Black Swan- Opening Scene Analysis

Black Swan

Black Swan is a 2010 American psychological thriller directed by Darren Aronofsky .

Opening Credits

Dark sinister credits are used during the opening. White, bold text is used on a dark background, allowing attention to be drawn to the writing by making it stand out, but is ironic as it is the 'Black Swan' so the audience would expect the title to be black text on a white background. The darkness is typical of opening for a thriller, and helps to draw conclusions that this is going to be a sinister, creepy and mysterious narrative.
The titles read:
Fox searchlight pictures presents
In association with
Cross Creek Pictures
A protozoa and phoenix pictures production
BLACK SWAN.

A screenshot of part of the opening credits.

Sound

The non-diegetic music is used during the beginning of this clip, when the main character is dancing. The music is high pitched with multiple stings, which isn't typical for a thriller and makes the audience wonder why the non-diegetic music isn't sinister. However, soon after, a man enters, but the music continues. Composed over the top is a deep eerie rumble which all of a sudden changes the feel of the narrative to tense, making the audience feel the suspense and adds to the narrative enigma, as it is assumed that the main ballet dancer is the protagonist, but the audience are left to wonder who the man is, and due to the change in genre of music when he is introduced, we assume him to be the antagonist which would be typical for a male antagonist in a thriller with a female protagonist.

Sinister sound is used to match the sinister costume.

Another point to note is that after the dance scene, the audience find out that this was a dream. This is shown through the main characters dialogue 'I had a dream I was the white swan last night'. However, the audience are unable to see who she is talking to. They are made to wonder if anyone is present in the room that we don't know about due to the close up camera angle of her face, or specific long shots which only show one part of the room, or made to wonder if she is being watched or possessed. All these questions add to the narrative enigma and build tension and anxiety for the audience.

Main character's dialogue is important in the extract for clues.

Mise en Scene

At the very beginning of the narrative low key lighting is used, to portray the ballet dancer (the main character). She is depicted in a dark room, but the audience don't know why she is there dancing or where in particular this scene is set. This adds to the eeriness and darkness which is a typical convention of a thriller, as the characters are less easy to identify due to the darkness, due to the limited lighting. The shadows create a spooky atmosphere keeping the audience engaged foreshadowing the dark events to come, while the bright spotlight on the dancer at the beginning suggests that she is the focal point of the narrative and is the one to carefully watch.

Low key lighting is used, but the dancer is spotlighted.

Furthermore, regarding the costume, the ballet dancer is wearing white. This is at the beginning of the clip where she is dancing. White, has connotations of innocence and peace, strongly suggesting to the audience that she is the protagonist and isn't presented as evil at the beginning of the narrative.  On the other hand, the man who appears slightly later in the dance is presented wearing in a typical antagonist costume which is black, whilst his face is strongly drawn and contoured, to which the dark shadows enhance making him appear sinister and evil in appearance. The way that he moves is also very violent and dominant of the female character which matches his costume. This suggests that the narrative will take a sinister turn.



Camera

A close up shot is used of the ballerinas feet when she is dancing, at the beginning of the narrative. This shows the quick movement of her feet, which could foreshadow that the events in the narrative will happen quickly, and that the storyline will be fast paced. The fact that the camera is completely focused on this character suggests to the audience that she is going to be the focal point, and that the narrative will revolve around her life as a ballet dancer. Due to the fact that the audience are having to watch her movement very carefully during this point of the thriller, suggests that we must watch her every move during the whole narrative. This is effective because the increased speed of her movement keeps the audience engaged, whilst adding to the narrative enigma as we wonder what her role in the narrative will be and what the significance of her dancing is.

An extreme close up shot is used to portray the ballet dancer's back to display an odd looking scratch. This extreme close up shot is very effective because it shows the details of the scratch, but the audience are made to wonder how this got there and who did it. The audience are made to question as to whether it relates to the man she was dancing with in the 'dream'. This adds to the tension in the narrative, and also keeps the audience engaged as they are made to wonder if they missed something prior to this shot being shown, which adds to the thrill of watching this particular narrative, and also suggests that she is the protagonist due to being hurt.

An extreme close up shot of the dancers back.

