why Legally Blonde's intro is cinematic genius
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- Опубліковано 6 чер 2024
- this scene is as underrated as Elle Woods. analyzing why Legally Blonde’s golden blonde hair, Hoku’s Perfect Day, and an explosion of pink is an iconic beginning to a movie about false assumptions.
let me know if you enjoyed this! it’s helpful so I know what you like to see from me 😊
watch the intro here 💖 (thanks to Legally Brunette for uploading!): • Legally Blonde Intro "...
timestamps:
00:00 intro
00:45 mystery intrigue
01:54 Cali setting
04:00 false expectations
07:59 introducing Elle
12:14 memorability
13:44 final thoughts // goodnight ♡
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References:
Legally Blonde DVD movie commentaries
www.apartmenttherapy.com/lega...
i analyze the opening scene/introduction to Legally Blonde (2001), starring: Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods.
#VideoEssay #LegallyBlonde #ElleWoods - Фільми й анімація
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Perfect Day is my daily mantra 💗💅✨
such a vibe yo
Hey! Hoku is my aunt! im gonna show her this lol
I love another thing about the intro is how they show all the girls. It would eventually show their love and unconditional support of Elle with them signing the card to congratulate her and later when she gets into Harvard and they celebrate. Usually in other movies the girls would be catty with each other. Not here and we love it!
they’re all girls girls 🫶
And they are just as supportive later when she's filming her application video to Harvard! 💖
just more of legally blonde showing that girls can be traditionally feminine and also great people 😫
i just love that they proved Elle's intelligence in a stereotypically girly environment, and not in a fake way
I know! So often in media, women are stripped of feminine and grily intrests so that they can be strong or intelligent. I love seeing that subverted.
And sometimes they just give up and don't even bother defining real intelligence and make her a secret genius
one thing that was so refreshing for legally blonde was that not once did elle’s friends judge her for wanting to go to law school. i mean these girls didn’t even know what the BAR was and than proceeded to to help there bestie get a perfect score and after that they showed up to her first court case 🥰
goals
You are so right!
they knew she would reach that "bar" and dammit they were gonna help her 🥺🥹
I rejected a lot of my feminine traits in order to seem less of a “dumb blonde” growing up. Because I thought Legally Blonde was just going to hurt to watch basing women like me off of stereotypes I refused to watch it. When I finally did watch it I cried and realized I misjudged the movie because I was judging myself. The world needs more women embracing themselves. ❤
You be your bubbly blonde self, my friend.
My sisters valedictorian was blonde, pretty, and cheerleader.
To be feminine is often seen as shallow. To be a girl in this world, people will simultaneously judge you for being vain for being feminine and being more neutral or masculine is met with
judgment about not caring about yourself, maybe put some lipstick on, etc.
Happiness comes when you let go of people's judgements. Someone will always have something negative about you/everyone. Be yourself, friends. 💗 Get comfortable in your own skin. It's yours. Pretty is not the price we must pay to exist in this world.
Judging yourself? Huh?
@@meowmachine9147it’s just another branch of sexism actually
Also the font they chose for the credits, along with the song Perfect Day, the girly Elle shots and the girls signing the card fit so together and make you so immersed at the story because the font of the credits is so girly handwritten, it's almost as if the girls/Elle has written it
i love that you pointed out this detail. the font totally adds to the experience too 💕
i could listen to you talking about legally blonde for an hour it's my favorite movie ever
thank you ! i really want to do a full video on Elle or the costume design someday 💕
@@artatmidnightplease do! (When you have time and energy!)
I live and grew up on the west coast and never noticed those colors/symbols/themes you pointed out,
I’d love to hear more from your point of view! ❤
@@artatmidnight Omg please that would be amazing
so real this movie has been on repeat ever since i started studying a lot😭😭 glad im not the only one
FR
“What if I told you Legally Blonde had the best -“
I already agree whether we are talking movie, musical, random college reproduction 😅❤
And costuming
The Devil Wears Prada also does an AMAZING job of introducing the setting in NYC, Andy’s low-key lifestyle juxtaposed with the morning routines of the über-stylish Runway employees, her nervousness about her upcoming job interview, etc. all in the first three minutes. Add in “Suddenly I See” in the background? Perfection.
