G321 - Analysing Thriller Openings: Se7en

Se7en (1995)

 

This institution logo is not shown in the film opening which could cause the audience to believe that the content of the film is not usually associated with the production company. It could also have been done so as to accentuate the ambiguity being created within the opening.

 
The narrative of the film is revealed as revolving around the book being created, shown through the focus on it within the opening. It is also inferred that the creator of the book is extremely important as their persona remains ambiguous throughout the opening and therefore would attract the audience as it would cause them to want to find out who the person is and why they were creating the book.

The opening of the film indicates that the genre of the film is to be thriller due to the repeated use of close ups throughout the opening. This method is a generic convention of thrillers as it helps to build mystery and ambiguity which eludes towards a complex narrative. The high contrasts of the dark against light colours also helps establish the film as a thriller.


The target audience of the film appears to be males from the ages of 18 plus. This is due to the protagonist appearing to be male as well as the complex narrative which is established which, stereotypically, would not be understood by females. The film appears to be aimed at middle  class members of society and this is made apparent through the protagonist's location in a seemingly middle class setting with attention being focused on the book and it's creation rather than the location itself.

 

The opening of the film appears to be avoiding giving out a message to the audience so as to allow their focus to be entirely consumed by the creation of the book. In this respect, it allows the audience to become encapsulated in and almost hypnotised by the seemingly rhythmic creation of the book. This is done via the use of close ups and a lack of information being revealed.

The opening sequence reveals very little about the characters in the film meaning they are likely to have ambiguous personalities. This is shown through the lack of focus on the protagonist throughout the opening. In doing this, it creates a wider interest from more age groups as no specific age group is identified and therefore increasing the potential age range of the target audience.

The setting of the film remains entirely ambiguous. This helps to establish the film as a thriller as it causes the viewer to feel isolated within the protagonist's own personal space due to not being aware of the surrounding area and what is there.

The opening represents a relatively dark side of society in an intriguing light. The use of close ups on aspects, such as drawing over a photo of somebody in marker pen, helps to build intrigue and mystery and helps to establish that the film is to begin "in media res" - that is within the action, without an establishment of an equilibrium.
 

The shots used within the opening are all very similar which insinuates that this will be mirrored within the rest of the film. The simple shots allow for a heightened sense of verisimilitude as they are realistic and the use of close ups allows the viewer to feel encapsulated within the scene.
 

The most evident theme presented in the opening is that of ambiguity due to the lack of information that the audience receives from the opening. The protagonist is still not introduced at this stage which causes their identity to become the focus of the audience's attention and therefore it can be assumed that this will be the driving force of the film.

The unnatural lighting in the opening sequence helps to create a sense of mystery as it presents the protagonist in a dark and shadowy manner. The scenes used are made to look and feel like reality despite this unnatural lighting and the high contrast which is created through the lighting aids in establishing the genre.
 

The lack of diegetic sound prevents the audience from losing focus on the book and any potential information this sequence could be giving them. The non-diegetic music which accompanies the opening scene has no lyrics and has creates a threatening atmosphere. This is a generic convention of a thriller and therefore helps to establish the genre of the film.

 

Editing within the opening is seemingly minimal, using only basic cuts to switch between clips. However, the flickering of the titles and lines across the screen would have taken a lot of time within the editing process.  It is unclear whether the editing is discontinuous or continuous during the creation of book as it is not completely clear whether the clip is chronological or jumping around in time. This creates confusion within the audience thus creating more ambiguity and eluding towards a more complex narrative.

The titles within the opening are not integrated within the opening but rather are displayed in a way which makes them stand out to the audience - white font against a black background in between other clips. They are also slightly animated and given a jerky effect which makes them suit the style of the opening.

The atmosphere created within the opening scene is one of ambiguity and intrigue, created by the protagonist's lack of identity and the limited information displayed. This atmosphere causes the audience to become intrigued by the narrative and therefore makes them more likely to watch the film.

From the evidence provided I have come to the conclusion that this opening clearly establishes the genre through the use of close ups and the rising levels of ambiguity. It also has a very high level of intrigue allowing the audience become connected with the film and place themselves in the scene. I believe that all in all the Se7en opening is successful and would entice the appropriate audience.