Analysis of thriller openings - Fargo

Analysis of thriller openings

Fargo Coen Brothers - 1996

Fargo is a thriller that does not adhere to the stereotypical set-up of thriller films, this is due to the film style of the Coen brothers and the development of the conventions found in thriller films. Throughout the opening of the film, it is not obvious that the film belongs to the thriller genre, the use of the enigma code allows the audience to question how this will affect the film's narrative. 

The opening sequence begins with the production company details which is a typical convention of opening sequences however this then fades to a black screen that features a short paragraph explaining to the audience that the plot is based on a true story and informs the audience that some characters involved have died. By using this extract in the opening the audience is already questioning what the narrative consists of as it is established the film will have a chilling atmosphere. 

The paragraph also establishes the location of the narrative and the year in which it is set. The screen is black and has a white sans-serif font giving a dramatic reverse block effect, this is accompanied with medieval style music with a dark tone and no percussion. The tension between the audio and visuals is evident throughout the whole opening sequence and is introduced during the first screen. This tension automatically establishes questions for the audience as the mood created is explicitly intriguing, dark and mysterious setting up the tone for the narrative. 

                    

The screen then fades up from black to a white-grey coloured screen with the beginning titles over the top in a black sans-serif font. The editing used during the opening titles are dissolve transitions before a straight cut continues the titles to a highly exposed long shot of an isolated bird flying around the sky. The music over the background of these shots is the same as the medieval style music used in the previous screen, as the music is drawn out it is clear the opening of the film will explore little aspects of the plot. As the black font on white, screen is juxtaposing and dreary, drawn out music that builds in tempo is used it is obvious to the audience mystery and suspense will be significant aspects of the narrative. 

This shot is then layered over another washed out scene that illustrates a car exiting the location, the headlights of the car are clearly seen as the car disappears through the snow. Diegetic, ambient sound is used of birds squawking to illustrate the empty location and desolate city. The colours used are harsh and unforgiving giving little information regarding the narrative, the medieval music increases slightly in volume until it reaches a pause as a straight cut is used to introduce the next shot and new music. These shots do not explain any part of the narrative to the audience which creates tension and suspense whilst developing interest, for the audience who want to find out more. 

The shot then switches to a long shot of the car approaching, the shot is clearer aesthetically and gives more information regarding the narrative. Along with this, the music develops into a much more percussive track still including medieval undertones, the music has a massive orchestral tone with bell ringing giving a mysterious and somewhat triumphant ambiance. The shot follows the car that is towing another vehicle, this then turns the shot into a close-up of the car as the shot is static but the subject is moving. In terms of mise-en-scene the low-key lighting, desolate location ,that appears miserable in weather and atmosphere, and the car that seems to be beaten up interests the audience as there is no clear narrative established in the shot, therefore the audience begins to question what importance the car has in the narrative.  

Following this, the title of the film appears in a black sans-serif font on an off-white coloured background, the title is placed directly in the centre of the screen illustrating the importance of the title which the audience begin to question as they do not know how the title relates to the film's narrative. This title then dissolves into a mid shot pan that follows the next step of the car's journey, the car is continuing to be towed through the location. The lighting is somewhat brighter in these scenes which are edited using straight cuts. The music increases in tempo and volume as the scene progresses into a longshot that illustrates the car disappearing into the distance. 

The music begins to acquire a Western style that would be commonly heard during a stand off in Western film, the music ends with an elongated drum roll. As the scene transitions into a fade to black the music begins to fade with the drumroll into the next scene. As the colours have not changed from the monochromatic tones and greyscale visuals tension is evident throughout the opening titles, the audience is made aware of the atmosphere of the film and the importance of the dreary location in the narrative. Though no aspects of the narrative are made clear through the opening so far the audience are gripped at the mystery and want to find out the significance of the opening. 
             

The next scene in the opening introduces the city and changes the atmosphere of the film automatically through the use of colourful  brightly lit neon lights and various warm street lights. The shot is static and shows the car seen previously driving through the snow littered city. The sound in this scene is ambient including the sound of the car driving through the snow, the sound then merges into the music that is heard in the bar, it begins quietly as non-diegetic sound before a straight cut shows the protagonist enter the bar. This long shot depicts the protagonist entering the bar, the audience assumes the character was driving the car which was in the previous scene. The bar is full of mainly middle-aged men drinking and playing snooker, the bar has a dark interior and low-key lighting is used to illustrate the stiff and somewhat mysterious atmosphere.

The incidental music increases in volume, the music is a country style creating an informal vibe, there is little tension in the scene as straight cuts are used to explore the bar and customers seen there. A mid shot illustrates the protagonist locating the people who he is meeting at the bar, his expression is apprehensive before continuous editing is used to illustrate the meeting he attends at the bar. His associates have contrasting expressions as they watch him approach illustrating their frustration at the protagonist, it is evident during this shot that they have the power in the situation creating tension throughout.

Various close ups in a shot-reverse-shot format are used to illustrate the conversation between the protagonist and their associates. There is a low angle point of view shot of the protagonist taken from the point of view of one of the seated characters, the shot illustrates the protagonist's expression when being addressed by the other characters exemplifying his weak and timid personality. In terms of costume, the protagonist is wearing a suit suggesting he dresses formally for working possibly hinting he is from a business orientated occupation and is of a usual working background. 

Contrasting to this, the other characters who are seen with the protagonist are wearing costumes that consist of jumpers which are casual and weather appropriate for the location of the film. The costumes suggest that they are not employed in a similar way to the protagonist inferring they are from a different social class or have a questionable employer. It is already obvious to the audience that the protagonist does not have the power in the meeting however, this is also reinforced by the use of dialogue in the scene. 'Shep said you'd be here for seven thirty, what gives man?' Carl addresses Jerry directly and interrupts him multiple times, the tone of his address is imperative and harsh, the colloquial dialect shows that the meeting is informal and that Carl does not regard Jerry as an important figure who is above him. 

Jerry apologises to Carl when it is discovered he mixed up the time he would meet Carl, 'I'm sure sorry.' the dialogue used illustrates Jerry's naivety and apprehension. The tension in this scene is made evident through the dialogue and positioning of the characters which is shown through camera shots and angles.

An over the shoulder long shot illustrates the table the characters are sat at and the tension between them. There are many empty bottles on the table suggesting that Carl and his associate do not take the meeting seriously and are attempting to intimidate Jerry by asserting their strength and masculinity through alcohol. The shot suggests Carl believes Jerry to be a liability and his long pauses in between shot-reverse-shot edits and dialogue illustrates his impatience. The edits are continuous shot-reverse-shots of an average pace that begin to speed up suggesting the tension between the characters increases suggesting to the audience that there will be friction between these characters further into the narrative as they carry out their plan. 

Titles Read:
Polygram Filmed Entertainment presents
In association with Working Title Films 
Frances McDormand 
William H. Macy 
Steve Buscemi 
Harve Presnell 
Peter Stormare 
FARGO 



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