Yes! Totally one of my favorite opening sequences! Not only is it a great set up and juxtaposition but also the visual pacing in relation to the song is fabulous 😍
especially you can contrast elle's being rejected by the harvard study group to her delta nu friends all helping her study for the lsats even though they had to reason to learn that material too--they are just her friends and are helping and supporting her
The song, Perfect Day, is also very catchy. Part of what makes the Lion King opening so memorable is Circle of Life kicking in when you see the sun rising. Great music also adds a lot to any opening for a movie.
absolutely! music is so important for setting the tone and Perfect Day does it perfectly 💕
About the blonde hair, we also come to understand that Brooke would also trust Elle as a blonde from the west coast, as well as her telling the truth, bc she's misunderstood like the rest of them
In regards to Professor Stromwell, is that it took me all the way until the salon scene to realize that she was blonde as well. I feel like because the professor wasn’t an “Elle” it was like her blonde was played down. I don’t know how to explain it.
But it wasn’t until that scene that I realized that the professor might have once been an Elle.
I remember feeling sorry for Elle when she got kicked out of her class the first day but the professor was right to do so. Not just because Elle was truly unprepared but because she understood on a deeper level of the biases that Elle had to deal with and what she was up against. She was tough but she had to be so Elle would take Harvard (and her classes) seriously. And even then Elle still didn’t put the work in until Warner low key called her dumb.
Now that you mentioned it, the intro is like a thesis to a paper and the ending (when she gives her speech) is the conclusion. It all really does come into a full circle! the nuances make me appreciate the video even more 💖💖💖
This is one of my favorite movies of all time and I think I've seen it over 100 times, but I never noticed that every character isn't who they seem like they are until watching this. It's such a good observation and makes me love the movie even more.
it’s such a good detail! i love how Warner is one of the only characters who doesn’t change since he’s not smart enough to deceive us 😅
I love this scene, especially on the rewatch! I love how it shows that Elle is absolutely gorgeous, but it's not the seemingly effortless beauty most women and girls in this genre seem to have, which grounds her and makes her feel more real and, in a way, almost makes her beauty feel earned, because she's put so much effort into it. Meaning you don't end up feeling jealous of how pretty and perfect Elle looks, even just watching it for the first time.
Not to mention it celebrates a process that most forms of media and discussion complain about or show negatively - how much work it takes to get all dressed up. And then there's this opening, which shows a super-long prep time for an outfit that, at the end, looks relatively simple, but luxuriates in every single step of getting ready with loving shots and slow, gentle movements. You just know that Elle feels good about this whole routine and loves every step, and you can't help but love that for her.
There is more than enough about toxic sororities without the need for it to infect one of the few really beautiful bright eyed gems that is Legally Blonde. It's a breath of fresh air that we need when every other movie and show shows everyone hating on each other.
the opening is just SO CUTE. 😭 they all love eachother so much, it brings me to tears every time i watch it
9:49 She's also wearing the flower on her right side which indicates being single in Hawaiian culture (at least afaik-I'm not Hawaiian), which is an interesting detail for someone who thinks she's abt to get engaged at that point 🤔
Oooh that’s interesting
Why are people so obsessed with criticizing female friendships and relationships? I've never seen them do this with the unhealthy toxic dynamics of men.
Especially since it's realistic and common tbh
Yeah, definitely unbalanced
I see your point and I agree with you, but I think people focus more on female friendships than male friendships because male friendships seem more simple and uncomplicated than female friendships, also, when men are assholes, it’s pretty obvious, when women are assholes, it’s more complex. But that’s just my guess.
definitely partly misogyny but also i doubt most men analyze their friendships as much as most women do
Men don't care about friendship the way that women do. I mean if you ask them they'll basically admit it.
olivia rodrigo in a recent interview mentioned listening to perfect day otw to work in the car pretending like shes elle to hype herself up lmao
That's so badass, I love her.
I will also say, because I love musicals, the Legally Blonde Musical holds up really well with the movie! The intro song Ohmigod You Guys! Really captures the spirit of the movie intro
Yep
My favourite musical of all time 😭
This film got me through university it was my motivation! (I had been stereotyped the same way a lot of my life) graduated and now doing a masters in Law thanks to Elle!! Watched it when i was 14 and it has been with me for years!!!!
the legally blonde and bring it on intros REWIRED my childhood brain
Legally blonde was my main role model as a child and I start every road trip with prefect day.
You are so right about the expectation subversion on a rewatch of the movie. From the opening to the freshmen brunette going to her for lip liner advice to every science of her trying to get into Harvard where we learn she has a 4.0 and is the president of a major Greek house. Doing those thing separately are so hard and together requires someone that knows her stuff. I love this intro and this movie.
