The Purpose of The Opening Sequence of a Thriller

The purpose:

- Setting the scene (time and place)

- Introducing the characters- or not to make it more mysterious

- Showing a murder- start of investigation (crime thriller)

- Showing a dream/flashback

- To engage the audience 

- Introduces the theme

- Sets the tone/atmosphere

Chosen scene for analysis: Opening scene of Inception (2010)

       Analysis of screenshots:

Very powerful music starts of the scene and connotes the power of the waves as they crash into each other. It also creates a sense of destruction and forcefulness which suggests the type of world we are about to be immersed in. As you see Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) in a canted mid shot for the first time, he is lying on a beach covered in dirt and sand. This shot creates confusion because in the viewers head, a person who is very rough and possibly a criminal or a person who is running away from something. We are then interpolated into a flashback of Cobb's, of him at a beach of him as a child.We can't tell it is a flashback the first time because their isn't a distinct difference between the two shots and they are linked because they are both on a beach, which makes it seem more real that the children in the flashback because they could have been on the beach with him. 

By showing this scene of him in the real life and his flashback, it raises questions about him as a character, his past and why he is lying on the beach. The genre of the film is introduced when the soldier/officer finds a gun stuffed into Cobb's trousers. Although it is only one part of the iconography, it still implies that this film will have some action or crime involved. 

Our first establishing shot is of the cliffs from the beach. In the shot, the rocks and cliffs are very rugged and symbolises danger and the risk of entering this land. To get a sense of where we are, the oriental styled building suggests that this beach is located somewhere in Asia, like China or Japan. To support this idea of where we are, the next scene creates a language barrier with the audience. The words spoken are in a native tongue and makes the viewer seem disorientated and confused because they do not understand the language. Although there are subtitles on the screen, it still makes the viewer seemed distanced from these characters. Although this shot is during the day, the dark, low key lighting from the rocks and building create a mirrored image from the blue sky. It shows that through the perfect painted picture of the beach, there is always danger and mystery somewhere.



The reflections from the lights on to the many shiny or mirror-like surfaces in the room, create a sense of structure because of the rows of lights, however it is very overwhelming and in a way, sucks you into the room situated in the frame. The low key lighting with non diegetic lighting creates disorientation because the audience doesn't know which is the reflected surface or the real thing. It shows the audience that this villain could be shown as either a normal person or the bad guy. His real personality is hidden through false lies which makes the characters and the audience feel unsure of his true nature. The internal framing of the open door centres your attention around the man with his back to us. Because he is sitting down, it makes him the most important because the rest are standing up. He also seems the oldest which makes him more of an authoritative figure and the fact that the officers are reporting what and who they found on the beach. The intimidation of the old man to Cobb again connotes the genre of a thriller. Intimidation is used to make Cobb seem smaller, and seeing as he is slouched over the table it makes him small. The old man seems to be the villain and through intimidation, it makes himself seem more powerful.