Thriller Film Openings Research:

MEMENTO:

"Memento" is a film written and directed by Christopher Nolan and, in my opinion, has one of the most foreshadowing opening scenes ever. The film fades in from black and all we see is a fully colored Polaroid, but slowly, as the protagonist shakes it, it slowly fades away. This shot doesn't change; it's a one take, same camera angle, same composition, for almost 2 minutes. What this does to the audience is put them right away into how this story will be told. They are given the Polaroid in full color, but as the scene continues, that color fades, signaling the loss of memory. It's such a simple but clever way of showing your audience what's to come.

 

the picture that was taken with the Polaroid also tells you what the tone of the film is. The disturbing bloody mess that the picture is showing gives you all the information you need to know about what ride you're about to be on. This film in particular will be such a huge inspiration in my film opening, as the way one single shot conveys so much in such a simple manner is just so breathtaking to me.

ENEMY:

"Enemy" is a film directed by Denis Villeneuve; its opening scene throws us straight into a mind-bending gathering that’s confusing but disturbing at the same time. The audience really doesn't know what is happening, but this opening scene sets up the tone, symbolism, and inner conflict brilliantly. The scene starts with the main character making his way throughout a building. He enters some sort of strip club, where we see women performing sexual activities. The most important thing that happens, and what the director is telling us with this opening scene, is the symbolism between the women and the tarantula that is shown to us at the end of the opening. This tarantula symbolizes something deep within the main character’s mindset, and that inner conflict is what this film is trying to set up.

The one thing I want to take away from this opening is how the lighting, tone, and symbolism are used to convey a message. The chiaroscuro lighting exemplifies the film’s tone excellently. Lastly, what I want to take away from this film is the use of an object, animal, or any type of tangible item as a way of telling the audience something about a character, instead of just telling them.

GONE GIRL:

"Gone Girl" is a film directed by David Fincher; its opening scene brings the audience into the chilling and eerie world of our characters. It opens with the main female character lying down, getting her hair played with by a man who is not shown to us yet. This tells us the dynamic between the characters, while the voice-over confirms it. We know it’s a man because of the voice-over that occurs during the duration of the scene. It then proceeds to show us different shots of an empty-looking town, which finally culminate with seeing a man standing awkwardly as he looks at the house neighboring his

The main focus of the opening was the music. The score is the core of the opening. It sets up the tone amazingly, while keeping the audience on their toes as soon as the film begins. It’s like the score makes you want to know immediately what’s happening. It puts you into a trance of some sort.