This is a analysis of the opening sequence of the 1979 film The Warriors.

1. Textual Analysis of
‘The Warriors (1979)’
DIRECTED BY WALTER HILL

2. Camerawork
• This is an establishing shot which details
the Coney Island Wonder Wheel which is
the location in which the intro is set.
• This is a panning shot which follows the
train as it enters the station for the main
characters to get on and travel to the
Bronx.

3. Editing
• The Warriors logo appears on the
screen which details the style of text
that is spray painted. Which gives an
idea of what the film is about.
• The cast name list appears a short
while after the logo is brought off
the screen, this is also in a red paint
which connotes danger.

4. Mise-En-Scene
• The Do-Rag on Cleon’s head is a thing
that is usually associated with gangs
in New York.
• Another thing shown is the type of
clothing the other gangs wear
showing that they are part of a gang.
• The clothing that The Warriors are
wearing shows that they are part of
this gang. The Cowboy is wearing a
fedora which signifies that he lives up
to his name, and Cochise is wearing
fashion items.

5. • The lighting in all of the of the scene is
dark, which shows that it is night time
when the gangs are having this meet up.
• It also shows that they are underground
on trains which is also very dark.
• The way the scene is set shows that the
film was set in the 1970s, which is also
when the film came out.

6. • The location of the clip is set mostly
underground in the subways however
there are moments of the intro where
the characters have conversation
outside on the station platform
• Also, at the end of the intro the
location changes to a park, full of
gangs where the meeting is
happening.
• There are also moments of the
introduction when a few gangs are
going down corridors.

7. Use Of Sound
• The sound of the doors on the train
closing is used to show that they
are about to set off to their final
destination, also the sound of the
train moving can also be heard.
• The sound of the train echoing
down the tunnels is used to show
how fast the train is moving
through the underground.

8. Representation Of
Characters
• Throughout the opening sequence it
shows all the characters having
dialogue with another, this is a very
good use of the 180 degree rule, it
gives us an idea of what part of the
gang that they play as well, with one of
the youngest being the one that paints
‘The Warriors’ logo onto things as a
sign to show that they were there.

9. Conclusion
In conclusion I like the overall theme of the introduction, and I like how the director had the
main characters hold a small bit of dialogue which allows us to learn about what the character
is really like and how they sound. It’s a different kind of introduction as it lasts for a while and
has dialogue in it while the credits continue to appear on screen, it also brings in character
development early on in the film.