2. Thriller Film Opening: ‘Gone Girl’
The opening title sequence of this film comprises mostly of brief,
establishing location shots, that last approximately 2 seconds
each, with the credits overlaid atop the visuals.
The start of the sequence features the names of key cast and
crew (Fincher, Affleck and Pike) on black, and in between these
title slides is a shot with a longer duration of the main female
protagonist, with the male protagonist’s non-diegetic voice-over to
describe his thoughts and feelings. The end of the sequence also
used elongated shots of the male protagonist, to establish him.
The music used throughout the sequence accompanies the
visuals, giving them a much more eerie feel that they would
otherwise if shown without music. However, there are key aspects
of mise-en-scene that also aid in creating this atmosphere.
3. Location
Most of the shots take place around this
one particular town. The buildings in the
town look somewhat run-down and ‘lived
in’ – as a location it does not convey a
sense of glamour or grandiose, which
gives the viewer some insight into what to
expect for the remainder of the film.
The cables hanging overhead are a key
element present in most of the shots. They
stand out, especially against the light blue
sky. From this, it can be inferred that the
film takes place in a developed country,
capable of using electricity, but no attempt
has been made by any councils or such to
hide them, so we know there is a lazy
mindset behind the people that live there.
This is further implied by the lack of
‘business’ in the town – it is very calm with
no traffic or people bustling about.
4. Actors
Although most of the focus of the title sequence
is on the establishing location-based shots, at
the start and end of the titles, the two main
protagonists are shown. The audience knows
they are of significance to the rest of the story
because they are the first characters shown in
the film.
In the first shot, Rosamund Pike’s character is
shown in a close up. The camera employs a
shallow depth of field, so she is the sole thing the
audience can focus on, emphasizing her
importance to the story. The clothes she is
wearing suggests that she is in a relaxed
environment, which helps to convey the idea of
laziness set up in the subsequent shots of the
town.
At the end of the sequence, Ben Affleck’s
character is shown outside what is presumed to
be is house, from a further distance than Pike’s
character was framed. He is wearing lightly
coloured clothes to give the idea of innocence
and naivety of his character. Just like the female
protagonist, he is dressed very lazily. His posture
also shows how tired he feels.
5. Lighting
The sequence takes place during the early hours
of the morning, just before dawn. This makes the
shots of the titles appear rather dark, giving a
cold, blue colour palette to the visuals. The
emphasis of the mid and dark tones, especially
with the blues, gives the whole sequence a very
moody, atmospheric feel. This time of day is also
usually when people are either asleep or just
waking up, which reiterates the relaxed nature of
the town and it’s inhabitants. Because of the time
of day of the sequence, the lighting is very low-
key, which sets the film up to be dark in tone.
This particular use of lighting could be
considered a metaphor for the characters’
thoughts and feelings; presently their lives are
dull and boring, yet an event is about to occur
that will ‘awaken’ them, so to speak, just like
dawn would literally do that.
The shadowy nature of the shots used in the
scene creates intrigue – it shrouds aspects of the
town in mystery, and makes the audience want
to find out more about the people that live there
without giving important plot points away.
6. Décor
As a result of the sequence
taking place predominately
outside, the director had minimal
control over the décor used in the
scene. The audience does see
buildings, and can make a guess
as to what is in them, based on
how the appear from the outside.
However, by locating the opening
titles outdoors, the audience is
introduced to the town where the
film is set. This aspect also aids
in creating intrigue for the
audience, leading them to want
to find out more.
7. Summary
My findings with regards to mise-en-scene in the opening sequence in the
genre of thriller are as follows;
The opening sequence should be used primarily to introduce the setting
and tone of the film, rather than set up characters. If characters are
shown, it should be briefly and not overload the viewer with information
immediately.
The lighting of a thriller, as already established but reiterated here, should
be low-key, and the colour palette should highlight medium and blue
tones.
If the sequence takes place outdoors, there is little I can do with décor to
convey meaning, and I must rely more heavily on the other aspects like
cinematography and lighting to connote certain ideas. However, if the
sequence I make takes place indoors, then various props can be
positioned to allude to certain characteristics and themes that would be
developed later in the film.
