How is the character of Shrek introduced to the audience in the opening sequence of the film?

The character of Shrek is introduced to the audience as a sarcastic, pessimistic ogre which fits the conventional stereotype of an ogre on some levels but challenges it on others. He likes his privacy and wants to be feared so that people don’t come and annoy him. The way Shrek is introduced makes the audience think that the film will not follow the conventional fairy tale stereotype for a number of reasons. Shrek fits the conventional stereotype of an ogre as well as being the very opposite of it at times. He can look quite civilised at times. Shrek’s character is made by using different camera angles, diegetic sounds, non-diegetic sounds, lighting and his script.

Shrek fits the conventional stereotype of an ogre as he is introduced as a big, ugly, disgusting and scary ogre. The audience sees him this way for a few reasons. Some of the first things the audience see Shrek do are take a shower in mud, brush his dirty teeth with a green slimy paste and push mud out of a hollow tree to find a slug for his dinner. There are many close ups on these things, for example, his dirty teeth and paste showing how disgusting he is. There is also a close up of when Shrek is screaming at the villagers who come to try get rid of him showing his face clearly and how ugly he is. When Shrek sneaks up on the villagers in dark lighting there is scary, tense music (non-diegetic sound) building suspense and making the audience think Shrek is a very scary ogre about to do something that only a typical ogre would. All of this shows Shrek is a stereotypical ogre.

Shrek does not always fit the stereotype of a typical ogre as he is the opposite of a typical ogre at times. He was quite civilised and comical in the opening sequence of the film as well as being stereotypical. Near the start of the film, there is a wide shot showing Shrek eating a meal by candlelight with a knife and fork which makes him seem quite civilised for an ogre.  After Shrek screams at the villagers he says the words “This is the part where you run away”, trying to tell them to leave which is quite comical and makes him seem like a funny, sarcastic ogre. This shows that Shrek is not the exact stereotype of an ogre.

Shrek is introduced very well in this film and this is done by using many different film techniques. He is a combination of both a stereotypical ogre and the opposite.

Shrek