Thriller Opening Sequences

The Woman In Black

The opening sequence for this film is a little bit unconventional. The lighting is very bright, with everything in the room being overexposed because of the large windows in the scene. Thrillers conventionally use darkness and shadow to create their atmosphere, so this is something unexpected for the audience. Whilst what is happening in the beginning of the scene may seem quite innocent and harmless, the music hints that something bad is going to happen. The pace of the music begins to quicken and it gets louder, which builds the tension and leads up to the dramatic twist in the scene’s plot. The way that the children move all in unison, and seem so suddenly focused suggests that there may be an element of the supernatural in the film, as their movements do not seem to be natural for young girls. The sudden cut out of music and the piercing scream are conventional of thrillers as they add to the tension and excitement. The mystery of what has happened in this scene leaves the audience wanting to see more, particularly because we are not introduced to any of the main characters, with the exception of a small glimpse of the woman in black at the very end.

Se7en

Se7en’s opening sequence is made up entirely of close ups and extreme close ups. This means that the audience are kept in the dark; they have no idea who the characters could be. It also does not give away much about the plot, meaning that the audience are more likely to want to watch the rest of the film so they can understand what is going on. The use of black and red clearly connotes that this is a thriller film. The shadows and darkness give a sense of mystery, whereas red can suggest anger, or maybe danger and violence. This contrasts with the fact that the character is just putting together a scrapbook of sorts. The music that has been used is extremely effective in creating a tense atmosphere. It is eerie, and jumpy which fits in with the way the shots randomly jump and cut to black screens. The pace of the opening sequence is fairly slow, however at the end it does quicken slightly and the volume of the music also increases.

The Dark Knight Rises

The Dark Knight Rises’ opening sequence uses the convention of darkness to convey mystery to the audience. The use of water and smoke to distort images also creates a mysterious atmosphere. The music used builds up the tension so you know it is a thriller film, but it is the dramatic kind of music that would be expected for a super hero movie (as it is a hybrid of both genres). The main characters are shown to us through photographs, with some of them ripped and torn which could suggest conflict and violence or personal struggles for the characters. The hints of red which can be seen also connote violence. The use of extreme close ups and the idea of scrapbooking is similar to the opening sequence of Se7en, and makes the film more mysterious as it does not give the plot away. Because Batman is iconic and many people know the characters and the general ideas behind the films, it is important to not give away too much about the plot of the individual film.