Research into thriller openings - Stephen Potter 2

Research into thriller openings – Drive

As this is the second thriller opening I am looking at I have something to compare this with, the intro of Oldboy.

Within, the first scene, as the camera pans upwards, we see a map that says Los Angeles on it, this prop was put there by the director to give us an insight into the films location, this is the director’s attempt of giving us context, whereas, in Oldboy, we are given no context at all. This does also add to the enigma, as we would wonder why he would need a map of the area in plain view spread on his table, as that seems to be an irregular occurrence in everyday life.

Dialogue is also utilized as this protagonist explains he needs a “five minute widow for a getaway”, from this we can piece together this character is a getaway driver of sorts. This opening so far is  different from Oldboys as it seems context is handed to us, although enigma is created through us not knowing what the job is nor why it is he s doing it.

After the camera pan mentioned earlier we see the protagonist for the first time, his back is to the camera and a distorted reflection of his face is on the window, this may be the directors way of showing he is almost ghost like and can vanish easily, which sounds important to his role of getaway driver.







As the camera pans to the left, a television airing some sort of sports event is shown, this is foreboding as although it adds to the enigma at this point in the introduction as you wonder why it is important, it forebodes the end of the introduction as this protagonist escapes the police through the use of this sporting event. Later, as the character is driving, through the mise en scene technique of facial expression, it is hinted to us that the character is professional due to his calm and collected manor.  This intro doesn't create too much enigma and tension for the film however it does give us context.

Research into thriller opening - Stephen Potter. 1

Research into thriller openings – Oldboy

As this is the first thriller opening I am looking at, I felt like it was reasonable to analyse the introduction to a thriller that is foreign, the importance of this film being foreign is to highlight the differences between how thrillers are introduced compared to which part of the world it is being market too, e.g, thrillers such as Drive being marketed towards western cultures. By using a foreign film, we can see if there are many differences or if they are more similar than I would have assumed.

The first shot of the scene reveals a hand holding what appears to be a firearm, (fig 1), his hand is also shaking. From the use of body language; an element of mise en scene, shaking, we can see that this character is perhaps nervous and unsure. What adds to the enigma within this opening scene if the fact context is hidden from us, we don’t know who is holding the gun nor what the gun is pointing at, this creates a sense of mystery as we are asking ourselves these questions. Camerawork is utilized through the use of a slow pan up the arm to reveal to us this character, (Fig 2), although enigma and mystery is still predominant, we know now that the character is a male yet through the use of back lighting we cannot see the characters face, this keeps the audience guessing, this is important for thrillers as the director wants us on the edge of our seats, thinking about the film.

fig 1

fig 2

The following shot answers some of our questions yet creates more, leaving the spectators absolutely confused as to the situation within the film. We are shown that the first character we see is dangling another man off of a roof,(fig 3), he is also holding a dog which creates more mystery and enigma, which is what the director wants as ideally, a thriller should be confusing and unpredictable so we are focused and fully engrossed in the film. What we can safely assume from this shot is that this dangling character may be killed. Through the use of setting we know this is also withing an urban area, due to the buildings and the fact they are atop one.  Dialogue is utilized by having the dangling character repaeat question such as “who are you”.  The male character holding the one who is dangling slowly says “ my name is” but before his name is said, the scene changes.

Fig 3

This is an effective opening sequence, as within the space of 30 seconds we receive almost no context to the film but we are given questions that we want to be answered. Enigma is created successfully through mise en scene and lighting.

Four Thriller Openings - Research - Callum Horncastle

Pulp Fiction opening

The opening to Pulp Fiction is a thriller, which is shown over time by the different sections of the technical codes.

In the first scene, there is a man and woman talking in a diner. The shot is taken from a low angle, making them out to be powerful characters who are in control of the situation.

The next shot is a match on action shot, the second before the shot changes a hand is shown, before it changes to a close up of the waitress at the diner, asking if they want more coffee.

The next shot is of the female character accepting and thanking the waitress as she receives the coffee, clearly putting on a fake smile, as if she is irritated by the interruption.

The next shot is the same as the first, as the male character proceeds to talk about robbing a bank, and risks.

As the next few shots occur in the scene, these two characters are portrayed more and more as antagonists, as they are revealed as robbers.

At a later point, there is a slow crab shot of the male character, this highlights what he is saying is important, or to make the audience think.

After a few more shots, including another waitress providing coffee for the man, there is a constant shot-reverse shot sequence between the male and female character as they plot to rob the restaurant.

They then decide to initiate their plan to rob the place, and the man removes his gun, this prop shows that he is ready to start the robbery.

Silence of the Lambs opening

The opening to Silence of the Lambs is a thriller, shown by the different parts of the technical codes.

In the first scene, there is a shot of the woods; the lighting is coming from behind the trees, meaning only their silhouettes can be seen. This instantly brings darkness to the scene, as the saturation and colour is extremely limited.

The ambient sound and the unsettling music together bring a very uncertain mood, making the audience unsure of what to expect.

The shot soon pans and tilts down to the protagonist, who is jogging along the shown assault course. The high angle already shows her to be weak, as the camera looks down on her.

As she approaches the camera, the sound of her panting can be heard, suggesting that she has been very active and hasn't stopped for a long period of time.

An off-screen sound is then heard of birds flying away, the protagonist stops and looks in the direction of the sound. This brings more uncertainty to the scene, and puts the audience more on edge.

