The document provides a detailed textual analysis of the opening title sequence of the film "The Game". It analyzes 26 shots from the sequence, describing elements like lighting, costumes, camera work, and how they establish themes of mystery, intrigue and hint at a darker underlying plot. The sequence appears to depict a nostalgic look back at a wealthy man's childhood in the 1950s-60s, showing scenes from an upper-class family celebration and garden party through the style of home video footage.

1. The Game (1997)
Textual analysis

2. 1. Title shot- “Polygram Films”, production
company. The colours are dark which implies
this is a dark film.
2. “Polygram Filmed Entertainment Presents”-
white title on black background attracts
attention and is fairly neutral- can be used in
many genres without being attached to any
particular one. Plain titles are usually used
with Horrors to compliment the low key
lighting in the shots and indicate a plainness in
life- which most horrors show before
introducing the antagonist.

3. 3. “A Propaganda Films Production”, another
production company involved in the project.
The title is, again, fairly plain, but contrasted to
draw all attention to the screen. The transition
of the 3D jigsaw pieces breaking apart is clever
as jigsaws are often associated with mystery
and suspense, so by using this imagery- with
the dark colours of the pieces indicates the
film will be dark in tone and have a mystery be
the plot focus.
4. Title Card- “The Game”, The positioning of
the title card is centred but not in the middle
of the screen. This may be used to show how
this film is different to the others as there’s
something “off” about the mystery. This
uncomfortable feeling the montage provokes
later on (in my opinion) adds to this feeling of
uneasiness which thrillers and horrors make
the audience feel.

4. 5. Mid Shot- A father and his son centred in
the shot. The father’s suit suggest he has an
important job and the son’s matching clothes
imply they are either middle or upper class.
The father’s hand on the son’s shoulder shows
his fatherly, yet detached bond with his son as
he seems to just be posing for the camera. His
facial expressions are fairly blank in this shot,
and his character appears to be more than
what meets the eye as shots of him
throughout the montage present him as there
one minute and gone another.
6. Mid Shot- A large house’s kitchen full of
staff making food for a large event (looking at
the busy atmosphere). The décor is very
1950’s and the camera film effect and changed
aspect ration shows the shot through a home
movie style sequence. The lighting is low key
and the main colours are mostly whites and
creams on the walls and furniture. The
costumes are fairly old fashioned (50’s) and the
body language is natural which doesn’t create
much tension- but the use of seemingly
insignificant home movie footage is peculiar
for a title sequence, which invokes curiosity in
the audience.

5. 7. Close Up- a woman’s hands (presumably)
are briefly seen dipping in a dish, to
presumably taste test it. The shot has an
orange tint to it which makes the shot seem
low quality- like an old home film which links
with the tint as the orange could be associated
with sepia, old films and perhaps nostalgia.
Pairing the shot of preparing food and the tint
implies this is a nostalgic time for the story’s
narrator (the protagonist).
8. Close Up- another shot of kitchen
preparation, this time the arms look male and
he is measuring out an ingredient by putting it
into a container. The white shirt and the clear
container both have connotations of science to
some, which could suggest that there is more
to explore in the main character’s past than
what meets the conventional eye. The décor
shows various kitchen utensils which gives a
vibe of homeliness, and the shot is jumpy-emphasising
the home-video style of the
opening sequence.

6. 9. Mid Shot- The previous shot cuts directly to
this shot- showing the continuation through
match on action. The man in the previous shot
is shown smiling. The shot being framed so it
doesn’t take up all of the screen could be
showing the distance from this time the main
character is at.
10. Close Up- A woman’s hands arranging
flowers. The white used in this shot has
connotations to some of purity and safety, so it
could be showing that the flowers have a
personal significance to the plot or to the
character looking back. The gloves imply the
arranger is a professional and the bracelet
implies a high social class as it looks like it
could be expensive.

7. 11. Mid Shot- Match on Action, the shot is
continued and we can see the woman’s face as
she continues to arrange the flowers. Her
facial expressions suggest she is concentrating
on this event, showing its importance in the
sequence.
12. Long Shot- A group of people walking
down a path. The path looks like it may be
part of a garden or park- and the clothes worn
by the characters on screen are mostly white in
colour which could be associated with
innocence and purity- suggesting these people
are ignorant to any sinister elements hinted at
in the sequence. The characters are centred,
which draws all attention to them.

