One Week: Opening

• The opening to One Week could support Andrew Bazins argument that realism is the most important function of cinema.

  However, his expressionism does shine.
• Iris transition opens the film: mimicking the opening of a camera lens, which is expressionistic in acknowledging the presence of a camera.

  Opens into MS motif temporal marker calendar counting the days.
• Iris transition closes, 'the wedding bells have such a sweet sound but such a sour echo,' Keaton gag foreshadowing the troubles faced by the newly weds in the first week of marriage.
• Dissolve transitions (reflecting German Expressionism and Soviet montage) into a deep focus LS of the newly weds exiting the church, realist mis en scene portraying western wedding.
• The LS shows the throwing of rice and shoes at Keaton and Sybil, a symbol of transfer of the fathers authority over the bride to the husband, reflecting the context of America in the 1920s.
• Cutting to a MS of Handy Hank 'the man she turned down' with an exaggerated disgusted / jealous performance, an example of expressionism.
• LS shows Keaton and Sybil entering the Ford car, 'just married' plastered to the door, the ford as a symbol of the working class, and modernism in America.
• Cuts to a wider LS, revealing a sign reading 'good luck, you'll need it' on the front of the car, another example of Keaton's silent gag through the words on screen.

  Following this, HH is establishes as villain through gag when attempting to kiss his wife he continues turning his head, disturbing their peace.
• ELS shows Keaton and Sybil exiting HH moving vehicle into the one next to it, Keaton's realist stunt performed himself with his legs stuck to either car.

  This is a symbol of modernism and Keaton's 'everyman' persona as he struggles to keep up with the quickly changing America, also seen in ELS expressionist gag when the car turns the corner with no driver - technology taking over man.
• Keaton replicates the 1920s conflict between authority and America in his emasculation of them, ELS where Keaton kicks a police officer, in order to steal his hat (identity) to rescue Sybil.

  He then knocks the police officer in the head with his own weapon to turn him onto HH whilst Keaton escapes with Sybil, furthering this masculine competition
• This mimic of the American conflict with authority (also links into the prohibition) can be read as realism.
• The continuity editing is used to realistically show the passage of time, again a realist technique.
• The newlyweds move to a typical, small American town, realistically showing the houses of poorer american family.