A character's introductory scene doesn't necessarily need to be big and flashy to make an impact. Consider, for example, the first time we see Alex DeLarge in A Clockwork Orange. Sometimes, all it takes is foreboding music and a slow zoom out, and Malcolm McDowell's cheerfully menacing face will handle the rest. At the very beginning of A Clockwork Orange, Alex is reclining on a bed with several of his "droogs", all holding glasses of what looks like milk. It starts with a medium shot of Alex as he slowly drinks and stares into the camera, and as it slowly zooms out, the audience sees his friends sitting with him, and discover that they're surrounding by creepy sex mannequins. It's such an intensely unsettling image, and nothing's even really happened yet.
Audrey Fox is an ex-film student, which means that she prefers to spend her days in the dark, watching movies and pondering the director's use of diegetic sound. She currently works as an entertainment writer, joyfully rambling about all things film and television related. Add her on Twitter at @audonamission and check out her film blog at 1001moviesandbeyond.com.
