Baby Driver's Predecessor

Blue Song by Mint Royale is the unforeseen prelude to Edgar Wright's 2017 feature film Baby Driver, directed by the sound sorcerer himself.

The initial shot of the blurry car headlight coming into focus, followed by a close-up shot of the cars tyre as it halts to a stop pulls us straight into the scene and instantly giving the audience small implications of the protagonists (Noel Fielding) impulsive and impatient nature. The excited and eager delivery of the line; "is this the place?" does not only reflect his somewhat childish nature but also makes implications to the situation as the lack of the protagonist's knowledge leads our minds to assume that this is some sort of shady or criminal activity. This is all done in 5 seconds flat. "Could you be a bit more specific?" reveals the cheek of this character to us, but also shows that he is somewhat precise and considerate towards planning, but also unconventional as he pulls out a CD and states "I don't read too good." Cue = 0:29.

The reveal of the three men wearing all black with suitcases as they get out of the car, along with the words 'bank royal' backwards in the mirror in the shot-reverse shot, tells the audience everything they need to know about the narrative situation. The viewer can fit together the pieces and understand that our protagonist is a getaway driver for a bank robbery with little (obvious) exposition, therefore making us understand more about the character. We can assume he is somewhat rebellious and skilled due to his criminal nature. However, his character comes across as quite comedic as he blares music in his car, not really an appropriate pass-time for a heist. The smooth movements of the camera emphasise his energetic movements as he dances excitedly in the vehicle. To an extent, the situation can be relatable to the audience as we can usually empathise with dancing in a car to the radio, but the seriousness of the situation creates comedy here as it completely contrasts his actions and attitude, along with various hit points throughout. He is also presented as clumsy as he honks the horn accidentally and looks around frantically to check for witnesses. His impulsive characteristics are emphasised as he flicks through several cardboard signs to protect himself from the incoming security guard, only to the throw them aside and places a chauffeur hat on his head. Comedic timing comes into place again as another hit point of bird poo landing on the car bonnet, followed by Fielding's reaction makes us laugh at his confusion and the sudden nature of the faeces dropping down.

The final chorus becomes more energetic and impactful as he slams the door in sync with the music and dramatic pans as zooms create movement within the scene. The editing speeds up greatly, emphasising his enjoyment along with more hit points until the music stops, the alarm sounds and his accomplices run out and back to the vehicle. Finally, the protagonist states in a cheeky and irritated manner; "I'll think you'll find that was more than three minutes," finalising his small character arc of enjoyment to impatience.