Narrative Structure
The films begins with a bank job conducted by men wearing clown masks, this instantly gives off the impression they are hiding something and also hides there emotions which would highlight there ruthlessness at getting the job done. The eyes are red which can be interpreted as a sign of blood perhaps what is to come. Upon completion of each specific job one clown robber shoots the other (less people to split the cash between) showing their lack of mercy and signifying just how deadly these men are. Something which is repeated when they display their aggressive prowess when beating up those in the bank and putting grenades in each of their hands, this is a big indication of the type of lengths these people will go to. During all this their is small dialogue about "the joker" and the men express their views on his lack of involvement, leadership and persona, this creates a echo around an unknown character. The bank manager then pulls out a shot gun and begins to fire on the 3 men, this is stark contrast to the previous control that the men had and he is dominating, however having ran out of bullets he is shot down, perhaps signifying you cannot defeat these men. They all seem to have a incentive to kill one another, expressing greed yet its the Joker who is the mastermind as he has been in clown disguise all this time and has conducted not only the bank job but the killings off of all the others. When the bus arrives and casually drives out into a row of other school buses the job is complete and this has set the tone of just how clever and efficient this joker character is.
Cinematography
The scene is set well by a long shot of city landscape and then we see how effective zoom can be as it zooms in one window(of many) which eventually cracks to reveal the clowns. This is a good way to introduce the danger as there was a build up of tension signified by the zoom. In the zip wire scene the shot covers just how high up they are to give the audience as sense of how big this operation is. When the clones are killed off by their partners the camera both times is showing from in front of the victim displaying the killer raising the gun, this elevates the element of surprise that the killer has as your seeing him do it yet the victim can't. Also the victim's dead body/blood is never shown properly so this highlights the efficient, swift and cold blooded nature of the killing.
Sound
Straight from the off there is a loud boom once the window is smashed, this puts into motion the music and is intended to bring the audience straight into the action with no delay. The theme then develops and is a edgy ticking theme, perhaps suggesting what is to come, It is setting the tone for the importance of rhythm and time in this operation. This theme continues throughout the heist but there is a pause in it when one clown assassinates the other, emphasising the sound of the gun and giving the killing a deeper effect. Itt quickens in tempo as the action gets more aggressive and the bank manager begins to fight back, music is in parallel with the attitude and pace of the robbers. However once the bank manager is disposed of and only the Joker (disguised) and one robber is left the music cuts completely, suggesting an end to the operation and foreshadowing the impending death of the other clown (who is then hit by a bus) which is the final piece in the puzzle of each clowns murder. No music can be heard as the joker escapes in the bus, perhaps to show how his plan has been a success as he is fitting back into the normal world (e.g. only the noises of the city can be heard).
Character Profile
Each clown seems to represent a specific job required in the heist (e.g. one for cutting power, the other for opening safe ect) suggesting these men are professional and also experienced killers. This highlights even further the Joker's intelligence as he has chosen the best but is able to dispose of them all. The clown masks give them all a unity and disguise emotion which give them all a more cold and mercy less persona. The Joker himself (as I'ver touched on) is incredible smart in the conducting of this plan. He plots he man against the other using their lust for money for his advantage, but ultimately its his lust for the job to be success by ensuring each one is killed. He also informs another clown that the bank manager is out of bullets when he isn't, the hope the bank manager will kill the clown thus leaving more for the Joker, this shows how disloyal he is and that he is in it for himself and himself alone. Another good example of the extreme lengths the Joker will go to is the brutal handling of the staff and how he makes them hold grenades, representing his inhumanity. Yet he has craft, style and intelligence. To pit each man against each other, get all the cash and escape into a heard of school buses that the police cannot possible be sure of is a cunning plan and it is a hint of what is to come form the Joker and what a difficult enemy Batman is likely to face. I think this bank scene was all about setting the platform for the Joker's enigma to be bolstered before he weaves his way into the plot involving Batman.
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