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The Machinist Opening Sequence Analysis

The document provides a detailed analysis of the opening scene of the film The Machinist through its use of camera work, mise-en-scene, editing, typography, and sound. Specifically, it notes the use of a shallow depth of field and out of focus shots through windows to create ambiguity about a protagonist dragging a body. It also discusses how lighting, location, and a dirty truck create a dark, sinister atmosphere. Editing techniques like fades and shot-reverse-shot build suspense about who is approaching with a torch. Typography and sound design with police sirens and dramatic music further a tense mood.

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Chanel
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191 views

The Machinist Opening Sequence Analysis

The document provides a detailed analysis of the opening scene of the film The Machinist through its use of camera work, mise-en-scene, editing, typography, and sound. Specifically, it notes the use of a shallow depth of field and out of focus shots through windows to create ambiguity about a protagonist dragging a body. It also discusses how lighting, location, and a dirty truck create a dark, sinister atmosphere. Editing techniques like fades and shot-reverse-shot build suspense about who is approaching with a torch. Typography and sound design with police sirens and dramatic music further a tense mood.

Uploaded by

Chanel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Machinist

Camera

In the opening a depth of field is used and there is a shallow focus. We see this through the
an external shot out of the window is used to make it seem like someone is watching him. It
is also out of focus which allows the audience to have full focus on the main protagonist
who is moving around the room dragging someone in a carpet. This shot is also a long shot
which is taken through the glass in order to create ambiguity since the audience can only
see the protagonist moving around the room and some lights around him.
There is also a close up of the main protagonists face which highlights his facial expression
as he is shown to be struggling as he is carrying the body. This is also a low angle shot
which highlights how he has control over the situation however is still struggling.
In addition, a long shot and pan are used as the protagonist arrives at the coast to give the
audience a view of the character who is still struggling to carry the body.
Moreover there is an extreme close up at the end when the spotlight is on him. This shows
how he is scared and already has bruises on his face which could indicate that he has been
in a fight and is dangerous.

Mise-en-scene

The lighting is dark and dim with grey and black tones. It is
also raining during the opening scene, and both lighting and
rain have connotations of death and evil which puts the
audience at unease.

There is also a truck that he drives which is in front of him


which is quite dirty and is rust ridden which shows how he
does not care. This makes him seem edgy and creates a dark
and sinister feeling about him.

Editing

A fade in from black is used at the start of the scene and fades into where the
protagonist is rolling someone up in a carpet. This makes the audience wonder
what is going on because it is the first thing they see after the fade in. The
nameless person creates a sense of unknown which builds anticipation for the
audience as they become intrigued to the meaning of the protagonists actions.
This shot then cuts to an external landscape shot of when the guy pulls up with
his car.
Slow paced editing is put into place throughout the opening of the sequence and
this allows the audience to really take in what is happening in each scene.
Moreover, there is also shot-reverse-shot used between the protagonist and the
torch light which creates suspense as we do not know who is approaching him
with the torch and this also creates tension for the audience as we do not know
if the protagonist will push the body in time.

Typography

The typography that is used in this opening title sequence is a serif font.
This is used to create the title sequence as it has associations of being
official and professional. It also creates a modern feel towards the film.
All of the typography of the names of the cast appear on the right side of
the screen and is only faded onto the screen for 3 seconds before it fades
out. The quick editing is used so that the audience do not get distracted
from what is happening in the scene.
The typography is in bold white which suggests people are supposed to
take notice of it as it stands out from the dark, grey tone background.

Sound

The opening scene starts with a sound bridge of the man breathing heavily and
panting which is synchronous sound. This makes the audience wonder what is going
on as at this point only the titles are rolling on screen and nothing else can be seen.
There is also non-diegetic asynchronous sound of the police sirens in the background
which highlight how something bad and dangerous is happening.
In addition, there is also non-diegetic music which is a high pitched wind which creates
a dramatic sense. This music is used to create tension in the opening sequence.
Also, the high pitch of the violins sound builds tension for the legato notes.
Moreover, there is diegetic dialogue where we hear the words who are you? This
voice sounds like a man however it creates a lot of tension for the audience as we
cannot see the person yet, we can only hear their voice. It also creates tension due to
the fact that in the previous shot we see a car light heading towards him and therefore
we wonder who it is.

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