Analysis of Film Opening (THE STRANGERS)

Within the opening sequence for 'The Strangers' title scenes and non-diegetic voice over is used to immidiately build fear and suspense as the man speaks in a slow, low-tone voice and says that the true events told in the story are 'still not entirely known'.

An empty black frama is shown alongside diegetic sounds of a car engine which again keeps audiences in fear and questioning what they are about to see. Tracking is used and edited to be in slow motion as we see what seems like a view from inside a car viewing an array of houses. Natural light is used however the light is clearly from ths sun which is going down, this may connote the idea of a coming of darkness or evil. As well as this, dark natural tones are also shown so that shadows can be used to intensify the mysterious feel of the opening. Non-diegetic, high pitch noise is played during this scene until it again, fades to black.

During another empty black frame, we hear a woman on the phone to police who seems extremely distressed and full of fright. Alongside the blackness, the woman builds suspense as she sounds irrational and is breathing very heavily as if she has been through high amounts of stress. Continuing with this sound, the scene switches to daylight again where we see a hole which has been smashed through a car window, the cracks are giving off steam or smoke which suggests that it is fresh and we are witnessing the scene just as an extreme event has taken place.

Two boys are shown entering the scene, the light outside is shown however as the long shot shows them walking into the house, the inside is shadowed as if they are walking into a pit of darkness; again building intense suspense. Warm light is shown as the camera focuses on close ups of an array of objects, the camera work is not still to make it appear more natural. However the camera switches to another warm scene, yet the image shows a knife covered in blood, this further brings mystery and thrill into the production as the camera work and editing is natural and calm however the audio is still fearsome and of an intense police call. As the volume of the police call intensifies, more and more blood is shown and we are able to hear the woman breathing intensely, until we suddenly see a shot of blood on the walls and the unknown woman claiming she sees 'blood everywhere.' This abrupt end is a typical convention of a thriller as no particular violence or gore is shown however there is an element of mystery as to what we as an audience have just witnessed.