2000’s movies intros just hit different
Mean girls, legally blonde, the devil wears Prada 🤌🤌
When I watched the opening I was too young to think deeply about it, but there was something about it that made me replay it a lot. I wish these techniques were used more in today's movies. Now we just are told what to think and gets annoying real quick.
Fr
this sorority was what awakened girls girl in me.
The montage in Devil Wears Prada lives in my head rent free whenever I hear "suddenly I see"
it’s crazy that this video was released the day before my school starts auditions for legally blonde: the musical! that’s such a coincidence 😂
One of my favorite opening sequences is in the movie version of Chicago. Not only did they absolutely nail the soundtrack and the introduction of Velma's character, but I love all the tiny little references sprinkled throughout the scene. Velma ripping off Veronica's name from the poster; the manager freaking out that Veronica isn't there and Velma saying she can do the act alone (foreshadowing "I Can't Do It Alone"); Velma trying to wash the blood off her hands in her dressing room (referencing her verse from "Cell Block Tango"); there's even a split-second shot of a ventriloquist backstage (foreshadowing "The Press Conference Rag"). It's all these little touches that show how much the directors cared about the source material.
fun fact: apparently the unbending sanctity of law school study groups ARE like that; you have x amount of people and they all have their assigned sections or whatever and there's no room or flexibility for new members
Omg please do a color analysis on Cruel Intentions
Please
I love the Ugly Betty Intro - campy and realistic and very fun.
I love the intro of The Devis Wears Prada, where you see all the girls and Andy getting ready. That movie does a montage so well!
8 yr old me use to say legally blonde was my favorite movie even though I’ve never seen the entire movie… clearly it was bc of the intro
Never underestimate a blonde girl in pink 🩷
A thought I had throughout this whole video was the very specific clip of Elle brushing her hair right as the title card pops up. There’s something about how fluffy the hair and how carefully she brushed through it REALLY reminded me of a Barbie doll. You know, THE pinnacle of femininity when it comes to girls toys, or the pinnacle of a toy MEANT for girls.
I never really had many or any Barbie dolls, but I did have dolls like Disney Princesses, Monster High, etc. I remember grabbing their ridiculously huge hair brushes (well, huge compared to the dolls themselves) and carefully brushing it through since I found it weirdly satisfying to just carefully brush (when they weren’t matted to Hell). The scene just really brought me back to those kinds of moments, but of course I compare it specifically to Barbie because…duh, Elle’s blonde.
the way you talk makes it sound like you’re smiling throughout the narration. you sound very cheerful. i can’t help but smile the whole time i was watching your video :)
This is so niche i love it
I love the intro to Devil Wears Prada. And I SO distinctly remember as a bookisj «smart girl» it was the first movie that I really felt gave me the permission to care about clothes and fashion without it seeming a betrayal of who I was. Andy gets a little lost in her ambition but it was never really about the clothes (like her boyfriend said) but about the major opertuneties she saw there. And when she realizes the path she is down is not the one she wants she doesn’t throw away the things she did like that she had found there. Skinny jeans had just started being in when the movie came out, so when it was filmed she was at the front end of fashion with that look. Unlike so many other makeover movies, where the protagonist is putting up a fight, the Devil Wears Prada allowed Andy to be excited about her looks, and allowed her to keep that excitement at the end without it representing a betrayal to her being a “smart girl”. (Legally Blond didn’t resonate like that for me because Elle was already into her looks and appearance and going back to them was more about being true to herself than being allowed to discover a new facet of herself.) The Devil Wears Prada was truly the beginning of the end of my own “pick me” era, and it will forever be one of my favorite movies for that.
It did the same for me in 2019 when I rewatched my mom’s old chickflicks and watched it back to back with legally blonde
This was so cute and makes me appreciate the movie even more!!
thank you!! so glad u enjoyed 🫶🥰
fun fact about Elle being named after the magazine; in the musical one of her friends uses the magazine to cheer her up after the break up!
Just looked up Perfect Day and wow, it screams intro to a 2000s movie
This has to be best channel! You are so on point, girl! It makes me fall even deeper in love with cinema, you are amazing!!!
Did you also check the musical?
thanks girl!! 💕 ive never seen the musical but i do know all the lyrics to omigod you guys haha
I did a Legally Blonde rewatch last week. This video popped up in my recommendations and I clicked so fast! Great analysis, makes me appreciate the movie even more!
