Analysis of Thriller Openings
By Chayana Forde
The Silence of The Lambs
The First Scene
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| The Opening shot of the film of a tree in the woods |
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The first shot in the opening of 'The Silence of The Lambs', is an
establishing shot of a tree against the background of the sky that is
pale and grey. Forests and silhouette of trees are an
icon in the thriller genre, as the forest is desolate and is a common setting for thrillers to take place. The place is introduced as a
minor title appears telling the audience that it is taking place in the 'woods near Quantico, VA' This
icon sets the scene for the audience and
establishes the movie as a thriller, and prepares the viewer to be immersed in the thriller state of mind. This is paired with the
non-diegetic music, which is in the
minor key and uses
string instruments that hold long notes to sound whiny until there is a sudden drop in the music with a bass note that is droned. This sets up the rest of the music to have
minor melody.
Second Scene
This shot is sustained as the
titles begin to appear, until it is
tilted downwards towards the forest floor in
slow pace where a woman runs into the
ELS shot. This causes
enigma, as the audience is asking who the woman is, and why she is running in the middle of the forest. As they are in the mind set of a thriller they may assume the worst and think that she is in danger, or that the
tracking shot of her running is
foreshadowing later events of the film.
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| Protagonist Running into a CU shot |
The
colouring of the shot is very grey and dull, and the
lighting is dim, as she runs through the fog. She is also
wearing grey to make it seem as if she is blending in with the forest. This is to create a mood that is signifies sadness and the
lack of colour could signify the lack of hope that she is going to have.
The fog could also represent the fact that she does not know what it going to happen as the
plot progresses. This is
pathetic fallacy as the weather matches the mood of the emotions of the film.
Third Scene
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| Protagonist running through the trees |
The next shot still capture the
protagonist running. However the camera has changed so that it is
tracking her movement through the trees.
The trees block out the light every so often and give the illusion that the
pace is accelerating as each tree trunk looks like a flicker. Moreover the
unsteadiness of the camera gives the viewer the impression that she is being watched as she runs through the woods. By having a
MCU of her face and chest, the
narrative is restrictive as we are not able to see most of her surroundings
Fourth Scene
As the
protagonist runs into the
LS of a training net, which is a part of the
Mise en Scene, it becomes clear to the viewer that the character is running some sort of training course and is not running from something. This causes more
enigma makes the viewer ask different questions, such as, what is she training for? and, what job does she do that requires training? These
questions are answered when one of her superiors addresses her and tells her that she is needed. he then turns to the camera and it is revealed that he is
wearing a FBI hat. As she runs back to the base, there is a
MS of the words 'Hurt' 'Agony' 'Pain' and 'Love it'. All of these words are
violent are imply that this is something that they are told to remember. This may become
significant later in the film.
Narrative
The
construction of the sequence is in a way that shows the character
running through a continuous tracking shot of the character running,
through a forest on what looks like a dreary day, as shown by the dull
colours. This introduces the story by not giving the viewer much
information about the events or characters of the story, but it could
foreshadow later events in the plot.
By
having the protagonist in the story running in and out of the shots, it
gives the illusion that she is being watched rather than the audience
being a passive present following her, as we don't have a consistent
view of her. This makes the narrative restricted.
Construction of Characters
The protagonist is constructed through her attitude to going through the forest and running. It is clear that she determined to keep on running, and she doesn't find it completely taxing, meaning that she is fit. This suggests that this is something that she does often and is part of her routine.
Her costume is plain and hair and make up (of lack of) is practical and standard. This shows that the character is not vain and does not prioritize her looks in her daily life.
Target Audience
This opening would appeal to our target audience as there are aspects that would need a bit of thought for the audience to understand the messages that are trying to be conveyed. However, with a target audience of 17-15, they might want more action in the beginning of a film. It also appeals to both genders, as there is a leading female role, and there is action.
Things That I Liked
- I liked the setting of it being in the forest as it is ominous and an easy setting to find, yet it looks really effective.
