Chicago

In my opinion Chicago has a brilliant opening as the storyline is opened up instantly to it's audience. Chicago begins with Velma Kelly entering a Jazz club and getting ready to perform on stage for her audience who believe they are waiting to see the known double-act, the Kelly sisters. The opening of Chicago draws the audience in straight away as it is easily understood that there is no longer a double-act but just one sister performing in the club. This is hinted right away as when Velma leaves her taxi, about to enter the club she rips off Veronicas name on the poster of the two of them, leaving just Velma Kelly written on the poster. She then marches to her dressing room and flings open her suitcase. It is here that the audience grasp the concept that Velma has killed her sister as she pulls out a gun and hides it in a cabinet, she then washes the blood off her hands, continues getting ready and goes out to perform.

There are two spotlights on the stage, one for Velma and one for Veronica, but when only Velma is standing in her spotlight there is obvious concern on the pianists face in particular as he introduced "The Kelly Sisters" and didn't expect to be presented with just one of them. This provides some tension within the film as the audience know exactly what has happend, yet the audience in the jazz club must be clueless to why they've been presented with just one of the Kelly sisters. Velma Kelly continues to perform and the camera angle then turns to an admiring Roxie Hart, who in the film is later learnt to be a huge fan of the Kelly sisters. Roxie is introduced straight away to the film as an aspiring jazz singer as she imagines herself in the position of Velma Kelly. Roxie then goes home with "Fred", who seems like he is her partner at this point in the film. The police then arrive at the jazz club and Velma Kelly looks on as she performs knowing that the police were there for herself.

The film then goes back to Roxies home, where she is with Fred. It is then revealed to the audience that Roxie is cheating on her husband with Fred. Roxie Hart is an obvious fame hunter and would do anything to be famous, she keeps mentioning Fred's "friend at the club", who Fred admits doesn't exsist when Roxie persists on talking about him. Roxie believed Fred could get her a foot in the door and after finding out that he couldn't she pulls out a gun and murders him there and then.

I love the opening to Chicago because so much happens in the first 10 minutes. It is obvious straight away that Velma Kelly has murdered her sister to the audience by all the different signs. Roxie's aspiration to be a star is introduced quickly into the film to the audience which is important as it is referred to throughout the film, and when a distraught Roxie murders Fred it is a big shock to the audience as the gun seems to be pulled out from nowhere and fired so fast.