Hi and thank you for joining us as we analyze our fourth, and final, film opening from the 1995 film, “Strange Days,” which we can across on the “Art of the Title” website.
Just like we've done in the past three blogs, I will be answering a series of questions that will provide us with a comprehensive analysis of the film's opening title sequence.
What titles are displayed during the opening sequences?
As the movie begins, the title sequence is quite simple and much shorter than the other openings we’ve seen thus far. It begins by introducing the film studio, production company, and the movie’s title, all of which are shown against a blank, black background, fading in and out of the screen and changing from green, to blue, and finally to red whilst doing so. Being that the titles appeared on an empty, black screen, we can say that they were not embedded.
What images are prioritized in the opening sequence?
As the opening sequence begins, more text is displayed on-screen, this time in a fully yellow color that shows the time in hours, minutes, and seconds, as well as the date, which is written as day, month, and year. This was done to allow the audience to orient themselves with regards to when the events of the film are taking place. Following this, a blinking eye is showing, one that, once closed, transports the audience to an entirely new location, thereby effectively establishing the primary setting of the opening, that being the back of a car being driven by burglars who the current subject seems to be acquainted with, as evidenced by the fact that the man in the front passage seat secured a mask over his face and that they spoke to the subject as if they were in on this robbery together. During this car scene, the emotions of the burglars in the front of the car as well as the frustration of the primary subject of that scene, which is further demonstrated by the diegetic sound within the scene. After this, the three people in the car (including the primary subject of this scene) all exit it and enter the back entrance of a restaurant. The camera takes special care to show that harmed the workers in the back and in the kitchen, leaving nothing but chaos in their wake. The primary subject and his crew then move into the front of the restaurant where they threaten other employees and patrons with guns, which we earlier came to know aren’t actually loaded and only serve the purpose of inciting fear in the people the men are robbing. There is a slight pause to focus on the measly amount of money that the three men stole, which they still got excited over, likely meaning that they are rather unfamiliar with robberies, followed by that, they are shown forcing the people in the restaurant into a storage closet. They are then shown fleeing from the police who have arrived on the premises by rushing up to the roof where they are being tailed by a helicopter from above, showing just how dire their situation had been. This point is then driven home by the fact that the subject falls from the side of the building they jumped to in an attempt to escape the police, resulting in a camera glitch occurring, likely indicating that this "simulation" had ended. All of these images lead the audience to question what the technology that allowed someone to do that in the first place was, who the technology is used by, and whether or not it's specifically reserved for crimes.
What connotations do these images carry?
These images carry a futuristic feel, whilst still being able to make the situation seem familiar to the audience since the opening captures a robbery taking place. I will say that there was a lot of suspense and fear regarding what the fates of the three men would be since we received very minimal information regarding who exactly they are and what their motives were. The shakiness of the camera and the use of point-of-view shots throughout the entire sequence also helped raise tensions and create a subversive plot that served to compel the audience.
How does the film establish a feeling of the genre from the outset?
The movie connects with the science-fiction thriller genre as its plot is primarily based around the concept of virtual reality and its ability to "transport" people into the past. This fact is conveyed to the audience by the glitch that occurs during the beginning of the opening which is accompanied by the words "Boot it." This, in turn, leads the audience to believe that futuristic technology plays some sort of role in this film, especially since the primary subject in the burglary scenes is shown holding some sort of unfamiliar device when the audience is first placed in the robbers' car. I believe that this was effective in turning something that commonly occurs in real life, a robbery, into something new, captivating, and completely unfamiliar to the audience. When it comes to the thriller aspects of this sequence, I found that during those initial seconds of the opening, there is the inclusion of non-diegetic sound which resembles the beeping sound of machinery, placing the audience in a foreign situation where even the sound conveys no sense of familiarity. Moreover, I discovered that the lack of non-diegetic sound once those few seconds had elapsed was quite effective in creating unease within the audience, as a broader focus was instead placed on loud noises that deviate from what one would expect to hear in the background of a restaurant, being that it is now the site of an ongoing robbery. I also believe that the quick pacing of each scene helped achieve the same effect.
What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?
This film is rated R, meaning that it is targeted towards adults. This is exemplified during the opening sequence of the film by the actors' use of vulgar language, violence, and the presence of suggestive content. One can also conclude that it is tailored towards that particular age group as it focuses on the mature themes of corruption, conspiracy, and murder. Moreover, it is based on the concept of virtual reality and the ability to see past memories of the deceased. These are obviously heavier topics that some young children and teenagers may not fully grasp, but which adults can fully comprehend and enjoy a film about, especially with the increasing relevance of technology and virtual reality in society.
How has technology been used effectively with regards to camera angles, transitions, and editing techniques?
In the opening sequence, we see an extreme close-up at the start, which creates intrigue in the audience and acts as a segue between that scene and the one to follow. To transition between the two scenes, editing is used to make it seem as though a glitch is occurring before the camera finally settles on a point-of-view shot, making the audience feel as though they are active subjects in the film as opposed to disconnected bystanders, which makes the opening more engaging. The shakiness of the camera, which is kept at eye-level, is meant to build up tension as the audience has no choice but to follow along and experience each event as it occurs in real-time. This provides them with a raw experience that gives them the ability to understand the true fear and feelings of one of the subjects on screen, whilst also following right along with the film's theme of virtual reality. The opening used a lot of whip pans and quick tilts, making it seem as though it was comprised of just one, long, continuous shot, simulating the adrenaline rush likely felt by the subject, who was one of the burglars, as he committed the crime. The ending scene drowns the audience in suspense, as they are left wondering what could possibly be next after the camera cuts out and glitches again when the subject falls off the building and, presumably, dies.
Overall, I'd say that examining the opening of this film was a great way to end off our very productive day, but it certainly has me believing that my future will be "...virtual insanity...", especially if the technology shown in the film is brought to life (Jamiroquai 1996).
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