Telvision Criticism - Univ. of Iowa

            The opening sequence for the Showtime show, The Tudors, is complex and artistic while retaining the television tradition of introducing the characters and the relationships.  The sequence lasts exactly 90 seconds and contains over 100 different shots.  Through the use of quick cuts and juxtaposing images, the story is told and meanings are created.  Below is a very long shot list detailing each individual shot:

Graphic against black screen – “And So It Begins”

Slowly zooming in shot - Empty Throne with crown placed where the king would sit

Quick Cut – actual tapestry or other form of artwork depicting Henry VIII on the throne watching what appears to be Anne Boleyn yelling at Catholic Clergy members

Quick Cut – Close up of crown flared in light

Return to Zoom of empty throne

Quick Cut – Actual portrait of Anne Boleyn

Quick Cut – Obscure Angle of building before bird flies in front of it

Return to Zoom of Empty Throne

CU - of black bird flying in front of the building from the previous quick cut

Quick Cut – actual portrait (close up) of Henry VIII with his name, “HENRY VIII,” appearing in a white graphic over the entire picture.  The Graphic is large and the main thing you see during the cut.

Quick Cut – another actual portrait of Henry VIII sitting with his court with the same graphic imposed

Quick Cut – actual artwork of a man from the time period courting a woman (assumed to be Henry) without the graphic

Quick Cut – same portrait of Anne Boleyn seen earlier           

Quick Cut – Actual (non-artwork) cross with fire and smoke behind it

Quick Cut – Artwork of Henry VIII talking to a catholic clergyman with the white graphic of his name superimposed again

Quick Cut – Artwork of Henry VIII seated on the throne with what appears to be politicians admiring him

CU  - Jonathan Rhys Meyers the actor playing Henry VII is now seated on the throne as the camera zooms in to an ECU he is starring straight at it and smirks while his eyebrows as the shot flares out

Establishing Crane Shot of a palace of the time period (possibly Tower of London or Hampton Court).  Graphic of “Showtime Presents” in white superimposed in bottom right corner

CU – A shot of a women’s torso as she is unlacing a corset like dress with nothing underneath

CU  - Shot of bedpost with a blurry couple having sex in the background.  Graphic of “In Association with Peace Arch Entertainment” superimposed in bottom left corner.

LS  (tracking shot) - Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Henry out riding horses with court members

MS – same scene as above, but Henry is now riding directly into the camera

CU – Darkened interior scene showing the profile of Henry on the left side of the screen looking pensive and a blurred candle in the background (Has an almost artistic quality reminiscent of the chiaroscuro painting of Caravaggio et. al.)  Henry slowly turns toward camera.

Quick Cut – Close up of the crown once again, but this time the frame is inverted and the crown seems to be sitting on the right vertical side of the screen as if pointing at Henry from the previous shot.

Title Card of show – Black frame with the crown blurred in the lower right corner.  The graphic “The Tudors” slowly moves into the majority of the screen.  The graphic is in white.  In between the words appears a large red object that appears to be a combination of a sword and a cross.

MS – Jonathan Rhys Myers pulls back a curtain as if spying and is looking off into the distance at something off screen.

LS – Scene of the throne room.  Henry is on the throne with the crown in his lap.  Two guards to his left, and to his right stands Anne Boleyn and two ladies in waiting.  The vector from the last shot makes it appear as if Jonathan Rhys Myers was starring at himself.  Anne slowly places her hand onto Henry’s arm.

LS – Couple having sex in a bed in the woods.  The scene is blurred but assumed to be Henry and Anne

CU – Another scene of a couple having sex in a bed in the woods, but only shot from the waist down and heavily distorted and blurred

CU – Jonathan Rhys Myers on the right side of the screen with a red tapestry background slowly looks up at the camera.  The scene briefly flares and then imposes “Jonathan Rhys Meyers” as a white graphic on the left of the screen with a blurred gold image beneath, possibly the crown

MS – The tower of a building at sunset, possibly a monastery of cathedral.  The sun is moving backwards across the sky.

ECU – Man brushing his hand along the top of a woman’s corset and her breasts moving up to her chin.

MS – The actor Henry Cavill who plays Henry VIII’s friend Charles Brandon standing in front of a red tapestry.

CU – Woman in bed obscured partially by a curtain or drape

ECU – A man’s hand resting on the hilt of a sword

CU – Henry Cavill on the left side of the screen in front of a red tapestry looking at the camera with the white graphic “Henry Cavill” on the right side of the screen.  Once again there is a blurred gold object beneath the graphic.

Establishing shot – Westminster Abbey; coronation of Anne Boleyn

LS – Anne Boleyn on the throne crowned as Henry walks in front of her

ECU – Anne’s face takes up ¾ of the screen on the right side.  She is starring at the camera and slowly blurs.