- I liked the music that was used as it creates an atmosphere that made the audience anxious
Kill Bill
First Scene
The first thing that is presented to the viewer is
distressed panting, which is then accompanied by the shocking
ECU of a woman who is injured and cut up. This is shocking as the viewer does not expect this to be the first thing that they see of the movie, and it immediately causes
enigma as the audience is wondering what is happening to her. having this as the
opening scene as it makes the viewer mind active before it even got the change to be comfortable. This means that they will be able to think and find
enigma throughout the remainder of the film. Another thing that is proportionate is the fact the whole thing is in black and white. This creates a sinister atmosphere
Second Scene
After a while, there is a
off screen diegetic of footsteps which then
cuts to a shot of a person walking until they stop by the woman's head. The
off screen diegetic continues as the man begins his dialogue. He asks her "Do you find me sadistic?" When she doesn't answer he then proceeds to wipe the blood off of her face with a handkerchief that say Bill, revealing who his character is. The
action that is supposed to be caring is portrayed as uncomfortable and rough, which shows the character of Bill, who is the
antagonist. This makes the audience also feel uncomfortable, as what they have understood to be a
caring gesture in movie language has been used to portray the opposite feeling. Because of this the audience knows that Bill cares for her, but he had harmful methods of showing this. It also shows that she does not reciprocate his feelings, and that she is scared of him, as her
crying intensifies as he proceeds to clean her.
Third Scene
Through the sequence, he calls her Kiddo, as if he is affectionate towards her. At the end of his
dialogue he even
pokes her cheek in what he thinks is a teasing manner. Bill then says "Well Kiddo, this is me in my most masochistic". As he does so, you can hear him
cocking the gun, but you cannot not see it as it is
off-screen diegetic, meaning that the
narrative is restricted. We can tell that the woman is
distressed by this action as her
facial expression becomes alarmed and her eyes get bigger. This prompt her to talk. She says "Bill it's your Baby" However the audience is given little time to process this information as a gun shot is heard and the screen fades to black and the first title is sh
own and the un-diegetic music begins to play.
Fifth Scene
For a while, all of the titles are rolled while the un-diegectic soundtrack plays in the background. The song says the words 'My baby shot me down', which refers to the situation, and infers that the protagonist and the antagonist were lovers.
Narrative
The opening of 'Kill Bill' is restricted to the view of the protagonist's face, which means that audience is required to interpret the information given through the facial expression of the main character and the dialogue in the background, as she barely talks. By having the sequence so restricted, it makes the viewer intrigued, despite the fact that a lot of information has already been given, as this is the ending of the film.
Moreover, the colouring of the scene, which is black and white, suggests that the audience is still in the dark about a lot of things, and so it makes the audience want to continue watching the movie so that they will know how the characters ended up in that situation.
Construction of Characters
From the restricted view that the audience get, we are able to see that the protagonist is wearing a veil. This causes enigma as a bridal veil is something that is only worn on a wedding day. This makes the event more tragic as wedding days are supposed to be happy. This also juxtaposes the sad events, to emphasize how sad the event is. We can tell that the woman, resents Bill, and is stubborn as she does not talk to him, until he is about to kill her.
We can tell that Bill is a character who lies to be in control, and isn't really scared of anything, as shown as he walks across the room. he takes his time, which shows that he is not scared of being caught by anyone. Despite the fact that we cannot see Bill, we can assume that he is wealthy, and likes to take care of his appearance from the quality of the shoes that he wears.
Target Audience
I think that this would appeal to our target audience, as it is an exciting opening and had many of the conventions of a thriller opening.
What I Liked
- I like you don't see Bill throughout the whole sequence, as it creates more suspense.
- I like how the viewer only has the restricted view, as we can only tell what is happening through the protagonist's expressions, and by what hear, which makes it more mysterious and more engaging.
