9 Frame Analysis
Enemy
The simple but large font used in this film opening for the movie “Enemy”, directed by Denis Villeneuve, takes up most of the screen in the fist frame which appears directly as the music begins. The soundtrack used is slightly contrapuntal to the bleak, faded shots of blocs and buildings. The song is quite joyful and begins abruptly. The first frame is a static frame of a few buildings and the name of the starring actor written in yellowish capital letters. Neither the size of the font or of the buildings manages to be imposing and overpowering, but rather they give the same feeling of emptiness and loneliness.
The next frame is also a static frame, this emphasizes the emptiness, desolation of the place, adding up to the enigma created in audience’s minds. The name of the main female actress is presented in this frame. This time a street can be seen but no people are present. This also adds to the idea of a huge desolate world.
The same feeling persists in the third frame, where in equally large letters a third name is presented on a similar background of buildings. The entire facade of the buildings is made of glass windows and balconies. They reflect a foggy kind of sunlight that might be present because the sun is setting, but it still seems unnatural and depressing.
The fourth frame shows the title of the film and details about the book it is based on. The text takes up the whole screen and the many windows of the buildings can be seen behind. A slight zoom in on the background brings the viewers attention to the title in the center of the screen.
The next frame shows in slightly smaller letters the name of the director and writer over a similar background of two building in the same lighting, while the upbeat song continues.
Another static frame of only one building allows more space for a series of names to appear on the background of a foggy, polluted sky.
The next frame consists of a pan taken on top of a building, showing more names of members of the crew.
The eight frame gives a series of names, framed besides a building, bringing into focus the empty balconies behind.
The ninth frame ends a long arial shot that tracks the highly industrial city, showing a list of the songs used in the movie. This attracts our attention to the music, which has now changed into a more serious and sad melody, contrasting the previous one. This makes the audience aware that the movie is beginning, by getting their attention.
Zodiac
“Zodiac” begins with an arial shot that establishes the location of the action, San Francisco. The upbeat music suggest a busy, stressed life and environment, where everything moves very fast, traffic noise can also be heard.
The music continues into the second frame which introduces the main character and his son. The credits are written in lower-case letter in the left bottom corner of the screen throughout the opening. They are designed to look as codes, suggesting the theme of the movie about mystery and the convention of code breaking. The two characters are shown in the bathroom of the main character’s house, brushing their teeth. They are getting ready for the day and are in a hurry.
In the third frame, the music fades out slightly and even if they are running late the father still takes the time to talk calmly to his son about how he should brush his teeth. He then urges him to go get his lunch box on the hallway.
When they arrive at the boy’s school, his father tries to be a good parent by telling the boy to learn a lot at school, though it is obvious that the man knows little about being a parent. The boy runs away towards the school, slightly confused at his father’s comment.
The main character’s life continues to be presented through the actions of one of his average mornings. He arrives at his job, where he works in a huge office building with many other employees. A parallel montage alternates shots of him going to his office desk and an envelope being delivered at the same time to him. This is used to increase tension and the anticipation of the audience concerning the contents of the envelope.
As the opening credits continue to be shown in the bottom left corner of the screen, the character’s slight awkwardness is suggested in different instances as he continues his journey up to his floor. He keeps his head down and tries to avoid eye contact with the people around him.
The seventh frame shows the same envelope being sorted among a sea of mail and eventually being placed in a large trolley. The name of the sender can't be read clearly, but the writing looks similar to that of the credits.
The next shots are of the man stopping to get a doughnut from a table where an old man sits. The routine of every morning is suggested through the simple, mechanical moments that the old man makes to point to a sign that says ”coffee, delicious as hell”.
The last frame of the opening sequence shows the trolley with the mysterious envelope approaching the man’s office as he arrives at his desk. But just as it arrives, he is called away, leaving the audience wondering about the contents and the sender of the letter.
Mulholland Dr.
This controversial movie’s opening begins with what can only be described as eerie music that instantly brings you in the strange and nightmarish world of director David Lynch. The first frame shows the title of the movie, “Mulholland Dr.” written as a street sign on a metal plate. The writing fades in and out slightly giving the impression of head lights reflecting the shiny surface.
The music, composed by Angelo Badalamenti, continues into the next frame which consists of overlaying shots of a car travelling slowly on a dark road. The names of the actors are written in large capital letters in the center of the screen. The font is similar to that of the street sign, fading in and out of the darkness and shining in a metallic shade of grey. This is very conventional of horror film, suggesting a ghostly atmosphere.
The camera follows the slow-moving car, while the music gets louder and more terrifying. Close shots of the car’s back lights are overlaid with shots from further down the road as names keep appearing on the screen.
The next shots also offer a glimpse of the surroundings of the car. Even if they are drenched in darkness, some lights can be spotted in a valley to the left of the road. All these are conventions of horror movies. But, the strange music also adds a special feeling that is specific to Lynch's surreal hybrid of horror.
The fifth frame shows a larger view of the city bellow the highway. The many lights suggest that it is a large city, giving the audience a clue about where the action takes place.
Shots of the car and the city lights continue to overlap as the names of the cast and crew continue to unfold on the screen.
In the next frame, the music begins to quiet down, only to create more tension. The car is followed up the road and no other vehicles pass or are heard. The emptiness of the road also works as a convention of the horror genre.
Furthermore, the dim light, only coming from the headlights, helps establish the feeling and atmosphere of the movie. The only lights that are seen now are those of the car as they only merely illuminate the asphalt in front of the car and some of the greenery by the road.
One last frame of the back of the car is filmed close up and the name of the director appears before the movie begins.
