Reservoir Dogs (1992)
The clip begins with men walking down a city street in slow motion. There stride is very casual and stylish, showing they have status. The city setting is associated with crime and urban gangs. The men are dresses black suits and black shades, which has connotations of death and suggests that they may be gangsters or in 'incognito'. Each actor is introduced individually, which is evident as the titles appear under the relevant actors. Close ups are used to allow the audience to identify directly with each character by getting a good look at their appearance and facial expressions.
The music is very jazzy and upbeat and contradicts with the serious atmosphere set by the slow motion walking, clearly indicating the use of juxtaposition as the characters are quite somber. The characters are seen smoking cigars, which can be interpreted as very classy and nonchalant. The title 'Reservoir Dogs' appears at end of opening, clearing identifying this clip as an opening as opposed to a film trailer. The genre appears to be crime and action as the characters give the audience the impression they are resolute and dangerous. The setting is in daylight showing natural lighting, which is interpreted positively. This again contradicts with the characters and theme of the film. The slow motion effect causes the audience to feel very admirable of the characters and to see them as dominant.
Se7en (1995)
The font used is very cryptic and eerie, and often flashes and jumps around the screen. This is conventional as it immediately suggests that the genre is horror. Non-diegetic, low pitched music is played in the background. It's unpredictable and edgy, successfully reflecting the tense atmosphere. The colours red and black are frequent, connoting violence and death. The razor blade underneath nail is very dangerous and cringey, suggesting the film may contain gore. The title order is very traditional, distinguishing the clip as a film opening as opposed to a trailer. The character's face is not seen, denoting the use of an enigma code to spark the viewer's curiosity. The character's actions are very odd and peculiar, giving insight into the character's personality and mental stability.
The comparison between the 2 film openings are useful as I can clearly see how certain aspects determine the genre of the film and how this is interpreted by the audience. This will be beneficial in the making of my film opening and will be taken into account when trying to represent and link into my chosen genre.
