Metanarrative and "The Reign of Fire" (2002).

Many metannaratives are visible in the film 'The Reign of Fire' (2002), directed by Rob Bowman. The opening is set in London - which in it self has many connotations. Bowman has included many metanarravies to foreshadow future events and create apprehension and tension in the first few minutes. Some of the metannaratives and their connotations are:

- Pigeons swarm across the sky in the opening shot, hassle for the boy:

• symbolises escape - foreshadows mother and son trying to get up the lift later in the film when they are attempting to escape the fire from the dragon.
• flying of pigeons foreshadows flying of dragon and the hassle they are causing the boy is a mere hint of how much trouble and danger the dragon will cause.

- Focus of a man lighting a cigarette effortlessly:

• the same action is performed later on and the match is blown out but an unknown force - anxiety is created in the mind of the audience as to what caused it.
• on a simple level, this action emphasises the stereotype of the British Worker they are trying to create.
• the extreme close up focuses on the flame the match feeds, foreshadowing the later fire, furthermore, the control of the flame of the match contrasts sharply to the out of control, ragging fire that the dragon breaths.

-London Underground, Westminster:

• underground culture conveys secrecy, lies and mystery...all of these notions are emphasised upon the audience which builds up tension in the audience. Secondly, the word 'underground' its self foreshadows the appearance of the dragon as they life in underground or cave-like locations.
• Westminster equals power and authority in Britain. This is later lost to the dragon who has control of the situation and the people are let helpless in one of the most powerful locations in the country.