Editing

Shot reverse shot is used when the ballet dancer and who we assume to be her Mum are exchanging dialogue in their house in the morning, after she has had the twisted dream. This is effective editing because it builds tension as it isn't known how close their relationship is and their relationship with each other other before this scene. The fact that her mum also helps to dress her, adds to the narrative enigma as we do not know why she is being patronising, so this adds to the tense environment we already establish from their relationship.

Shot reverse shot is used to indicate a conversation.

Straight cut shots are also used to create the tension between the scene. Straight cuts are used when the ballet dancer is on the train, and she spots another girl. This shot combined with eerie, typical thriller developed music, develops a lack of understanding as to who the other girl is, and where they are both going, and what their relationship is. This makes the audience confused, adding to the narrative enigma of the narrative.

Straight cut shots are used.

The clip analysed shown below:

Inception- Opening Scene Analysis

Inception

Inception is an American film directed by Christopher Nolan, produced by Syncopy Inc, Legendary Pictures and Warner Brothers.

Opening Credits 

The opening credits of the sequence are presented as having dark overall feel. The graphology includes a lighter, bold text on a dark background, to allow attention to be drawn to the writing by making it stand out. This automatically creates the effect and connotations that the film is going to involves a dark and mysterious storyline.
The titles read:
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan
Leonardo Dicaprio
Ellen Page
Editor Lee Smith
Production director Guy Hendrix Dyas
Joseph Gordon Levitt
Music by Hans Zimmer
Dileep Rao
Ken Wantenbe
Tom Hardy
Inception

Part of the opening titles.

Sound

At the start of the extract, typical sound for a thriller is used, which is deep, short bursts of string music. This automatically presents the audience with the fact that something bad is about to occur. This sound is used up until the waves are presented in the frame. The wave sounds are very violent, almost as if in a storm, which could reflect that the main character who we next see washed up on the shore, has been through violence or perhaps fallen from a boat during a storm. We don't know that for a fact, so this adds to the narrative enigma. After this point, the non diegetic music begins again, which is low and eerie, with a building tempo, which occurs throughout the narrative. This creates the effect of excitement for the audience as well as a building tempo which could convey what is going to happen in the narrative, a build up to an event.  

The dialogue is unclear when the children are presented in the frame playing on the beach. This could portray the sounds heard from the character who has been washed up on the shore. The sounds of the children playing are eerie, with a sinister laugh and cry combined with the eerie string music. The images are distorted, and the sound of them playing is almost muffed, so this suggests to the audience that this is a hallucination and that the character is possibly dreaming about the past. This makes the audience question as to what this character is doing washed up on the beach, and how these children are relevant to the narrative.

The sound of children playing is effective because it is eerie.

Another point to note is the lack of dialogue from the main character, especially at the beginning. This creates a sense of mystery surrounding this particular character and also builds the tension, as although he appears to be the protagonist, it is unclear what his actual role in the narrative is. The lack of answers also continues to make the audience intrigued about the narrative. However, when the other characters begin to talk, they talk about dream states, which also relates back to the mysterious children on the beach. This could portray

that the narrative is going to revolve around dreams and the past conveying a sense of mystery.

Lack of dialogue from the character at this point adds to the narrative enigma

Mise en Scene

Low key lighting is used after 1.11 of the extract, when, what appears to be a villain base is shown. This room involves traditional Japanese inspired décor. The low key lighting helps to create an eerie, mysterious atmosphere to which builds tension and makes the audience question as to why they are  depicted in this unusual setting, but also makes it more difficult to identify each individual character in the narrative, adding to the narrative enigma of what each characters role entitles.

Low key lighting.

An additional feature is during the meeting when all the characters are congregated in one room. The old man appears to have the most authority within the group. The other men, all appear to be wearing suits and expensive accessories, appearing as stereotypical business men. This suggests to the audience that these men are in authoritative positions with major status, so the audience get a sense of hierarchy and expensive lifestyles, compared to the character shown at the beginning of the narrative but are also made to wonder who they work for and what career they are involved in.  The character shown at the very beginning of the film is depicted wearing non business attire which strongly indicates that he doesn't usually belong there, but why is he in the meeting? This adds further to the narrative enigma.

Hierarchy shown through costume usage.