Pulp Fiction
The First Scene
The first scene of Pulp Fiction introduces a couple eating at a diner in the middle of what seems like a normal conversation. The Mise en Scene shows that it is a setting of a diner, and is set in either the 1950. However, this is confusing, as the characters talk about cell phones that weren't invented until 1990's. This leaves the audience disorientated, as the are unable to establish a time era to connect the story line to. The man's body language suggests that he has no table adequate and does not seem to be fazed by the fact that he is in public. This point is further shown by the fact that he swears sparingly, and that he is smoking. From this, the audience can assume that the character is shady. The shot distances rarely change throughout, apart from the shot reverse shot that is demonstrated as they have their conversation. This allows the viewer to follow the conversation easier, and see the facial expressions
Second Scene
The colouring of the shot is bright and it does not suggest any danger. This is to get the audience comfortable with the setting as this is just a normal conversation. Moreover, this is shown through the dialogue between the two characters. The female making fun of her companion by saying "You sound like a Duck. Quack, Quack, Quack" is supposed to be funny and establishes that the character is quite airy headed.
It isn't until they start talking about robbing a bank that the audience finally confirm their suspicions that they are shady and that they are the antagonists. However, from their conversations we already know that they are not the brightest of people and therefore do not make them the conventional villains. From here they talk casually about different methods of how they are robbing a bank.
Third Scene
Their conversation ends with them deciding that they were going to rob the diner that they are in. This shows the woman changing her body language as she becomes aggressive. The shot pauses as the title comes on and the music plays. The music is upbeat an does not create suspense. Instead it causes the audience to feel like action is going to happen, but it is going to be comical.
Target Audience
This opening would appeal to our target audience, however, it is playing more on the comedy, rather than mystery and enigma
Narrative
The story is chronological as it shows them starting a heist. However there are very little conventions that are used in normal Thrillers, as the audience is given all of the information and the narrative is not restricted at all.
What I liked
-I like how they did not even introduce the protagonists, and present the antagonist as normal people
Inception
The First Scene
The opening
shot is of Waves crashing against rocks. This is a violent image, and introduces the situation as hostile. We are then presented with the shot of a male character who is laying in the waves. This is the first
enigma of the scene, as the audience wonders who this person is and how they ended up in the sea. The shots are not
continuous and the
colours seem to have higher
saturations. This causes a dreamlike feel that makes the audience question if the situation is real or not
Second Scene
This then cuts to an image of a boy on the beach. This seems to be a
POV shot, as the image goes into and out of focus. This gets the audience asking more questions, as they wonder if this man is related to them, and why are they on the beach alone. On the other hand they may be a figment of his imagination
Third Scene
The image of innocent kids is
juxtaposed with the next shot, which is an image of a man holding a gun to the
protagonist's back. This alarms the viewer as it is sudden, and a gun is an
icon of Thriller, it connotes danger. When the man just pokes the protagonist, and shouts out for someone it becomes clear that it is a guard of some sort. The guard then lifts his jacket to reveal a gun in his pocket.
Fourth Scene
There is then an establishing shot to introduce where the characters are, which appears to be a eastern Asia area as shown by the
architecture of the building. We are then transported to another place, with a shot of a man. We can only see the back of his head, but it is apparent that he is important, as shown by the fact that he is the only one sitting down, and all of the guards are standing up and are alert. The guard that found the
protagonist places down the gun on the table, but he also place a spinning top and they are shown in a
CU on the table. This is important because in a dream, when one of these are spun, they will continue to spin without stopping. This is a
motif that goes along throughout the film, and is a clue for the rest of the movie.
Fifth Scene
The important man then gestures for the protagonist to be brought in. We see him being dragged into the room by guards holding him up. The shot is quickly shifted to a
CU of the character eating. Most of the
frame is taken up by his hand, and we are unable to see his expression. There is then an
over shoulder shot where the powerful man asks 'are you here to kill me. The protagonist does not respond. There is then a tracking shot of the man picking up the spinning top, starting with a
CU of the object, which signifies its importance. The man then proceeds to spin it.
Target Audience
This appeals to our target audience, as it intrigues the audience and makes them want to watch to find out what happens on the film.
Narrative
The narrative seems to be in chronological order. However, it seems that long chunks of time have taken place between each shot. This gives the viewer a disorientated feeling as they the flow of time doesn't seem to have any order. This can symbolize how the protagonist is feeling.
What I like
- I like how the movie is introduced as in a dream like state, as it shows that the main character is just as disorientated as the viewer, and it shoes that the audience is going to be finding out information at the same time as the protagonist
- I like the colouring of the shots, as it makes the sequence look dream like.
