The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy (Part 1) Opening Sequence Theory Research

This is the opening sequence to the Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy . Barthes five narrative codes and Levi-Strauss's binary opposites theories both apply to this sequence.

Barthes five narrative codes:

Enigma Code:

• We want immeadiately to know why the dolphins are singing
• After this the question becomes what are they singing about.
• When we have worked this out there are yet more questions. How is the world going to be destroyed? What dies it have to do with singing dolphins? And why are they flying to space?
• The sudden change from the singing dolphins to Arthur Dent’s house leaves us pondering what the sudden scene change is for and what this country house has to do with the end of the world?
• Our next question is why is Arthur’s house being bulldozed and how will he stop them?
• Finally the arrival of Arthur’s friend prompts many questions not least when Stephen Fry reveals he is in fact not from this planet. Who is he and what does he need to tell Arthur? Why is Arthur significant?

Semiotic Code:

• Rabbits, birds ,fields, birdsong, sunrise all connote countryside.
• Deserted house, caravan outside on dirt track-seems quite lonely, isolated, a bit run down
• Long flapping coat, shopping trolley full of beer and peanuts connotes Arthur's friend as strange and unusual.
• Arthur wearing dressing gown-connotes run down, tired

Symbolic Code:

• Large moon reflecting on river ominously and silently means something big or serious about to happen, big event, danger.

• Flying dolphins-extraterrestrial activities.
• Cup of tea knocked over when bulldozers arrive-end of normality?

Cultural Code:

• Signs of the countryside.
• Builders like beer and peanuts
• People with shopping trolly's are crazy.
• Councils are unreliable with planning permissions etc
• People watching dolphin shows at the zoo-common thing to do
• Drinking tea in the morning-typical English country activity
• Based on the book by Douglas Adams

Action Code:

• Dolphins singing and forecasting end of the world
• Dolphins flying to space
• Builders trying to knock down house
• Arthur trying to stop them
• Intervention of Arthur's friend, stopping the building

Levi-Staruss Binary Opposites:

• Clever dolphins vs Ignorant Humans
• Ocean vs Countryside
• Arthur vs Builders
• Arthur vs Bulldozers
• Arthur ignorance vs Ford's knowledge
• Builders vs Ford
• Peace and tranquility vs Noise and Panic
• Nature vs Machines

When creating our opening sequences, we will draw on these theories to appeal to audiences and create a gripping narrative structure.