opening sequence analysis: Vertigo

Vertigo is a 1958 thriller movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock. In the first part of the opening sequence you are shown a section of a woman's face in a close up shot, you are seeing so little in the picture yet you can tell so much by using your own imagination and slight eye movements. Just from seeing the eye movements it makes you think that the woman is scared, anxious, paranoid and possibly like she is about to have a panic attack when her eye widens and her pupils seem fixated on something. Of course none of this is definate but these thoughts are the viewers being manipulated by minute movements triggering huge speculation. After the opening sequence moves on you are shown a sequence of difference coloured circular shapes spiraling towards you, this in my view gives you the effect of "Vertigo". The spiraling shapes coming towards you makes you feel like you are falling continuously, however it seems like just before the spiral hits you, or you would hit the floor if you were falling, the shape disapears and another apears in the distance doing the same as the previous shape. This gives the typical thriller film suspense, showing when something builds up so much that you almost expect it to happen, for it then to just fade away and start again, this is important to thrillers as when you do get to the end with the big finish there is so much suspense that it can be a relief for the viewer to watch, however if there is no big finish then the whole film can feel lackluster and a disapointment.

The music to the opening sequence follows the same kind of key as the spiraling shapes as the music starts off soft then builds up with dramatic effect enough for you to expect a big noise and action, but just soothes off, calms down and begins to build up again.

If you add all these effects together you feel engulfed into the film with the music, close up shots of the eyes and the falling sensation. All together it makes the opening sequence dramatic and sets the scene well for the rest of the film and gives you quite an obvious link to the fact that this is a thriller.