An analysis of the opening sequence/credits to Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island 2010

1. Analysis of the opening sequence to Shutter Island.
Firstshot.
The sequence beginswithalowangle shotof a darklylitcorridor.The low
level lightingisusedtoaddsuspense andenigmatothe scene asan
engagingintroductiontothe film.The shotfeaturesabaredgate whichis
a commonsymbolismforbeingencloseortrapped,foreshadowingthe
plotline forthe audience. The redtypographyusedforthe creditsgives
the symbolismof bloodwhichisarepresentative of the genre ,
psychological thriller.Alsothe textonthe screenflickersinorderto
physiologicallyconfusethe audience whichagaincanbe labelledas
foreshadowing.
0.04, Spiral Staircases
This360 degree rigshotcreatesyetmore confusionforthe audience as
well asa level of enigma.The spinningshothasmetaphorical references
to the plotline andhow the audience will goaroundincirclestryingto
understandthe plotline. The grandstaircase alsohas historical context
makingthe audience assume thatthe settingof the filmisinthe past.
0.08 Indoorgate
The wide shotof the indoorgate isagain a dimlylitshot;howeverthere is
a lightsource behindthe gate andwindowabove.Despitebothbeing
barredtheyare bothopenand reflectinglight,whichcanreassure the
audience of hope forthe upcomingplotline aswell ascreate enigmaasto
the relevance tothe story.Alsothe shot featuresheavyrainwhichis
ambiguousasit can be perceivedaspatheticfallacyinordertocreate a
dramaticallyheightenedatmosphere oritcouldunderstoodtoreference
the tears andsadnessthat the plotline will bring.
0.12 Hand
The close up shotof the fingersscratchingalongthe floorcreatesyetmore
enigmaforthe audience asto whyor what the character istryingto escape
from.Thisshot isactuallyreusedincontextfurtherintothe filmthereforeby
usingthe shothere theyare foreshadowingtheycharacterspathonfindingthe
truth.Alsointhisshot the flickeringtexthaschangestoa white colour.This
bringsthe connotationsof innocence andhope tothe audience whichwould
create enigmaas to the whythere issuch a contrast betweenthe redandthe
white.Some mayargue that byusingthe red andthe white theyare referringto
the oldwivestale of bloodandbandageswhichisinferringthatsomebodyis
goingto gethurt.
0.16 Grand outdoorgate.
This shotbeginsasa wide one thendolly’sthroughtoa the shotof a smaller
gate.At firstthe gatesare closedsymbolisingisolationwhichwouldfitwith
the genre of the movie.Howeverthe audienceare thentransportedthrough
the gateswiththe dollyshotwhichcontraststhe thoughtof isolationgreatly
creatingenigmaforthe audience.
The lightingof these shotsare muchbrighteras theyare now outdoors.This
createsthe idea of escape forthe audience withengagesthemintothe image
track as theyare intriguedtoknow how thisshotfitswiththe psychological
thrillergenre. Bothframesusedinthisshotare verysymmetrical which
unnervesthe audienceparticularlyasthisshotislongerthanall previousones
therefore notingtothe audience itsimportance.
0.26 Gate withfire
The panningshotof the fire createsan isolatedatmosphere forthe audience as
theyare separatedfromthe fire bya barredgate.This createssymbolismfor
the viewersastheybegintounderstandthe separationbetweenrealityand
the imaginationanditssignificance tothe film.

2. 0.31 Gun
Thissimple close upshotof the gun keepswiththemdarkandmysterious
colourscheme of the sequence.The typographyisstill white creatinga
contrast betweenthe image trackandthe creditsonscreen.I believe that
thiswouldbe purposelydone asLeonardoDecaprioisawell-knownactor
and bymakinghisname a predominantfeature forthe shotthe audience
are thento expectshighqualityengagingfilm.
0.36 Snow
A mediumshotof snowiswhatfollowswiththe same intentionsasthe
previousshotexceptwithMarkBuffalo.The shadowedeffectof a figure
createdyetmore enigmaforthe audience aswell asraisingthe levelsof
mysteryandambiguityforthe film
0.40 Cell
The long view cornerangledshotof a prisoncell focusedonthe chains
featuredonthe scene,thuscreatingthe ideaforthe audience thatthe
characters are trappedin theirownsituations.The brighterlightshat
feature behindthe barsonthe exitsof the cell symbolisethatitispossible
to breakout of the viciouscircle theyare trappedinbyfacingup to reality
whicha huge use of foreshadowingthe endingof the film.The shotthe
fadesto blackcreatingenigmaforthe audience astheyquestionthe nature
of the filmtocome.
SOUND:
All the soundthat featuresinthe openingsequence isnon-diegetic,meaningthere isnoambientsoundsuggestingtothe
audience thatthe movie isn’taboutreality especiallyasthe soundtrackisparallel tothe image track.The deepchello sound
track that runs throughoutthe openingsequence createsasmoothyetdiscordantsoundwhichreflectsthe uncertainmental
state of the characters,thus makingthe audience feel uneasyandapprehensiveaboutthe storylineof the film.The soundtrack
isusedthroughoutthe filmasa leitmotif whenanythingparticularlytenseormysterioushappenswhichcouldsuggestthatthe
soundtrackto the openingsequence isforeshadowingathrillingfilm.
0.47 Match shot
The close up shotof the a character lightingamatch createsenigmafor
the audience astheymay begintointerpretthe openingsequence tobe
foreshadowingfire isinvolvedwiththe plotline insome way.Alsothe
themesof fire andwateras presentedthroughoutthe opening
sequence whichshouldbe hintingata symbolismof realityandinsanity.
Particularlyinthe shotwhere the fire orinsanitybeginstotake overthe
whole scene,whichisforeshadowingthe plotline.
0.52 Island
A longview shotof the islandcausesthe audience tomake the connection
betweenthe titleof the movie toitssetting.The darkcolourscheme is
usedto create a spookymysteriousatmosphere tofitwiththe
psychological thrillergenre.Alsopatheticfallacyisusedwiththe stormy
cloudyweatherinorderto make the islandseammore isolatedand
creepy.Fromthe shot the audience understandjusthow lonelythe island
isand the fact that there isno escape whichinturn isforeshadowingthe
characters as theyhave noescape fromtheirmental state andjust keep
goingaroundand aroundin circles.
0.56 Title.
The title isthenfadedontoa black shot.The shot hasfaintoutlinesof
chainson itwhichsymbolise the factthatthe characters are trapped
creatingevenmore suspense forthe audience throughforeshadowing.
The red letteringcausesthe audience tomake the associationof bloodto
the scene whichisalsoforeshadowingdeathlateron
inthe movie.The shotthenviolentlyzoomsinonthe
letterR.This isto purposelyperplexthe audience as
well assymbolise thatthe viewersare takinga
journeyintoanalternate reality.