ECU – Anne’s bare neck as a hand strokes it

ECU – A second angle of the above shot that flares out at the end

CU – Natalie Dormer, the actress who plays Anne, on the right side of the screen looking into the camera in front of the red tapestry.  The white graphic “Natalie Dormer” on the left side of the screen with the same blurred gold object beneath it.

MS – a darkened figure in a cathedral kneeling to pray

ECU – Maria Doyle Kennedy who plays Henry’s first wife Catherine kisses the floor of the church in reverence

MS – Catherine against a blurred and drab background of a tapestry looking at the camera

CU – Catherine looking down to her hands

CU – Catherine holding a rosary

MS – Maria Doyle Kennedy on the left side of the screen still in front of the drab background looks out at the camera.  On the right side of the screen is the white graphic “Maria Doyle Kennedy” and the same blurred gold object beneath it.

Exterior shot – a gray building with the silhouette of an executioner raising an axe over his head and bringing it down quickly.

MS – Henry in bed asleep sits up quickly and feverishly right as the axe falls

MS – Nick Dunning, who plays Thomas Boleyn (Anne’s father), looking off suspiciously to the right

CU – A man pulling a knife covertly out of his doublet

CU – Nick Dunning on the left side of the screen starring off camera as the white graphic “Nick Dunning” and the blurred gold image appear on the right.

LS – group of men in light armor walking briskly through the halls of a church or palace

Establishing Shot – Scene of a man taking communion in a church nave shot through the opened gate

CU – A catholic priest in full robes is handed an object by a man in black.

CU – the man in black whispers to the priest as the shot flares out

CU – James Frain, the actor who plays Thomas Cromwell, on the right side of the screen with the graphic “James Frain” on the left.  The gold object is not blurred this time but is distinctly a crown that Cromwell is staring at.  He turns to look slightly to the right of the camera.

Exterior shot – Arial shot of London and the Thames

MS  - Jamie Thomas King , who plays the poet Thomas Wyatt (Anne’s supposed lover), bows to Anne Boleyn on the throne at court.

MS – Two men sword fighting for the entertainment of people seated at a banquet table

ECU  - knight in full mail holding a sword in front of him

CU – two knights in full armor with their visors up

ECU – one knight putting his visor down

CU – Jamie Thomas Kennedy on the left of the screen still bowing slowly looks up presumably at Anne as the graphic “Jamie Thomas King” and the blurred gold object appear on the right side of the screen.

ECU – water in a bowl or chalice with wine or blood dropped into it

CU – white candles

LS – two women at an altar praying, one appears to be Catherine

ECU – hands in prayer with a rosary wrapped around them

CU – Hans Matheson, who plays Thomas Cranmer the Archbishop of Canterbury, is on the right side of the screen as the graphic “Hans Matheson” and the blurred gold object are on the left of the screen.  He turns to look into the camera.

LS – catholic priest performing ritual prayers

CU – the hands of a catholic priest, specifically that of the pope because of the ring he is wearing

CU – Peter O’Toole as the pope looking out pensively at the camera

ECU – A catholic priest in ceremonial robes is holding a cross

MS – Peter O’Toole is seated in his throne in the cathedral on the right side of the screen and the graphic “Special Guest Star Peter O’Toole” along with the blurred gold object appears on the left of the screen

Exterior Shot – men in formation on horses that the top of the hill seemingly ready to charge in battle

MS – a blurred shot of a catholic priest crossing himself

CU – The hands of a man in black robes holding a weathered book

CU – Jeremy Northam, who plays Thomas Moore, staring sadly straight at the camera

ECU – yellow candles

MS – Jeremy Northam on the right side of the screen staring straight at the camera with the graphic “Jeremy Northam” on the left of the screen in front of a cross that is in the background.  There is no gold object this time.

LS – jousting tournament

MS – Rider being knocked off his horse in the jousting scene

LS – Henry at court seated at his throne rises slowly

LS – cross on an exterior column falls as Henry rises

Cu – Falling Cross

Interior Shot – wide angle of a church interior

MS – Henry in profile turning to look toward the right

CU – Anne looking over her shoulder to the right

CU – Catherine looking to the right

CU – Charles Brandon glancing up to the left

CU – Thomas Moore looking to the left

CU – black bird flying in front of a building, same shot that was used in the beginning of the opening

Quick Cut – artwork of Henry VIII used in the beginning but with no graphic

Quick Cut – artwork of Henry VIII at court also used previously

Quick – artwork that is a close-up portrait of Henry VIII also used previously

Quick Cut – Artwork of man courting lady also used previously

Quick Cut – portrait of Anne Boleyn also used previously

Quick Cut – shot of actual cross with fire and smoke behind it also used previously

Quick Cut – artwork of Henry VIII talking to priest also used previously

Quick Cut – artwork of Henry VIII seated on throne while politicians admire him also used previously

LS – Catholic priest shot from above walking through an abandoned hall with the graphic “Created By Michael Hirst” superimposed, also one of the longest shots time wise.