On one of my recent rewatches, I noticed the necklace/bracelets weren't branded Tiffany's. I mean they clearly are but they don't have that "return to Tiffanys etc." On them.
your community tab post on this vid popped up on my home page and i have never clicked on a profile faster!!! legally blonde is my fav movie ever and you did it so much justice, i loved your analysis and immediately subscribed, can’t wait to see what you do next 💖
oh wow ! thank you for all the love!! i hope you enjoy the next one too - it’s on a halloween-ish movie 💕💕
Legally Blonde is my favourite movie of ALL TIME, so i'm really happy to see it get the respect it deserves. This opening is genuinely amazing, and you put all the praise i have for it into words PERFECTLY
Ok glad to know im not the only one who thinks this intro is ICONIC from start to finish and I love the idealistic portrayal of a sorority and college life that we all wish it was like.
Loved that this video popped up in my recs! I remember watching this movie for the first time as a kid and fallng in love with the intro. It was so colorful, the women featured were beautiful (and seemed to genuinely care for one another!), everyone seemed to be having a great time in a gorgeous house, and Hoku singing in the background was the cherry on top. This intro reminds me a lot of the Devil Wears Prada intro, actually. It's doing very similar things in terms of storytelling. 💕
I’m biased because it’s my favourite show of all time, but The Wilds has such a memorable and impactful, and earnest opening. Like with this video’s topic, at first it might seem cheesy but it’s so unapologetically about teenage girls’ emotions and trauma.
Glad you decided to talk about this one! It gets better with every rewatch 💕
I love your commentary! So detailed and your voice is nice to listen
thank you so much ! 🥰🫶
yo this video is so good; very thorough & well-planned out :D very satisfying to watch as it feels like your analysis is very encompassing & in-depth but also not unnecessarily florid!
This was a wonderful video! I’ve always loved this film, it was a major inspiration for me in pursuing my own career as a lawyer, I would love to watch more videos of you analysing other scenes too!
This was so thoughtful! I missed most of the subtly, but it still had the impact. Thanks for sharing!
fineee!! i will watch the movie again!!!
jokes apart, your enthusiasm is contagious and love the way you talk about this movie. youve earned a new subscriber :)
This is such a great look at an underrated movie opening 💕
Found your channel a few weeks ago and have been loving all your content. The way you look at and analyse colour is so unique, and I love listening to your commentary.
thank you Rachel! this is so sweet, your kind words mean a lot to me 🩷 i can’t wait to keep making more 🫶
you and your channel make appreciation for cinema, so easy!!
i loved the video and i'll probably watch it for hundred times more💘
wow thank you !! 💕💕💕
I discovered your channel a week ago and I really love it !!
thank you !! happy to have you here 🤗🫶
Insightful! Every love letter video of yours makes me love the movie portrayed so much more!
great vid! the Watchmen intro is up there for me. really gets the feels going Y.Y
Please do an analysis of Devil Wears Prada and Mean Girls! Love both those films 🙌
Everything abt this movie js looks so good 😍😍
Pink and green is also the colors for a black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha
I left this video feeling weirdly energized and inspired. Need to rewatch this movie.
I loved this analysis! I've never considered this before
Nice. I never thought about how many of the film's characters are misjudged and turn out to be different than we are led to believe at first. I think this kind of surprising, complex character is far more interesting than a flat stereotype. Wish more films had these types of multi-faceted characters, even when it's not the point of the movie.
i love the small detail of the font they use in the intro. it’s extremely girly, even having the ‘i’s dotted with hearts.
Such a great video ❤
i loved it from the moment i saw it. never knew why. just thought it was just my own specific taste that no one else would get.
I’m so happy you covered this. It’s an excellent intro. It reminds me of the “The Devil Wears Prada” intro. It sets stuff up perfectly for the movie yet seems frivolous
Love love LOVING this Legally Blonde content
complete 180 but saving private ryan will always be, hands down, my most iconic movie intro. nothing else can prepare you for whats about to happen/what youre about to experience. it sets it up PERFECTLY
Devil wears Prada is also a great one ♥
oh yes! with all the high fashion girls vs Andy in the morning 💕
Fantastic essay!
Love the video! I have a whole Spotify playlist called Perfect Day based on this song- it’s pure early 2000s Girlpower music with anthems from The Hot Chick, Bring it on, Never Been Kissed, Can’t Hardly Wait, Superstar, 10 Things, She’s All That and so many others! It’s a perfect playlist to listen to when I’m getting ready for a date or traveling to meet up with my girls for a camping trip or birthday party! I love this movie so much!
