The opening sequence of "Donnie Brasco" establishes the film's dark tone through tense music and black and white filming. It introduces the main character, Donnie Brasco, through an extreme close-up of his eyes as he concentrates intensely. We are then shown a group of men dressed similarly, implying they are part of the mafia. A close-up of a stern-faced man establishes him as the mafia boss figure. The sequence cuts between these frames, Donnie Brasco's focused expressions, and shots in black and white or occasional color to set the scene and cold-hearted characters of the mafia world.