Introducing Location - 'The Karate Kid'

The Karate Kid

In this opening scene, the first few shots are of locations in Newark, New Jersey (which is indicated through titles on the screen), which show cars driving over bridges in a busy city. These establishing shots are followed by a shot of a block of terraced houses, with the camera panning/tilting down to a car with people around it. Even though in this opening sequence we meet a few characters, all we learn is that they are moving to California rather than the scene establishing any character traits; this scene has more to do with location, then, than characters and the location is emphasised through establishing shots and extreme long shots.

There is then a fade from the current location into a countryside road with the main characters still in the car, driving. Then, the atmosphere of the location changes drastically when there is a 'golden hour' shot of cacti. This represents the drastic change the "karate kid" goes through during his time in California.

Then, there is a wide angle shot of the car driving on the road on the side of a mountain (with loose framing). In the background the audience can see mountains in a deserted area (almost what you would see in a western film), which is very beautiful. The dramatic and sweeping non-diegetic music reinforces the wide landscape's magnificence. The extreme long shots, used throughout the sequence, emphasise the radical differences in the locations.