Ooh, I hope you do decide to talk about Bring It On-- similar themes of expectation-vs-reality, along with some compelling growth and learning for almost every character
my favourite intro is the how to train your dragon intro from the first movie. it establishes all the characters, their relationships and all the conflicts mostly through musical themes and through just a few lines. it's just amazing :)
such a good video , thank you
For as much as I've observed about this movie in the likely hundred times I've watched it, there are two things I've never thought about and I love that you pointed them out!
1. I've always loved the reveal of how smart Elle is when she totally calls out the snobby saleswoman, but I never thought about the complexity and thoughtfulness of her consideration around what to wear. Since I'm an over-thinker and plan outfits similarly, I always took it for granted, but it is yet another great piece that adds to her character-building.
2. We are given so many first impressions that turn out unexpectedly! Not only Elle, not only Vivian, but also Emmett (not being a third year), each of the professors, and Brooke. I also love how Elle assumes the best about people. She supports Paulette and David very intentionally to help each of them find their voice, which is sort of an extension of the movie's message that says people can be more than _they_ _themselves_ think they are. Elle is also even gracious enough to admit that Vivian is not completely unfortunate-looking, lol, and compliments Chutney's bone structure while simultaneously catching her in a lie which is just the best.
Total side note but of all the negative moments where people assume the worst about Elle, I think the line I hate the most is when the counselor says that no one's going to be impressed that she aced "history of polka dots" like that's all that goes into fashion merchandising. It can be easy to make such assumptions from the outside but when those in support roles are lazy and make assumptions and don't believe in a person, that really gets me.
I love so much that this movie -- and Devil Wears Prada, since you mention it -- speak loudly that we can dress and care for ourselves with intentionality and fun while also being smart and competent and strong. Watching them always makes me that much more excited to prove anyone wrong who might think otherwise, and to do so with kindness and grace 🥰
All these reviews on this movie make me like it much more than when I actually watched it lolo (maybe because I only saw it a few years ago for the first time) I should rewatch it.
This opening is so memorable that the second I heard the first note in Wednesday, I knew it was Legally Blonde! (Also because I watch it so often lol)
P.S. Thank you for talking about the shopping scene at the beginning! So many channels cut it out when it airs on cable and it hurts my soul because it perfectly parallels the final court scene!
OMG the fact that was literally thinking about this all day on my hour long drive on Sunday
What a masterpiece is this movie
can you do more of these iconic movie intros like clueless ? 💕💕💕
I love The Devil Wears Prada intro!
I was in my high school’s musical production of Legally Blonde, and I had the honour of curling our Elle’s hair (probably because I was the only girl who had a curling wand😅) whereas I was miscast as Sundeep Padamadan…. Who (if you’re familiar with the musical) is supposed to be a guy… who is not white….
You never even played the song and yet Perfect Day is literally playing through my head throughout the entire video every time you say perfect day.
The intro always reminds me of Barbie with the blond curls and cursive pink writing, I'm not sure if it was intentional but it reminds me of how Barbie is judged as a skinny blonde doll what's as fake as the plastic made from.
But when you really look into what Barbie represents and stems from as a role model of how "you can be anything" . Yes it has the stereotypical girly roles like a nurse or mum but it also has roles like astronaut and President.
And can we talk about Reese? She is now one of the richest actresses because of her production company with her genius move of transforming into film her book club picks and browsing what people have been reading, aka, what people were interested in, girl knows what she is doing
I think the green used also has another meaning that earthy green, we see in the Doors is a connection to the palette used in Harvard by reminding the audience were the Sorority Girls are in a University, the girls are there to study but that doesn't stop them to have fun.
it's about the THEMES *chef kiss*
My old manager didn't watch it because she thought it was predictable that she would get him back. I showed her the break up the breakup scene and, like me, her reaponse was 'why would she want him back?'
This video is excellent, instant subscribe
I love this movie so much 🥹💕💗💖🥰
You missed the fact that Elle's pink dress at the start is a cloud motif - signifying her head is in the clouds, shes not quite grounded (in a naive innocent way)
I will always say this whenever Legally Blonde is mentioned but watching that movie changed my life. I can be girly and be anything else I want to be and be just as good or even better than any of my peers! I won't let anything else tell me otherwise. If Elle Woods can win a court case decked in pink because of finding an inconsistency with a perm then I can go out shopping and get all dressed up (in dress code ofc) when I become a teacher :)
i loved this video! a little detail that might be so obvious it's not worth mentioning, but "elle" means "she" in french! it makes me smile to think about Elle as a representation of everything (more or less stereotypically) feminine 💕✨ this movie truly feels like barbies bigger sister