Opening Sequences from Different Genres

A Clockwork Orange

The opening sequence for A Clockwork Orange starts with bright coloured title cards – featuring the name of the director (Stanley Kubrick) and the title of the film. The title cards are red and blue – bright but basic colours to grab the attention of the viewer.

            The introductory sequence is laid over with a soundtrack; instrumental music that features as non-diegetic sound.

            The intro cuts quickly from the brightly coloured title cards to a close up shot of the main character – Alex’s – face. The shot is held for several seconds before it begins panning out, slowly revealing the interior of the Corova Milk Bar that Alex and his gang frequent.

            As the shot zooms out, non-diegetic narration by Alex begins, in which he explains who he is, who his gang are, why they are at the milk bar, etc – in a way of setting up the story.

            The dystopian nature of the film is already hinted at in the opening sequence through the use of strange costumes and surreal surroundings, as well as the unusual slang that Alex uses in his narration.

American Psycho

American Psycho opens with long shots down the corridor of the apartment building that the main character – Patrick Bateman – lives in. The shots at the very start then pan across his apartment, showing his living room – with its low couches and high ceilings – and then his bedroom, before turning to a shot of the corridor leading to the bathroom, down which Bateman walks and is introduced by.

            The entire sequence is laid over with a soundtrack – non-diegetic sound – of composed piano music. The music gives the idea of a calm and relaxing feel to the environment and the character. Other non-diegetic sound includes the use of a narrated voice over from the main character, as he explains his morning routine – whilst simultaneously going through it on screen.

            As the sequence reaches its end – with Bateman peeling off a facemask – the narration becomes more sinister, as does the previously calm soundtrack which begins to turn deeper and slower, before fading out into an eery sound; giving an idea of what the character is really like.

Scarface

The opening sequence to Scarface starts out with a black title screen, overlaid with text that sets up the story – explaining the Mariel Boat Lift and thus setting up the beginning of the story, about a criminal immigrant from Cuba to the United States.

            The film then features a black and white clip of Cuban leader fidel Castro, speaking about the Mariel Boat Lift and explaining that those being sent to the USA are “unwilling to adapt to the spirit of the revolution.” This part of the sequence is overlaid with a soundtrack that is slow but powerful, building up suspense across the scene.

            After the clip of Castro, the film cuts to a title card of red writing on a black screen, extolling the name of the producer and then featuring clips from the Mariel Boat Lift, as boats go from the Mariel Harbour in Cuba across to the United States. These clips are intercut with more title cards – red on black – featuring the name of the director, the main actor (Al Pacino) and finally the name of the film: Scarface.

            The scenes from the Mariel Boatlift feature images of the overcrowded boats that the people from Cuba were being sent over in, as well as the boats arriving in the USA. It shows the people landing at the American port and then being herded off of their boats by the coast guard officers. The reactions of the people as they arrive in America are shown – some crying, some cheering but all happy.

            This sequence uses a variety of shots, ranging from close ups to long shots.

            The end of the sequence shows the refugees from the boat lift being taken into large refugee camps to be prepared for processing into the United States of America.

            The entire sequence is overlaid with what would be considered typically 80’s music, pop-like music with a bassline which is markedly more upbeat and optimistic than the soundtrack heard earlier on in the sequence.

           

The Fifth Estate

The Fifth Estate features a stylistically different type of opening sequence from the other three that I have so far analysed.

            The idea of the opening sequence is to show how the transference of information has changed and evolved throughout human history. It features images of cave paintings from early human history, hand chiselling from the Roman Era, Martin Luther nailing his 99 Theses to the door of a church and so on. Eventually, images of printing presses, type writers, computers and television screens are also used.

            The sequence relies heavily on diegetic sound – using the sound of the nail being hammered into the door of the church, the sound of the chisel against marble – radio waves and so on. It also uses video and radio clips from throughout history – such a Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s famous Fear speech over the radio, as well as Neil Armstrong’s famous quote upon landing on the moon.

            The sequence shifts to old TV clips, featuring famous news anchor Walter Cronkite announcing the death of President Kennedy, news images of the Berlin Wall being pulled down, the death of Princess Diana and then 9/11. These sequences also use other sound clips of people’s voices.

            This entire sequence has a non-diegetic soundtrack in the background, building up anticipation as the opening scene continues. Close up shots are heavily featured and the information and images are cleverly presented – with an old picture of Roosevelt being played on a TV screen, with real news microphones being placed in front of that same screen.

            This sequence zooms out, showing iPhones and iPads, before going out to the whole world and then finally zooming in on a building in the middle of London – The Guardian Offices and overlaying it with text that reads _”The Guardian Offices, July 2010.”