The Usual Suspects Opening Sequence

The Usual Suspects Opening Sequence

Mise-En-Scene
· Starts with black screen, gives air of mystery
· Company appears on the right hand side of screen
· Production company then appears, company is put first because of importance
· Black screen then turns into rippling water. Reflection from light sets the time of day.
· Director then appears on the screen followed by the title of the film
· Actors names then appear
· Peoples names are in bold whereas there job is not
· Rippling water is continuous throughout the opening sequence
· Titles go down in order of importance so the least important people are the last to appear
· Screen goes black again
· At this point we don’t know the significance of the water or the reflections
· “San Pedro, California-Last Night” appears, setting the time and place of the film
· Matches being lit, suggests violence due to fire
· Matches light up the black screen


Camera Shots, Angles And Movement
· Pan of rippling water
· Rippling water shot is looped over and over again
· Close-up of man striking multiple matches
· Pan up to see man lighting cigarette
·


Editing
· Opening shot is one long cut




Sound
· Music fades into the opening sequence
· Starts off quietly and gradually gets louder
· Calm piece of music
· Use of string instruments, gives eerie presence
· Wind instruments backs this theory
· Typical thriller opening music
· Faint sound of percussion in background but isn’t main focus of track
· Music is quite sinister
· Music has a thick texture, built up in layers to give more full effect
· Gradually gets louder throughout