Orphan - Opening Sequence Analysis

The ORPHAN (2009) RELEASE DATE: 7th August 2009
(UK) PRODUCTION COMPAINES: Dark Castle Entertainment, Appian Way, Studio Babelsberg Motion Pictures
BOX OFFICE: Opening Weekend: $12,871,483 (USA) (24 July 2009) Gross: $41,573,740 (USA) (2 October 2009)


The opening sequence is around a two minutes long. The opening credits consist of all the named people who helped create the film, from the production companies to the director of the entire film. In the opening credits, there is a moving animation of animated blood that trickles down the screen as the credits are shown. Something in which I found stood out for me was that the credits were the same colour as the animated blood and as the blood trickled down the screen the blood absorbed the credit. I found this a really effective original idea.
The use of blood and the prop of a knife connotes that there is going to be multiple deaths and that the film is centred around being gory. In addition, the use of the chain swinging, which is framed in a low angle suggests that either someone is being locked up or because there is more than one chain, another interpretation is that a group of people are being held captive. Within this opening sequence, everything appears to be black and white accept for the bloody credits, the blood and at the ending a house which is shown previously as black and white, where at the ending it is viewed in colour. The transformation of the home being viewed in colour at the end of the sequence implies that this is the setting for the story.
Everything that is displayed in the opening credits portrays negative connotations so the fact that the house was displayed as black and white suggests that quite dark things are going to occur within that house. This is additionally reinforced by the blood which is seen trickling down wooden steps which look as though they are from the inside of a home. Furthermore, within the sequence it appears that we get a back story of the story line. We are shown images of what appears to be the main character, we are shown a motif in the sequence of a girl/woman staring into a mirror and vigorously scraping off her make-up. The non-diegetic soundtrack used throughout the formulates a high and 'twangy' piece. The music enhances the sinister mood of the opening. The sequence uses a lot of different shots. These shots give a sense of journey. For example, we are take down the steps of a house, to a woman giving birth, then she is transported through what looks like a hospital. This makes the audience feel involved because they are being taken on this journey. It's as if they are involved in the characters past life and perhaps they have more knowledge about this particular character than the others perhaps do, dramatic irony. The use of the low key lighting throughout, highlights that this is a horror film, the lighting gives this sequence a gothic and eerie feel. As a result of this, for my opening sequence, we shall use low key lighting so that we are able to achieve the same response tt this opening sequence gave me.