CU – Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Henry walking towards the camera down the aisle of a throne room

ECU – the image of the crown once again inverted on the side of the screen

CU – Henry still walking towards the camera

CU – Henry once again seated in the throne as in the beginning of the opening staring at the camera

END OF TITLE SEQUENCE

            The sequence itself is symmetric with a beginning, middle, and end.  In the beginning, the camera zooms in on an empty throne bringing the audience into the story.  At the same time, brief images of artwork displaying the real life Henry VIII flash as if to remind the audience that this story is real and has been told before.  The beginning sequence culminates in the close up of Jonathan Rhys Meyers sitting on the throne.  After all this is character driven drama that centers on Henry VIII’s reign.  The end segment of the opening sequence mimics the beginning.  The art images are flashed quickly almost in reverse order as Henry VIII strides straight towards the camera.  Just as the beginning of the sequence ushered the audience into Henry VIII’s world, the end brings them out of it while still centering on Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

            The majority of the opening sequence is comprised of the remaining middle segment.  Within this segment there are several main tasks the shots accomplish.  First and foremost, the characters of the drama are established. In addition to this, the images presented identify the two main themes of the show: sex and power, and the church versus Henry VIII.  Finally, a sense of voyeurism is shown in the opening.

            When presenting the characters of the show, the opening sequence relies on images to define the personalities of the characters and their relationships to one another.   Throughout the sequence the shot of the character with the actor’s name is preceded by two or three images that flesh out the character.  A good example of this is the contrast between Henry’s first wife, Catherine, and Anne Boleyn.  The shot sequence leading up to revealing the name of the actress playing Anne Boleyn consists of a scene showing her coronation followed by an extreme close up of a man stroking her neck.  Clearly Anne has achieved her status of power through sex.  Immediately following Anne’s sequence of defiant sex and power, Catherine is introduced through radically different shots.  She is shown penitently praying and holding a rosary.  She is also shown in demure black clothes.  It is obvious that she is associated with religion and specifically Catholicism.  Simply from placing the two sequences one right after another, the audience clearly realizes the inherent differences in the characters and can infer that they are at odds with one another.

            In addition to introducing the characters, the opening sequence presents the idea that sex and power are connected.  Immediately after the beginning portion of the opening sequence, shots of a lady undressing and a couple in bed are shown.  These are the first shots of the middle section of the opening.  There is an importance placed on sex.  The audience can infer that it will play an important role in the show.  The very next shot shown is that of Henry riding forcefully and quickly across the countryside on his horse.  The shot suggests virility and power and is tied to the previous images of sex.  Immediately following this sequence of sex and power is another.  In this one, the establishing shows Henry in full glory on his throne with Anne buy his side.  The two clearly enjoying power.  The subsequent shots are of a couple (possibly Anne and Henry) having sex on a bed in the woods.  Once again, power and sex become intermingled where one seems impossible without the other.  Even though this is a character driven drama, the opening presents sex and power before the characters themselves.

            Towards the end of the middle sequence, the second major theme of the show is presented.  The last three characters of the show to be presented are Thomas Cranmer, the Pope, and Thomas Moore.  Cranmer is dressed as a clergyman not a priest as he represents the English reformation.  The Pope is shown dressed in full Catholic regalia.  Clearly these two characters represent the struggle over religion that is to take place.  The next three shots are of a battlefield, a priest crossing himself, and Thomas Moore.  Clearly war has come to religion and Moore is in the middle of it.  Finally, the next shot shows Henry VIII rising from his throne as a subsequent shot shows a cross failing off of a pillar.  As Henry rises the cross falls.  Henry has brought war to religion and has destroyed it.

            The final task of the middle sequence of the opening is to instill a sense of voyeurism in the audience.  As the characters are introduced they are shown staring directly into the camera.  Jonathan Rhys Meyers more than other stares out at the audience.  As we are watching their story, they are aware of our presence and almost dare and invite us to look.  This is reinforced by the final shots of the middle sequence of the opening.  All of the main characters are shown looking in to the distance as if they are themselves watching someone.  We, too, as the audience can watch and can see their story.

            The opening sequence for The Tudors artfully stitches together a large amount of shots in order to convey the main themes of the show and introduce the main characters.   The use of artwork signals to the audience that this show is elevated above the masses and is real.  Without watching any of the show, the opening sequence allows the audience to learn the basics of the show and become entranced with the intricacies of the drama.