Research into thriller openings

Bourne Conspiracy

Dissecting the intro to The Bourne Conspiracy opens up a wide range of different connotations and denotations when considering the movie genre 'Thriller'.

Firstly the text, following all the stereotypes of well-known thrillers The Bourne Conspiracy uses the technique of the letters coming from either side of the screen, arranging themselves and then dissolving into the background. This gives connotations of a hospitalised and computerised environment, all of which are established features of a thriller.
The black background adds to the mystery and bleakness of a thriller whilst also allowing the text to stand out as if on a screen itself. The metaphor of the letters finding themselves and then breaking apart into pieces may give an indication as to what to expect in the film. The standard thriller tends to follow the convention of a puzzle or enigma, which this title instantly registers to the audience.





Snatch

The opening credits of the thriller film Snatch includes a man looking into a diamond and the name of the film appearing on the diamond.  This makes it become clear that the film is about the diamond being snatched from somebody.  It then one by one introduces the all-male characters telling something about the personality all including that they are a bunch of bad guys.  Whilst the characters were being introduced it came up with their name along with stars next to it, maybe this could indicate their importance or their level of rebelliousness with how many stars are next to their name. 
The Mise En Scene includes codes and conventions which you would see in a day-to-day thriller including cigars, smoke and weapons.

 

 

 

 

The Maltese Falcon

Technical Construction
Sound
Orchestral music - somber, sets a serious mood

Mise En Scene
Cigarettes, Formal Clothing, Smoke

Camera
Establishing shots at the beginning

The Maltese Falcon has a classic thriller opening as it includes all the stereotypical codes and conventions that you would expect to be included in a thriller movie.  For example, the opening includes men dressed in smart suits, rolling cigarettes and smoking.  As well as the men dressed in suits, the woman are dressed formally in hats, dresses and heels.  This is also very stereotypical in a thriller however, seeing as the film was created in 1941 the dress sence may have something to do with the fashion that was around at that certain time.
In the start of the film we see the formal lady walk into a mans office asking him for help, another stereotypical code you see for the man to help the woman.  The woman asks the man to track down her sister who she hasn't seen or heard of for some time now as she has ran away with a man.  This creates an enigma which leaves the audience to question where he sister is and if the man she has ran away with has harmed her in any way.



Black Swan

A few different codes and conventions give away that Black Swan is a thriller in the opening of the film.  Music is the main key feature here as it creates tension and suspention to the audience watching.  When the second dancer enters the scene it makes the audience think "who is that?".  The orchestral music gives away the connotation that this second person could potentially be dangerous. 

Pyscho 

The film Psycho by Slfred Hitchcock starts at the very beginning with fast paced orchestral music which already makes it very tense for the audience watching the film.  As the film was produced in 1960 it becomes clear that it is shot in black and white. This helps give off extra dark shadows which helps understand and create characters dark personalities. It also helps give out the connotation of danger where everything appears much darker which can make the audience much more suspicious when it comes to things jumping out at the camera.  Once the opening credits to the film finishes, the camera quickly enters the following scene through the window which makes the audience uneasy as it makes them feel like they have sneaked in like an intruder. The woman that you come across displays many codes and conventions that you would see in a typical thriller movie as she is seen only wearing a bra which makes her come across very sexual. It is often indicated that sexual female characters often come across as stupid and weak and cannot handle dangerous situations.