The opening sequence of Fargo establishes a sense of mystery and isolation through its snowy landscape shots. Shots of a car emerging from and disappearing back into a snowstorm are intercut with images of crows and power lines that conform to thriller iconography. While the folk music soundtrack provides an unusual choice for a thriller, its steady rhythm builds atmospheric tension. Exaggerated diegetic sounds of the crows and car engine further unsettle the quiet scenes. The simple title appears against a corrupted white background, implying danger hidden in the vast open spaces of the isolated town depicted.

1. http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/fargo/

2. Opening Sequence Description:
• Opens with a ‘true story’ memo on screen
• A bright white screen transitions into an image of a wild snow storm where its hard to see anything
• Gradually objects emerge out of the snowstorm: black birds, electricity poles, the sides of the main road
and a car steadily approaching with bright yellow headlights on.
• The car slowly disappears from camera shot, assumably as it goes down a hill. The car reemerges suddenly
and a lot closer to the camera so the viewer is able to see the details of the car (noticing it is towing
another car behind it) and it quickly approaches the camera and drives past it.
• Immediately white snow seems to engulf around the camera and the film title appears on screen.
• The snow fades into continuing to follow the same car along the ice and snow roads into the distance, but
instead is driving away from the camera-not towards It like before.
• The screen fades to black to reveal that the title of the film is a location and begins to depict the same car
driving past a night club in a now clear snow storm at night.
• End of opening sequence.

3. Conforms to typical Thriller
conventions:
This is what comes up as the opening sequence to the film begins. It describes how the
events talked about within the film are real. This arguably immediately creates a sense
of fear and suspense which strikes the reader first hand. Although it seems like a
harmless notice by the film company, it creates typical emotions ensued by thriller
movies. It promotes terror and shock into the viewer, the contrast of black and white
contradicts the idea that the film is complex and things that go on within the film are
difficult to comprehend or understand.

4. Depicted below are two different shots of the same car. The second scene happens
after the first, the first shows the car coming towards the camera in a snow storm
that makes it hard to notice many things in the shot and the second shows the car
driving away from the camera where we can see the surroundings in much clearer
detail. These scenes conform to typical thriller themes like isolation, as the car is
alone in dangerous weather conditions with a possibility of being stuck in the icy
cold snow which gives tension and suspense for the viewer, this also connects with
the theme of entrapment. As well as isolation, these scenes follow the typical thriller
theme of voyeurism as the camera follows this car that the viewer knows nothing
about, making it seem as though the viewer is the camera- giving the idea that the
viewer is the threat to the car and the people inside it (which relates to typical
thriller narratives such as being followed).

5. The first object within this opening sequence are typical thriller iconography, like street
lamps or electrical poles. Such semiology indicate a sense of mystery or disaster as it
implies essential things like electric or light will run out- leaving the isolated town dark
in a ice cold snow storm. Already the sequence indicates dread in the future.
Depicted here are black birds, presumably crows or something similar. The contrast of
the black creature against the bright white snow implies a corruption of still and calm,
as if purity of this mysterious town is being slowly taken over by darkness.
The mist/fog or
the blurred
illusion implies
the mystery
hidden in the
isolated town;
as if the
dangerous
weather
protects the
dangerous acts
going on.
The mist,
crows,
electric poles
conforms to
the typical
thriller
iconography.
They are all
subtle and
easily missed
semiology
that create a
thriller.

6. Challenges typical thriller
conventions:
The non-diegetic sounds from the sound track in the opening sequence of ‘Fargo’
greatly challenges typical thriller sound tracks. It starts off simple but already sounds
like it shouldn’t fit in with the tension created through images on screen. Starting with
light and slow strumming of guitar strings it gradually builds tension with the further
inclusion of more folk sounding instruments. Drums are added, bringing bass and echo
into the equation which turns up the drama immensely. However, the use of the
Norwegian folks challenge how suspense is created in the thriller genre. Usually heavy,
sharp and high noises are used in thriller soundtracks, much like in the film ‘Se7en’
which creates the effect of heavy machinery being used-noises that create tension and
even make the viewer wince, already holding their breath in anticipation:
http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/se7en/
However, it can be argued that the effect of this challenged convention is a raise of
atmosphere as the use of folk makes the scene seem more eerie, as the plucking of
the guitar strings are in a steady rhythm creating and following the hypnotic and
methodical intentions typically by a psycho- consequently making the sound track
conform to typical thriller characters.

7. Diegetic Sounds
• Emphasis on crows:
The flapping of the birds wings and the cawing is exaggerated. This was done
to give some tension, maybe to make the viewer jump from the sudden loud
noise which contrasts to the arguably happy folk soundtrack. It also disrupts
the quiet and still scene that is shown by the soft snow and begins to
incorporate thriller ideas.
• Emphasis on car engine:
As the car approaches the camera, the sound of the tires and engine is
exaggerated to give the effect of how close the camera is to the car. This gives
a sense of danger between the viewer, as if they can be hurt by the car-once
slow and far away but now close and loud, consequently dangerous. It also,
alike the crows, disrupts the peace and tranquility of the image of fallen
snow.

8. The Title
This title is very simplistic, as is the scene in which it is presented, with a
bold black font in capitals with a contrasting pale blue/white background.
The background of the title appears to be a dirty white colour mixed with
blue, which shows somewhat corruption to something that was once pure
and innocent-perhaps the town in which this film is set. The intense kerning
in this title exaggerates the loneliness shown in this opening sequence with
the total separation of society is implied through the lack of busy, modern
vehicles, technology ect. and insinuates danger, as if something could be
hiding in the vast openness. The capitals of the title implies its importance,
suggesting that it is well-known-making the viewer presume that the title
could be the name of the isolated town. The effect of this title is chill
inducing due to the mixes of the threat from the blizzard-like snow and the
strong, menacing black title-therefore promotes the suspense from thrillers.

9. Camera Angles/shots
This is a slightly low angled medium shot
that closely allows the viewer to view the
mystery car that the viewer has no clues
to whom is in the car or why ‘they’ are
following them. It doesn’t give too much
away about the identity of the driver as
the motion of the shot is fast.
This is a slightly high angled XLS as it
seems as though the viewer is looking
down at the car and its towing. The
movement of the camera follows
through until the changing of the shot to
a closer behind view of the cars. This
shot gives the viewer more sense of size
and background in which the scene is
happening.

10. Representation
These 2 images within the sequence show the movement of the car and its
direction. In the first image the car is coming towards the camera through the
storm, becoming clear as it comes closer. This could show how within the
film, first impressions are not to be judged far away, but the judging should be
up close and personal in order to get a clear set of judgment of the character.
It also implies that the car is running away or towards the safety of the town,
as if the blurred fog is dangerous. The second image within the scene that
shows the car moving away connects to the idea that it is running towards the
isolated town as the car is moving towards the fog. The fog represents how
easily people get caught up in activities they shouldn’t be and the fog
protects them from the outside world with law and order.