Analysis of Thriller Opening- Sin City

In the opening scene of 'Sin City' I will be looking at four aspects:

• Camera work
• Editing
• Mise en scene
• Sound

Camera work

·  The first shot used in this sequence is an establishing shot, showing the womans surroundings and the fact she is alone at night time.  It makes her look quite vulnerable because it is a long shot, and she is small in the middle of it. When her and the man begin to converse shot/reverse shot is used, and almost lulls us into a false sense of security as they talk.  The shot helps us concentrate on what they are saying and it doesn't distract us from their expressions.

·  When the man begins to tell the protagonist what he sees in her eyes, the camera zooms in slowly so we concentrate on her reaction to this, so we see the know what he's saying is meaningful to her. Close ups are used a lot as they speak which help the audience feel closer to the mysterious characters. But a long shot is also used when they kiss; this long shot connotes a classic romance: the silhouette of her in her dress bent back in his arms as they kiss.

·  Apart from this shot the camera is usually very close to them, but they are filmed objectively. The fact that we just see these close ups of them makes them seem alone in their world.

·  The close up as he hugs her shows her comfort in his arms, the warmth of their embrace, which makes the gunshot such a suprise. The shot doesn't even change when he shoots her, which connotes a feeling that this shooting was planned, it's not that his mood has changed.

·  The final shot is a birds eye shot, suddenly pulling out of the close range the audience has been experiencing.  It looks down at them and zooms out, which connotes a feeling that this murder is irrelevant, and the characters that we were so close to a minute ago are no longer important.

Editing

·  This opening is in black and white apart from a few features, which makes it seem like it was set a long time ago even though the surroundings seem modern enough.  The black and white also give an element of mystery and classiness to the piece. The fact that her dress and lipstick is red against the black and white background make us think she is passionate, strong, beautiful, sexy and fiery compared to her surroundings; she doesn't fit in.  Her bright green eyes emphasis this as well, they seem almost magical put in such polar opposites with her background.

·  When the long shot is shown of them kissing they are a white silhouette against a black background which connotes a feeling that they are both good battling away darkness.

·  As the final shot pulls away from their bodies on the floor the woman’s dress suddenly seems to connote blood and death more than anything else, and as it zooms out even more the city from above spells out the title 'Sin City'-which then turns blood red.  This is a very clever technique in editing to introduce the title to the audience.

Mise en Scene

·  The costumes used in this opening show both characters as very rich and upper class, of a high social status.  He is wearing a tuxedo and she's wearing an expensive dress.  They're hair and make up adds to this; she looks very beautiful and stylish while he looks sophisticated and smart.

·  The setting up on the rooftop overlooking the city is not only very romantic but is important to the beginning of the movie as it is about this city they're over looking.

Sound

·  The non diegetic sound in this first scene is very important.  The music is a kind of mysterious jazz which adds to the concept that they've both just come out of quite upper class party.  The music implies romance, mystery, wealth, sophistication and sadness within the woman.  The voiceover is hugely important, as it tells the story from the mans perspective as we watch it.  It gives us an insight into what he sees, but not enough to give away the ending of the scene.  His voice is gruff and deep, and the words he says are poetic: all of these aspects adding to the audience seeing him as a romantic character, not a murderer.  In the last shot the music gives an eerie twang and a beat begins, showing that this is only the beginning.

·  The diegetic sound is also hugely relevant.  The dialogue is a big part of the narrative, as it shows their relationship to the audience.  The sound of the city blends in with the music, and the wind is eerie and quiet, adding to the mystery with the two characters.  The sound of rain is also important, as it reflects the woman’s mood.   

Freya