Analysis of Thriller Openings- Inception

Inception

Plot: The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as a professional thief who steals information by infiltrating the subconscious, and is offered a chance to have his criminal history erased as payment for a seemingly impossible task: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious.

The opening credits of this film 'Inception' is dark and gloomy. This is due to the text being a light colour and the background being black and therefore dark. This allows the audience to understand and make out the writing and symbols. This graphology is there to also hint at the films narrative as this could illustrate the mystery and thrilling aspect to the film.

At the beginning of the narrative, an extreme close up is displayed of a man (played be Leonardo DiCaprio) to allow the audience to take in his appearance as he is a significant actor in the film. The establishing shot is of waves against rocks which reinforce the fact the character has just been washed up. The fact the character is seen as puzzled also allows the audience to realise that he did not plan to be there and this is therefore the first problem to overcome in the film. The audience is then left to question why he is there and how. Due to this, it adds to the narrative enigma as well as it being full of suspense. 

As well as this, there is a low angled shot of a Japanese character. This indicates that the character has found the character who was previously washed ashore due to him looking down at a figure. The man is dressed in all black expensive clothing which suggests that he is authoritative figure and part of a business. This also suggests that he has a high status and may contrast with the man who was washed ashore. This also allows the audience to understand different classes and lifestyles from various characters. The emotion displayed on the Japanese man's face is rather blank which adds to the mystery of the film. This could create anxiety within the audience as they are suspicious of the man and whether he could potentially be an antagonist. The rather confused expression on the Japanese man's face also indicates that he may not know the other character or did not expect him to be there.

Right at the beginning of this clip, the sound was full of deep non-diegetic music which is a typical convention of thriller films. This also makes the audience wary of the fact something unknown could happen and therefore adds to the narrative enigma. This music is utilised at the beginning, however is cut off as soon as the shot of the waves bashing against the rocks in a storm-like setting occurs. The violent shot allows a loud and booming sound of water to be used as audio in the film and could also hint at the fact the film is overall full of violence and aggression between characters. As well as this, it is the shot which tells the audience that the previous man was washed ashore and contributes to the idea that he had been thrashed through these waves and therefore possibly injured. It could also suggest that he is a strong character for surviving the aggressive weather and elements. During this, another type of non-diegetic music begins playing and this one, like the other type, is very eerie and deep. It it also crescendo and builds up in tempo which adds to the narrative enigma. The audience could then begin becoming unsettled and wary of what is to come along with excitement and interest. 

The next clip is of the washed up man looking at two children playing. This two-shot displays sound which is clearly unnerving as it is rather mysterious. The sounds consist of crying, laughing and playing noises and due to the character being injured, it is echoing and eerie. Although it could be occurring, it is also possible that it is a figment of the character's imagination and that due to him being out of it, his mind is playing tricks on him. This adds to the fact the audience is interested in the film and allows them to use their minds to come up with possible scenarios.

Another part is various different shots when Japanese men are speaking. The dialogue is unknown to those who know languages other than Japanese so captions are seen on the screen. The dialogue is rather muffled and speaking of the man washed ashore. The fact the voices are foreign adds to he mystery and tension as the audience begins to question whether they are the antagonists. We are unclear of what role these Japanese characters play, however, we are aware that they are significant and a huge part of the previous man's story. 

The beginning of the extract utilises ellipsis of time. For example, it is utilised when the man has been washed ashore as this is linked to the children playing on the beach location. The shot of the two children is rather distorted and this contributes to the editing of the film. Possible explanations for this frame could be that the children are a figment of his imagination or a hallucination due to his injuries or a memory of his. This is an understandable scenario as he is clearly confused of his whereabouts and how he got there. The audience is unsure of who the children are and how they relate to the character too. Therefore, this adds to the narrative enigma and again makes the audience question the shot and how it is significant to the film.

Moving on from this, low key lighting is visible in this clip and is only shown as the potential antagonist is displayed on screen.The low key lighting is a typical convention of thriller films, especially used on antagonists. When the antagonist is shown, it is clear that he is a villain. The setting is a typical Japanese style which then furthermore indicates that the previous characters who found him are working for the main antagonist. 

When the American man is in the large room with the antagonist and several other people, it is clear that the antagonist is full of power and authority. The outfits contrast with one another, as the antagonists are all wearing very expensive costumes which is a typical convention of thriller films. This is where the opening becomes much more confusing and adds to the narrative enigma. This is due to the fact that the American man is wearing a casual costume which contrasts with the other men's. This highlights the fact he does not belong there, therefore allows the audience to become confused with the fact he is involved in the "meeting" and is significant to this part of the film.