Sam: The Set Up (Robert Wise) Title Sequence Analysis

The Set Up (Robert Wise) Title Sequence Analysis

The Set Up is a film made in 1949, directed by legendary producer Robert Wise. It tells the tale of a boxer who found himself ravelled in gang and mafia related troubles. He is ordered to make his coming fight the last fight, or there will be trouble. The question is, will he obey these orders? It is a crime film, filmed in black and white.

The first shot the viewer gets is a shot from above of a man with a hammer, with the two lead actors names of “Robert Ryan and Audrey Totter in…” and the production company “RKO Radio Pictures INC presents”as the first text. When this text fades, the viewer is still getting the same shot, however, the main title text “The Set Up” appears on the screen. This shot of the man makes the viewer feel uncertain, as they have no idea on why the man has the hammer and what he is going to do with it.

The man then hits the hammer against a bell and directly after this, there is a hard cut showing the lower body of two men boxing in a boxing ring, with people jeering behind them. This is the first time it is revealed to the viewer that this is a boxing match, making the viewer feel somewhat relieved that this man wasn’t about to hit someone with the hammer. However, their relief is cut short with the realisation that some of the punches thrown by the men may be as hard as being hit with a hammer. During this shot, the names of all the actors featured in the movie in a horizontal line format. When the final text appears on the screen, “Robert Wise” the director, one of the boxers collapses to the floor after presumably being knocked out. The reaction shot of the man knocked out is hardly a reaction shot as he has visually been knocked out, staying cold on the floor and when the scene abruptly comes to a close, the viewer is left wondering whether he is okay. In addition to the boxer’s reaction shot, the viewer can see the crowd in the middle of the screen, reacting to this boxing match. The crowd seems angry when there is no real action in this boxing match, however, when the man gets knocked out, they seem happy and ecstatic. This reflects on the harsh reality of life. People will laugh at you while you’re down, and especially reflecting on the 1949 post-war atmosphere.

2 comments:

Media@ClaremontApril 13, 2021 at 5:34 AM
An interesting choice for a young film-maker like yourself. As you and your production team plan to make a crime film, this film opening with its gritty masculine quality and its literally combative presentation of a harsh, do-eat-dog world is inspiring for its unusually long-drawn out sequence and the intensity of its focus: the frame is constrained and the only soundtrack is the crowd jeering. As you note, the viewer is challenged by the aggression of the hammer and the brutality of the crowd's reaction. You draw attention to the use of black and white and how it fits the harshness of the period.
Media@ClaremontApril 13, 2021 at 5:43 AM
This is an interesting choice for a young film-maker like yourself, with its long-drawn out opening shot and constrained frame that shows only the lower half of the boxers. You intend to make a film opening set in a very masculine world, with crime on the agenda. Here, you note the challenges to the audiences with the threat of the hammer and the brutality of the crowd of spectators. It creates uneasiness from start to finish, with the soundtrack composed solely of the crowd's hunger for blood. You draw attention to the use of black and white and how it fits the harshness of the period.

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The Set Up (Robert Wise) Title Sequence Analysis

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