy race called 'frost giants'. This is exposition and explanation for later in the film, when they serve a purpose in the plot. It goes onto showing them killing people, making their status as antagonists clear, as well as the narrator stating their wants to cause harm. It then goes onto create a war scene, in which the two sides are shown, creating tensions. A close up of both the sides 'leaders' portrays the humans side as bright, while the giants side as being more dark and sinister. The two sides then clash in a classic war fight scene, with disorientated and blurred scenes to give the idea of how reckless and confusing it must be to be in the fight.

The scene then goes to a shot of the planet, with a noticeable ice sheet over it, as well as the narrator returning to explain how they overcame the frost giants. Changing scenery to a wide shot of a temple, the camera flies through the scene to show the same person who led the army having taken great damage, having lost an eye and looking a lot more dishevelled. The scene then changes again back to the planet, but shows the camera going beyond the planet and further into space, the narrator saying how they're going 'back home', then revealing they came from 'Asgard'. 

The camera then goes to show a fantasy setting of a city, which looks very extravagant and impressive to show its importance. The camera finally sets on the inside of what appears to be a temple, with the narrator being revealed to be the leader of the army, showing two children the artefact they claimed from the frost giants. A hammer comes into shot, showing the typical Thor iconography. The characters develop, the man who lead the armies is revealed to be king, and the two children are his sons.

The setting then changes to a large hall, crowded with people, showing a man holding the hammer, 'Mjolnir', as well as the king who seems to have grown older. Frequent shots show perfect symmetry, showing the order in the scene, a big contrast to the chaos of the war scene shown previously. The man is then revealed to be Thor, showing that the story is properly underway. The king, which the audience will have figured out to be Odin, begins a speech, and while this happens the camera then flies to an underground temple, with darker lighting to show the change in mood.

 It shows two people approaching the artefact seen earlier in the film, as well as ice imagery to parallel the frost giants, who then are shown to be back, with Odin interrupting his speech to notice them. They're shown taking the artefact. The camera cuts back to Odin, who releases what seems to be a giant suit of armour, in the temple room that subsequently destroys the frost giants. The main three characters, Thor, Loki, and Odin are then shown inspecting the revealed to be weapon's vault, and having an argument over the events, with Odin finishing saying Thor isn't really king.

Thor is shown to be incredibly angry due to this, flipping a table full of food and cutlery. He's shown needing to be reconciled by both his brother, Loki, and a group of his peers, with Thor claiming they're going to 'Jotunheim', the characters then say how dangerous, even forbidden, it is to get there. Thor inevitably convinces the group to travel with him to Jotunheim, and a montage showing their travelling ensues, showing the advancement of the plot.