Camera

An extreme close up is used at the very beginning of the narrative to present the audience with the characters face when he is washed up onto the shore. This helps the audience to see the sheer confusion on the characters face as he lifts his head out of the water, but suggests that he has no idea why he is there or what he is doing, and presents no clues to the audience as they are left to wonder what happened to him. This adds to the tension and narrative enigma for the audience, causing them to be nervous for the character.

An over the shoulder shot is presented in the frame during the meeting in the room with the Japanese inspired décor. This shot shows one character at the head of the table, sat with his back to the camera. This draws the audiences full attention to the other character exchanging dialogue with the character at the head of the table, allowing the audience to see the emotions displayed on his face, creating a sense of anxiety and mystery due his fearful expression which causes the audience to feel the same way. As well as this, the shot means that the audience can't view the man at the head of the table, and what emotions he is presenting. The distance of the two characters also suggests that they do not have a strong relationship, presenting their relationship as very business like an professional.

Over the shoulder shot.

Editing

During the very beginning of the extract, ellipsis of time is used. This is when the character has been washed up on the shore and is lying there, attempting to work out how he has ended up there. An eyeline match is also combined with the ellipsis of time to allow the audience to see what the character is viewing as he slowly looks up after hearing the sound of children playing. The audience are therefore presented with a frame of two children playing on the beach, but the image of them is slightly ghostly and distorted combined with slow motion. This portrays that these children are either a dream, or a hallucination, or a memory and that this isn't actually occurring in real life, just in the characters head. This helps understand that the character is very confused due to whatever happened prior to him being washed up on the beach. Another point to note is that these children could possibly be his own, or him as a child playing with a sibling or friend. This again, adds to the narrative enigma, because he could have been brought back to this location for a particular reason, but the audience are clueless as to why he is there and the importance of the two children in the narrative. The audience are made to ask questions, such as will they appear again later? Are they haunting him? Is it a clue?

Hallucination of children and point of view shot.

Furthermore, an abrupt cut is used after the meeting, when the scene jumps to what appears to be a hotel room, in what the audience believe to be a post-apocalyptic time period. This cut between two different time periods is effective because it creates an effect of increasing tension and mystery, but the audience are unsure of the amount of time between each abrupt cut. This technique allows the audience to feel increased tension and anxiety as the pace of the narrative picks up, adding to the increasing mystery and confusion foreshadowing events to follow.

The clip analysed shown below:

 

Lost Highway- Opening Scene Analysis

Lost Highway

Lost Highway is a 1997 French-American psychological mystery thriller written and directed by David Lynch.

Opening Credits 

The titles of the film are presented in a serif yellow font in the centre of a black background in to create a reverse block effect to make the title of the film stand out. A road is also used, which appears to be never ending, which mirrors and implies the meaning of the title lost, as the road leads to no where hinting at what the narrative is going to be about. The font is large and serif to attract the audience's attention and make them engage in the film right from the beginning. 

The titles read:

Bill Pullman

Patricia Arquette
Balthazar Getty
Lost Highway
Robert Blake
Natasha Gregson Wagner
Richard Pryor
Lucy Butler, Michael Massee, Jack Nance
Jack Kehler, Henry Rollins
Giovanni Ribisi
Scott Coffey
with Gary Busey
and Robert Loggia
Casting by Johanna Ray, C.S.A and Elaine J. Huzzar
Music Composed and Conducted by Angelo Badalamenti
Editor - Mary Sweeney
Production Designer/Costume Designer - Patricia Norris
Director of Photography - Peter Deming
Produced by Deepak Nayar, Tom Sternberg, Mary Sweeney
Written by David Lynch and Barry Gifford
Directed by David Lynch

Sound

In this opening extract, prolonged, deep non-diegetic sounds are used. This occurs when the character is moving within the house towards the door and window. This non-diegetic sound starts off fairly quiet, eventually developing into a crescendo, increasing the tension for the audience, whilst also suggesting that the character could feel confused and uneasy about the particular situation. This also suggests that the character in the frame at this particular moment is the protagonist. 

As well as this, the lack of dialogue in this particular part of the extract, along with the eerie music, creates suspense and tension for the audience, as they wonder what is going to happen next, due to the lack of detail creating a narrative enigma. Low pitched dialogue is then used during 1.06 of the extract, but for a short space of time. This is when a creepy, deep, eerie voice speaks through the intercom. This adds to the mystery of the narrative, but the deep, threatening voice suggests something sinister, perhaps suggesting that this voice will be a character presented as an antagonist. This also adds to the verisimilitude of the extract as well as the ambient sounds of the police car, and the fear of the unknown keeps the audience engaged.

