Opening Scenes and Characters - 'The Shawshank Redemption'

The first film that I'm looking at for introducing characters is 'The Shawshank Redemption'.

When the main character is in the car he has a stern facial expression, giving us the impression that he is hiding something or waiting for someone .The close up shot of the gun indicates that he is probably planning to kill someone. He is also drunk - the close up shot of the bottle shows the bottle is empty.

When the man is in the courtroom he doesn't seem at all convincing, suggesting to the audience that he may be hiding something. It looks like he is lying, but he could still be telling the truth (which is the enigma that the director creates for the audience), but judging by his body language (emphasised by the medium shot) and his facial expression (shown in close ups and medium close ups) he looks like he has something to hide.

The opening scene, then, establishes the character as passive, seemingly weak, and non-confrontational and this creates expectations about what he will be like once he is sent to prison for the crime he is being accused of.