8. 13. Mid Shot/Long Shot- This shot shows a
waiter in the foreground looking at his tray
before moving towards the left side of the
screen. The movement is cut off quickly which
implies this shot is an insignificant moment.
The lighting is high key which shows the shot
as light- though the light piano music adds a
creepy vibe which adds a suppressed intensity
to the sequence nonetheless.
14. Long Shot- Parasols are seen in a garden
setting (presumably a garden party) and the
characters are seen carrying a cake to
somewhere. The music used is a classical piano
piece- but the sound is repressed, which
makes the track sound vintage- and eerie
when paired with the seemingly random
montage of home video clips.

9. 15. Long Shot- A group of children watching a
puppet show in a classical puppet theatre
reiterates the time in which these moments
were cast- likely the 1950’s or 60’s. Puppets
could be associated with mystery as behind
each puppet is the puppetmaster- the
architect of the crime, which could be a subtle
nod to a criminal element to the plot.
16. Long Shot- Match on action, shows the
children watching the show and applauding.
They’re mostly dressed in white shirts and
blazers which indicate a high social class-further
extended by the large garden which
could be presumed to be owned by the
wealthy family of one of the children.

10. 17. Mid Shot- the previous shot cuts to the last
few children leaving their seats after the show
has finished. The sharp edit could be
representative of how sharp the film will be in
terms of plot twists, and the quickness of it
may show how childhood disappears relatively
quickly. The aspect ratio is associated with old
televisions which further places this sequence
in the past of the protagonist. The children’s
facial expressions are exaggerated and full of
innocence, the world is much simpler at this
time.
18. Mid Shot- a mother is shown with her
child. The blue she is wearing has
connotations to some of tranquillity and
peace- which shows her as a positive character,
and a responsible mother as she is rigid in
body language to protect her child. The
background of the shot shows various stalls
that look like a village fete or fair- with people
walking around.

11. 19. Extreme Long Shot- shows children playing
in a field with an adult walking towards them.
The adult’s body language is open, and he
walks with determination, presumably being
sent to retrieve the children from play. The
lighting is high key which shows the scene as
light and emphasises the characters we can
see in the background.
20. Long Shot- shows the characters in the
previous shot running towards and behind the
camera. The lighting and resolution makes
their faces difficult to see, which adds to the
mystery of the sequence.

12. 21. Mid Shot- a person’s silhouette (which
could be male) in front of a window with open
curtains). The low key lighting adds a tension
to the shot which implies that the person in
the shot has dark intentions. Body language is
still, which shows the seriousness of the
moment. The black could have connotations
of funerals, so the shot could be of someone
mourning after a deceased relation or friend.
22. Mid Shot- a cut away to the cake from
earlier on in the sequence. It is white which is
often associated with weddings or formal
celebrations- implying this sequence is a
garden party or a birthday. The wine and table
décor create an upper class feel to the shot as
the set up looks like it could be expensive. The
jerky quality of the shot continues the regular
home-video tone.

13. 23. Mid Shot- a shot of two children sitting at a
table outside. Their facial expressions show
slight boredom- which could imply this is a
formal celebration, or that it’s been happening
for a while by now. The lighting is high key,
which emphasises the characters without
creating any tension and the music continues,
adding the classical vibe to the sequence.
24. Mid Shot- A closer shot of the little girl
from shot 23. She is presented as innocent as
her body language imply the naivety which
many children have- and her facial expression
is blank as she eats a piece of cake, showing
she’s tuned out of the situation.

14. 25. Mid Shot- the shot now shows a group of
adults, two women and a man on the right in
the foreground- and a few others in the
background. The three are seen conversing
with each other before looking to a point
behind the camera. The costumes are formal
and classical as the dresses and suit both look
like a fashion style from the 1950’s with the
frilly material and sharp suit jacket. The colour
grey on the jacket has connotations of
formality and business- which suggest the man
could be a businessman of a relatively high
social class.
26. Extreme Long Shot- The father from the
start of the sequence is seen walking across a
patch of grass towards an old house. The white
of his suit could have connotations of
innocence. He then hesitates and turns back,
walking back towards the camera. The
weather in the shot is sunny, implying this is a
celebration held in the summer- and this hot
weather usually has positive connotations. This
sequence could be fond memories being
looked back on.

15. 27. Long Shot-> Mid Shot- The man’s walking
toward the camera is cut and we see him
closer up. His body language is reserved and
suggest he was about to do something
secretive that no person should know about as
he walks with a gruff facial expression as if to
say to the audience “There’s nothing to see
here”. The washed out colours make the
sequence seem far away from our vibrant
world, adding another layer to the nostalgic
tone the title sequence is trying to get across.
28. Cut Away- We see a shot of toy boats in a
pond or river drifting as an electric toy boat
drives by. This could be a metaphor for the
protagonist and how he is lost in adulthood
like his boat was in his childhood. The
disturbed water could be associated with a
criminal network as if you disturb the surface,
something from the deep could come out-which
would tie in with the
mystery/crime/thriller genres that this film is
showing so far.

