Shaun of the Dead Opening Scene

 In the opening shot of Shaun of the Dead, Shaun stares blankly at the camera, deep in thought. We are not told or shown what he is thinking about, however, it is assumable that he is thinking about his relationships, mainly with Liz and Ed, and whether or not he wants these to change. The way in which he stares at the camera resembles the famous "Kubrick stare", which is used in Kubrick's films to show derangement; in this case, as it is a satirical comedy, the meaning behind this stare is less severe, and hints more towards Shaun being tired, overwhelmed and fed up. The fact that he is simultaneously reinforces this. When he is called by Liz, he has to look in a different direction, reinforcing the fact that he was not paying attention to her, despite the fact they are having an important discussion which could determine the future of their relationship. Liz believes that Ed, Shaun's best friend that he lives with, is getting in the way of Shaun and Liz's relationship; after saying so, she acknowledges Ed, the camera pans left and reveals that Ed is here for such a pivotal moment in their relationship, allowing the audience to immediately resonate with Liz and see this from her perspective. After he is revealed, he accidentally places innuendos throughout Shaun and Liz's conversation, seemingly making both of them uncomfortable and showing Ed's crudeness and immaturity. However, shortly after this, it is revealed that Liz's friends, David and Dianne, are also here, showing her as being hypocritical, now allowing the audience to see this discussion from Shaun's perspective. One way in which Liz may not see this as hypocritical is due to the maturity level of David and Dianne being much higher than Ed, according to social standards. However, this may also be routed in classism, as while Ed is stereotypically working class, David and Dianne are stereotypically middle class. In fact, the idea of maturity can also be considered classist in some aspects, as interests that are considered "mature", such as theatre or eating at fancy restaurants are usually inherently quite middle class, which "immature" interests, such as video games or going to the pub (as they are in this scene), are usually inherently working class. Shaun and Liz are both in between these two stereotypes of classes, which is why they are framed in between Ed and David Dianne in the scene. The way this scene is framed also makes it quite claustrophobic for Shaun and Liz, increasing the tension and awkwardness of the situation. The audience are immediately made to dislike Dianne and especially David, as they break the 180 degree rule between Shaun and Liz when they add to the conversation, interrupting both the conversation as well as film form and the flow of the scene. When Ed interrupts however, he is contained within the same shot, showing that he is not interrupting the conversation deliberately, and is instead just being himself. It is also revealed that Liz has never met Shaun's mum, to which David has a big reaction to, suggesting that Shaun does not get along with his family, which is often seen by society as immature, despite many people having valid reasons not to. Due to the pressure of this entire situation, Shaun eventually promises to change for Liz, before getting a close-up on Shaun's face with an expression of dread, meaning that it is a promise he is not sure that he can keep. 

Working Class vs Middle Class

Ed vs Davs and Di

Pub vs Restauraunt

Beer vs Wine

Immaturity vs Maturity

Free vs Conforming to Social Standards

Mutual Interests in Relationships vs "Dragging Along"