Opening sequence analysisSound and shot analysis

SAMANTHA BEVAN

The opening sequence to ‘The Purge’ beings with a title credit of the production company, this title slowly fades onto the screen and a non-diegetic backing track which also fades in slowly. This backing track is much different to what an audience member would expect from a physiological thriller, usually in this genre of film the main intention of the backing track and any other sound effects put into an opening sequence would be to distort the audience and build up a lot of tension, in contrast this opening sequence does the opposite of this by using very soft sounding although this opening sequence still builds the tension as the audience would be in suspense waiting for something to happen due to the unusualness of the backing track throwing them off guard.

Each of the different shots in this opening sequence is shown as being out of focus or grainy, this increases the audience belief of what they are seeing is actually surveillance footage giving the film a sense of realism. This would shock the audience, the poor quality of the shots could give the impression that many of the population would rather distance themselves from the reality of what is happening, this would give the audience an idea of what the film is too include, making them want to carry on watching. Here in these mid-shots there are little sound effects used, just the same non-diegetic backing track which plays throughout.

The non-diegetic sound being a classical piece of music shows a large contrast, the tone of music being a very beautiful, relaxing genre of music. This could connate that there is some people that find a twisted beauty in these extreme acts of cruelty.

The unsettling, unpleasant images being shown upon the pleasant backing track could also connate that it is a possibility that in the future the public/society would not find such violence as horrifying and wrong.

In each shot there is a time-stamp which all display the same ‘purge feed’ this slowly giving the audience knowledge of what the ‘purge’ is and what the meaning of it is. Linked to this the audience are also given some knowledge that these clips of footage are not set in the present, they are set in the future, each shot being a different future date. The first being 2017, then the continue up to 2021. This would give the audience more knowledge about the purge, that it is an annual event and a very unpleasant one from what they are shown.

Each shot is in a different location, each shot once again labelled in the top right hand corner with a blurred location, this leaves the audience with many questions about why these events could be happening in these areas and if they are happening in these locations could they be happening also elsewhere. Having the audience be unaware of the answers to these questions would intrigue them and make them want to keep watching the movie to find the answers.

There is a lack of diegetic sound throughout this opening sequence, although the audience can visually seeing the gunshots and screaming in all the chaos and violence, they are unable to hear any of the sounds they are witnessing, this would making the audience feel distanced from what is going on, on the screen itself, this being much like how it would be for some people who wouldn’t want to be involved, would only watch from the outside. This could also make the audience feel a sense of curiosity as too what these people could be saying to one another, whether these characters have any relationship with one another or whether they are just strangers, all questions that they would soon find out after watching the whole of the film.

In this opening sequence, there is a mixture of shots used, one of the shots that are used quite frequently is a canted angle, this would make the audience feel disorientated, this having a direct link with the genre of film, being a physiological thriller, by making the audience confused and leaving them with many questions. All of the shots are shot from a high angle to give the impression to the audience that it is all shot from cameras that are structured upon a wall or upon a rooftop, this would also give the audience knowledge that people would not be out filming, the people have left it to surveillance cameras, showing that these events are actually extremely dangerous and life threatening.

The non-diegetic backing music, continues at the same volume and pitch throughout the whole of the opening sequence, this making things quite atmospheric for the audience as they are left with many questions.