The opening scene of a film is vital to its overall success. These few minutes establish many important aspects of a storyline, including setting, characters, period, and overall aesthetic. In addition, it credits the many people that each took an invaluable role in the creation of the film. The research of film openings below is especially important as it allows me to get an idea of what an opening should look like, or could look like, to inspire me for my portfolio project.
1.Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019)
In the opening of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, released in 2019 and directed by Quentin Tarantino, the audience is brought into the world of Los Angeles in 1969. It begins with the opening credits over a vintage painting, slowly zooming out into a car with two men driving it. The music is typical 60s style and the colors are vibrant, full of oranges, yellows, blues, and reds. These first two minutes immediately establish the iconic and typical aesthetic of 60s Hollywood. The credits are displayed in bright orange and vintage-styled fonts, pairing with the soft glow of the lighting as the setting shifts, introducing a new character who has just landed in an airport. The visuals feel cinematic and warm, with a slight haze, as if it were filmed on an old camera. This gives the opening a nostalgic and retro feel, typical to the 60s decade. The cuts are slow and paced, allowing the audience to see every detail of a scene, like a plane in the sky, cars driving down the street, billboards, and even clothing choices. The mise-en-scene is curated to fit what life in Los Angeles was in the 19060s, following the style strictly, from the vintage cars to flower-patterned luggage. The slow pacing mixed with the music, colors, lighting, and placement of shots help to establish a complex setting that is reflective of real-life events and people, all taking place in the vibrant world of Old Hollywood.
The opening of Asteroid City, released in 2023 and directed by Wes Anderson, opens by introducing the audience to the distinct style and aesthetic of the world, beginning with an all black-and-white documentary-style television show, making the audience feel as if they are watching a TV broadcast in the 1950s. On the screen, the host speaks to the audience under a bright light, contrasting with the darkness around him. Through the wide shot of the host on stage, the centered composition tells the audience that they are watching a show telling a story. With a sudden shift, the screen opens wide to vivid colors in the fictional town of Asteroid City, in which a bright yellow train is flying down a burnt orange desert. The contrast in lighting and color shows the audience the shift between stories. The desert landscape, paired with the vibrant colors not only build the nostalgic and iconic feel of a desert setting in the 1950s, but also fits in perfectly with the cinematic style of the film's director, Wes Anderson. The carefully planned and balanced shots pair with the strict framing, that make the scenes feel meticulous and intentional, almost like a painting. The opening doesn't flood the audience with action, but it sets the tone, visual aesthetic, and what the story may look like with two narratives.
3. 500 Days of Summer (2009)
500 Days of Summer, released in 2009 and directed by Marc Webb, first opens to a man and a woman sitting on a park bench, staring out into the city. They smile at each other, seemingly in love. The natural lighting and medium shot makes the scene feel realistic and authentic, introducing the main characters, Tom and Summer as romantic interests. In several scenes, the camera makes them the center of the shot, showing them close together, creating intimacy and connection. Yet, as the narrator introduces both characters and their backstory's, he immediately states, "this is not a love story," surprising and perhaps intriguing the audience to keep watching. This sets up the films theme of expectation versus reality, unfolding the storyline. The setting of the opening scene in the office is dull, full of grey and nude colors. Then suddenly, as the opening credits begin to roll, shifting pictures of Tom and Summer as kids begin, creating a more personal atmosphere around the two protagonists, and setting up the aesthetic of the film which surrounds the complexity of human relationships. With a mix of close-ups and wider shots, the techniques make the audience feel connected to their emotions, and to the actual characters and setting. This early choice to start with both characters together and then reveal the breakup later is symbolic to what society views in a seemingly perfect relationship, or what an outside perspective me see, versus how the relationship actually is, this is central to the themes in the film and what occurs between the two protagonists.
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