Cape Fear Opening Sequence - Rebecca Young

The opening sequence is a very important part of a film as it gives the audience an idea of what the rest of the film is about.
During the title sequence of 'Cape Fear' it creates suspense and enigma for the audience. The shot of the water rippling creates suspense successfully as water is usually associated with drowning, or as a burial place for bodies in thrillers, which means the audience wonders what part it plays in the film. The calmness of the water represents the idea that there could be something lurking underneath, due to the ripples.
Throughout the titles there are distorted images shown on top of the water which also create tension. These images include a long shot of an eagle appearing to prepare to swoop down onto its prey. This gives the audience a sense of death, which is likely to feature in this film. These images also include extreme close-ups of various body parts like eyes and lips which are threatening as they can easily show the emotions of the person, creating tension and panic for the viewer. There is also a mid-shot of a body and a hand with a green background which can represent jealousy and revenge. A red drop is also seen to drop into the water, turning the screen completely red, which immediately makes the viewer think of blood and other negative emotions. At this point the directors name 'Martin Scorsese' comes up, signalling the end of the titles as the audience prepares for the film to begin.
The typography in the titles is italic, white font on a dark background. The white suggests innocence and purity, but is then contrasting the background suggesting that this innocence will be ruined in the film. This is also seen by the italic font.
The sound during the titles consists of a non-diegetic soundtrack played throughout which is loud and dramatic. The music contains crescendos and changes in dynamics, especially when the title of the film 'Cape Fear' comes up on the screen to emphasise the feeling of suspense it causes.
When the film begins there is an extreme close-up of a woman, which zooms out of her face to show a mid-shot of her wearing white, which also represents innocence. There is then a long shot of a man in prison and the tattoos on his back depict images of crosses which shows he is religious. The camera then pans down images on his wall which are of various disturbing images. This suggests that he is an evil person which is backed up by the fact he is in prison.