16. 29. Mid Shot- a group of people smiling at the
camera then conversing. The fact that they
briefly smile at the camera establishes that the
shots were taken by an object the characters
can see- it creates a realism that this is a real
event as the camera exists, and adds to the
idea of looking back. The colours are washed
and the lighting high key which again, gives a
nostalgic tone.
30. Long Shot- Two boys push another boy into
a swimming pool. More children gather and a
woman (the pool boy’s mother?) tells the boys
off- shown by her waving finger and stance
over the boys. It could be thought that the
boy in the pool is a significant character (he
could be the protagonist) as the attention is
drawn to him in this shot.

17. 31. Extreme Long Shot- The stalls and people
are seen from a distance to perhaps give the
audience the scale of the celebration.
32. Mid Shot- a boy smiling at the camera as
he sits at a table. His costume could be seen
as old fashioned but the yellow colour makes it
look more modern and updated. The
background shows a river or pond behind the
boy and several white stalls and chairs- which
infer he is innocent of mind and is unaware of
any sinister subplot happening in the
sequence.

18. 33. Mid Shot- In the foreground we can see a
boy seemingly in thought as implied by his
facial expressions and lack of movement.
Another boy behind him moves so the camera
can see him and makes a silly smile face- which
further emphasises that these children are
normal. The others are seen conversing and all
are sat at a table,
34. Long Shot- the sequence returns to the
presumed father and son shot from the start.
The look upwards the son gives to his father
shows his admiration- and the hand on
shoulder implies a good, but formal,
relationship. The lighting of the background in
comparison to the objects in question draws
attention to the characters as they are the
lightest elements on screen.

19. 35. Mid Shot- a boy holding a crying baby. The
boy is young (his age may be from 9-12 years
old) and is dressed formally in a black suit
jacket. The mother of the child is seen on the
side as she’s briefly seen giving the boy the
baby to hold before standing on the right side
of the screen. The centred position of the boy
makes him the subject which draws the
audience’s attention.
36. Long Shot-The father and son are shown
again, this time the boy is holding a model
boat his father (presumed) hands him, and the
man continues smoking his cigarette. The
significance of boats could be a theme as this
is the second shot which has had a boat in, and
water in the form of a swimming pool or pond
has made a few appearances so far.

20. 37. Long Shot- four clowns in front of a group
of sitting children bow and leave, it’s
presumed they are party entertainers who
have just finished their show. Clowns have
connotations of laughter and the circus, but
could also be linked to childhood fears as they
can be presented as sinister. The old video
style of the footage paired with the piano
music and the clowns could be seen as creepy
or eerie to some. The colours the clowns wear
are bright, but look washed out- which may
imply they are not what they seem.
38. Mid Shot- the sequence cuts back to the
father and son. The father lingers for a few
moments before putting his hand on the boy’s
shoulder and leaving. The boy is left alone
looking confused and vulnerable- as he has the
man by his side for most of the title sequence.
The slow motion movement of the father into
the darkness of the background adds to the
mysterious and uneasy tone- which could be
seen as intriguing to the audience.

21. 39. Long Shot- a group of people sat at a table
are seen looking at a point to the right of the
camera. People are seen walking in the
background. The lighting is High Key, lowering
the tension of the last shot- and the shot is
short in length.
40. Long Shot- Children are shown seated in
the foreground, and adults stood in the
background. Most are applauding something
and the facial expressions are mostly of joy, as
this appears to be a celebration. The quality of
the shot degrades as we can see the sequence
becoming slightly grainier and jumpy at this
point- like an old cellophane camera.

22. 41. Long Shot- Match on action with the
previous shot. The people continue to applaud.
The costumes and décor are all mostly white in
colour, which has connotations of purity and
innocence, but also weddings- so this could be
a wedding, despite the sequence not showing
a bride and groom or any of the ceremony.
42. Close Up- The boy is seen close up, with a
serene facial expression. A woman’s hand is
shown on his shoulder. The shot is tinted
orange with a grainy quality which could be
seen as representing his tranquil emotional
state. This state is further emphasised with the
piano music which is slow in pace and classical
in style- hinting this is the protagonist from
when he was a child.

23. 43. Close Up- the previous shot is interrupted
by the splashing sound of water as the
protagonist is seen for the first time in the
present- in a bath robe and with a forlorn facial
expression. The camera quality change
indicates heavily that this is the present, and
the interruption of the music with the water
could represent a “snap” back into reality, like
a loud noise interrupting a daydream.
2. Text.