In my opinion, the opening of this film was very gripping and interesting. It covers several different landscapes and places, which will be of some significance throughout the film. Through this we are introduced to the characters, their personalities and society in Glasgow.
The opening scene was a nightclub
in Glasgow. It shows the night life for young adults, which are predominantly third
and fourth generation Pakistani/Muslims. The connotations the images carry are
positivity, happiness and unity. There is no tension between all the people, as
they happily dance to Bhangra music, which are cultural songs that bring
everyone together. In this scene we also see Casim, as a DJ in the club.
We are also introduced to Casims
father, who owns a corner shop. This is almost a typical Asian corner shop, and
it has connotations of both men of the family working. At this point we haven’t
met the mother, and the younger girl is at school. However, when she’s not we
are shown she helps her Dad in his shop.
In the opening credits, there are
9 titles displayed, these can give off a pedigree influence as they name all
the famous actors in the film, what awards they’ve won, etc. It is a Sixteen
Film Production (Ken Loach Company), funded by Scottish Screen. This shows it
also has a lower budget for a film – not one of Hollywood’s top 6. It is a romance
genre, also including some comedy and Bollywood. After the opening credits,
there is a clear title of the film, with the background being a pan of Glasgow.
This shows the ‘calm before the storm’ and we are shown the place the whole
film will be taking place. The titles and credits show us how much organisation
and funding actually goes into any film, which is why films can take a very
long time to make.
‘I’m a dazzling mixture and I’m
proud of it.’
This is what Tahara says when she
is doing a speech in her school assembly. She talks about how she’s not just
Glaswegian, not just Muslim but a mix of different cultures and identities and
she embraces that. This is a key point in the opening section because it shows
this is not just a romance, but also a ‘coming of age’ film. She is proud who
she is, but this is contrasted by the racial tension by some of the Irish
Catholic boys in the school.
I think the most romantic scene
in this opening section is where Casim sees the Irish music teacher in a
classroom teaching a lesson, and gazes through the window at her. Her student
is singing ‘A Fond Kiss’ which symbolises and summaries how their relationship
is going to go throughout the film. They will fall in love; however, it will
fall apart as their cultures won’t allow it. He is a Muslim and she is an Irish
Catholic, so their relationship will run cold and they will be pulled apart. With
a voiceover of the girl singing ‘A Fond Kiss’, we are shown an insight into Casims
home life. All of his family are in the garden with an architecture plan,
looking to build an extension for Casim and his wife when he eventually gets
married. This is normal for Muslim tradition as the bride will move in with her
husband and his family, but it is just a reason Casim and the teacher Roisin
won’t work, because she has other plans and morals.
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