The next shot is from behind the protagonist, showing her running through the woodland. Ahead of her is fog, keeping everything that lies ahead a mystery.

The low saturation also makes this scene look more unknown and sinister.

In a later shot, when she approaches an obstacle that she needs to climb over, the camera pans and tilts up to her, making her out to be a very determined character.

Later on, in the same shot after the camera has tracked her run away from the obstacle, a voice is heard calling her, but the sound is off-screen, along with the sound of quick footsteps.

This brief moment brings an enigma, causing the audience to quiz who the approaching person is until he eventually runs into the scene.

The camera tracks him as he runs to the main protagonist, showing he is of importance in the scene. He proceeds to tell the protagonist that she is needed by her superiors.

She thanks him and runs off, this second character turns to the camera as he watches her go.

This is where his cap is seen, a very important part of his costume, and one of the most important parts to this whole scene.

On his cap, it spells ‘FBI’, which suggests that the main protagonist is also with the FBI, which gives her an identity for the audience to get an understanding of who she is.

Kill Bill opening

The opening to Kill Bill is clearly a thriller, shown by many different parts of the technical codes.

In the first scene, where the woman is lying on her back, crying in pain.

This scene has many parts of the technical codes to show it’s a thriller, such as the low key lighting, only half of her face can be seen, this is to alienate her, the woman's face is not in the centre of the frame, which alienates her further. There is no colour, adding mystery to the scene; this is very unusual in a modern day film, which suggests this scene was set in the past. Her facial expression is contorted with pain, making the whole shot more unsettling. The sound of her pained breaths is the only sound heard, making it stand out.

There is a sound bridge to the next shot; the sound of footsteps brings an enigma to the scene, as the approaching person is not seen at all. When the shot changes, the only part of the new character is his feet as he walks towards the woman, this creates a very tense atmosphere as his identity is completely unknown.

The next shot is back to the woman, the new character standing above her where he cannot be seen. This could possibly be a POV shot; as his hand is later shown as it lowers a handkerchief down to wipe the blood from her face.

This prop, the handkerchief, is a significant part in this entire enigma of the scene, as it has the name ‘Bill’ on it. This tells the audience that this antagonist is named Bill.

The woman’s facial expression becomes full of fear in this shot, showing that this new character is very imposing.

Fight Club opening

The opening the Fight Club starts at the end at a very intense scene.

The very beginning is a CGI made one-take, as the camera travels inside a hair follicle and out of a sweat pour, and along the surface of the protagonist's skin at a very extreme close-up, to the point where every individual pour and hair is seen.

The shot then zooms out to the protagonists mouth, and zooms out further to show there is a gun placed in his mouth.

There is then a voice over of the protagonist as the shot changes, the protagonist mentions the name "Tyler Durdan". This instantly brings the question forward of Who is Tyler Durdan?

The next shot is side on, and shows the protagonist properly with the gun held in his mouth, the person holding the gun is not seen, only his hand is seen. Meaning we have no clue as to who the gunman is, but due to the voice-over from the protagonist, it is suggested to be 'Tyler Durdan'.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Textual Analysis - Callum Horncastle

Textual Analysis of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

The opening to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a close up of a stringed package being opened with a knife, nothing can be seen besides the package and the hands opening it.
 

The second shot shows a small knife cutting the string.
 

In these two shots, there have already been enigmas created.

What’s in the package? Who’s opening it?

The third shot shows the knife cutting the string once more, but from further away.
 

Only in the fourth shot do we see the person opening the package, a relatively old man. He is clearly rather old, seen by his white/grey hair, wrinkled face.
He also wears glasses, signifying that his vision isn’t pristine, another possible sign of his old age.

A few shots later when he finally opens the package, he removes a frame, with pressed lavender inside. This creates another enigma, and brings us to question the flower’s significance.

The man then checks the package to find it is from Hong Kong, China.

A fourth enigma is created, as we now question the relevance to Hong Kong, and why this old man would receive a package from there.

 

In the next scene, there is a zoom-out shot of the old man crying, creating a fifth enigma, why is he crying?

This opening does not bring any tension or suspense, which is rather strange for a thriller, the iconography of a thriller is not seen, no guns or creepy music.
The knife is merely to open the package, and does not show itself as a dangerous prop, regardless of the fact it could be used as a weapon. This gives the impression that the old man in the scene is harmless, and most probably a good character, or a non-violent one at least.

A few shots later, a black and white photograph of a young woman is seen, the shot slowly zooms in, before the title of the film is shown, this suggests that the girl in the photo is the girl with the dragon tattoo.

 

The next shot shows a hooded figure walking away from the camera, all of the next shots show this same person, always from behind so their face is never seen. This is where the aspects of a thriller are shown, as it brings the enigma as to ‘who is this person?’

After that, a shot of people sitting down are shown, and there is a very slow crab shot of a woman, her fringe is down to hide most of her face in the shadow. Her face is about to be revealed when the shot changes, this suggests that she is the same character from before, as the character is being hidden from the audience.

Comparing the female character to the old man at the beginning of the scene, it is shown that the girl is most likely the main character, and has a lot more potential as a protagonist.
The hooded intro makes her shrouded in mystery, but she still walks with an upright posture, this small addition to her body language gives a more positive impression.

The mystery behind her introduction keeps the audience quizzing on who she actually is, which is why she's most likely the main character, opposed to the old man, who is shown to be more of a side character.