Eerie dialogue is heard from the intercom.

Mise en Scene

During the very beginning of the extract, what the audience assume to be the main character is introduced using low key lighting. This makes it difficult for the audience to view the characters face, but the audiences attention is solely on him, perhaps suggesting that he has a main role in the community, but likes to remain anonymous for security reasons. The darkness of this particular part of the extract could mirror the way in which this character is feeling; scared and wanting to solve a mystery, but perhaps with elements of vulnerability.

Low key lighting makes the character difficult to identify.

Furthermore,  the character appears slightly dishevelled. He appears to have a middle class status. When he is sat down smoking his cigarette, his facial expressions and body language display signs of tiredness and stress, implying that this mystery could have been going on for some time. Towards the end of this extract, the lighting appears to be lighter. When the street is shown along with the house, nothing in particular seems to be going on. However, the lighter ambience suggests a more positive and enlightening feel to the narrative, almost as reassurance, but at the same time, the audience are made to wonder what is going to happen next. This adds to the narrative enigma, as the audience are still clueless to what is happening in the narrative due to the vague storyline so far.

Prop used; a cigarette.

Camera

When the character is introduced at the very start of the narrative, a close up shot is used. This displays the characters face to enable the audience to view the emotions of the character, for clues to what could be about to happen. The fact that the character is shown smoking a cigarette could convey that he is trying to relieve his stress about the situation. An extreme close up shot is used to show the character when the buzzer rings. The audience would expect him to jump, however he stays unnerved about the situation, but with a look of slight confusion. This could suggest that a similar situation has happened before. A close up shot presents the audience with the character pressing the intercom button, to allow the audience to hear the mysterious, eerie voice. Then, a mid shot shows the characters reaction, much to the audiences surprise, is calm and collected, again suggesting that this has happened before, or that this character is used to solving mysteries.

The character appears unnerved by the situation.

Then, a long shot accompanied by a point of view shot shows the sudden burst of action from the character, as he appears to be rushing around, eventually going to the balcony of the house. Diegetic sounds of police sirens are heard by the audience, and then the street is presented to us. Furthermore, this again suggests a mystery, keeping the audience engaged. The fact that the street appears to be very quiet, adds to the narrative enigma and eerie atmosphere, making the audience question why no one is around getting on with their day-to-day lives.  

A point of view shot

Editing

An eye line match is used towards the middle of the extract. This displays the intercom/vent buzzing. This allows the audience to see what the character is looking at. As well as this the editing cuts to the character, and then to the vent repeatedly, adding to the suspense and mystery of the narrative, as to who may speak through the intercom, keeping the audience engaged and creating sense of fear for the audience due to the character's actions possibly due to fear of the unknown.

Another point to note is that a long take is then used to portray the sudden sense of the characters panic, when the character is moving around his house to get to the balcony. This builds tension, as the audience don't know where he is going to go, or what he is going to do, and therefore putting the audience on edge as they ponder to what the implications of  his actions could be. As well as this, when the character is looking out the window, the camera shows his face through the use of a low shot. This could suggest he is being watched by someone else, but the audience don't yet know who, adding to the suspense and tension once more.

The clip analysed shown below:



Conventions of a Thriller

What is a Thriller?

A thriller can be produced in the form of a film, involving an exciting plot. Typically, it will involve a crime or espionage.



Conventions:

• The narrative is usually based around a crime scene; often a murder and involves a strange storyline, which keeps the audience on their toes.
• Contains elements of mystery, action and fear, and narrative enigma.
• Often creates suspense for the audience,  with the tension increasing throughout.
• Provides the audience with an adrenaline rush in certain aspects of the scenes in order to keep them engaged.
• Often, the narrative makes the audience feel disturbed and uneasy due to the abnormal images.
• A thriller is more realistic than a horror film, and aspects from camera, sound, editing and Mise en scene all add to the verisimilitude of the narrative.
• Thrillers include protagonists and antagonists. Previously, thrillers had dominantly male protagonists, but recently both genders have been cast as protagonists.
• Protagonists will overcome challenges and obstacles throughout the narrative.