comparing two thriller opening sequences: vertigo and panic room

vertigo


in the movie vertigo, there is sinister music that sets the tone for the rest of the film, this gives the viewer the right mindset of what to expect from this film and gets them ready. there was a slow close up of her eyes which created tension and built suspense throughout the opening sequence. they would have used the eyes for the close up to show the emotion on the ladies face, which can give off a certain vibe or set a specific atmosphere for the film. after the close up the eye turns red, this could be s symbol of pain, death or suffering which again set the mood and get the viewer prepared for what is to come. it could also reflect an aspect of the protagonist or antagonist psychological state which is a common convention for thriller movies. violins are used throughout the opening sequence in the music to build up suspense, and the violin is used because it can make quick sharp sounds which can move the mood of the film very quickly from building suspense ready to drop. the music played is quite slow throughout the piece like the camera movement which creates suspense and makes the opening sequence eery. spirals turn throughout the opening sequence to add a hypnotic feeling throughout the opening sequence, this is a common symbol in psychological thriller because it is to do with mind control and empowers the antagonist.

panic room


panic room is a thriller movies which has many thriller like conventions. the first thing that we found was that the title is panic room which emphasized panic and the mind being under a great amount of stress, also in a room which shows that the characters are closed in and they begin to panic. another convention is that again the slow music which involves violins again for quick, slow, sharp, or mellow sounds, which can set the mood for any scene that is required. also another convention that we found was that the title opening sequence was spread across New York which is a big city in contrast with a small confined room, which means that even in a big city people can still be suffering and under a great deal of stress. the pace of the music quickens as you see the city scape, this could be used to emphasize how lively the city is and that alot can happen in this city without anyone finding out because it's so big. as the music drops another musical device is used, a ticking of a clock which shows that there is a specific time scale of which the protagonist has to save someone from the antagonist, this also shows that the protagonist is again the clock, which emphasizes the suspense and tension. with it being in new york it shows the conventions of extra ordinary events happening in ordinary situations. because the opening sequence doesn't show any characters, the viewers are left with lots of questions as to who the antagonists and protagonists are as well as what the threat within the film is.

the similarities
the use of music and violins within both films show that that particular instrument are very useful for setting the scene and tone for most thriller movies. also, both use slow camera movements which can signify that the plot of the movie develops over time or that the protagonist slowly overcomes their personal problems to overcome the antagonist. as well as these points previously mentioned, mind control and stress play a role in both movies. this can emphasize that these are common conventions within thriller movies. another similarity between Vertigo and Panic Room is the lack of information about the characters that is given. Vertigo at most, shows half of a woman whereas Panic Room doesn't show any characters, just a aerial pan of New York. this technique adds suspense and tension to the film.

the differences
even though the amount of characters shown both of the opening sequences can be seen as a similarity, we think that it is a difference as well. because vertigo shows a woman, you generally assume that she is in trouble because of when this film was made (1958), women were generally thought of as vulnerable and constantly under threat. panic room was made at a much later date, (2002), where psychology plays a much larger role in thrillers than the 1950s. the time scale also differs in the two films because in Panic Room, you know there is a time scale because of the ticking clock noises in the background whereas Vertigo shows no hint of a time scale. this could show that the protagonist is under less stress in vertigo because they appear to have time to catch the antagonist. the city scape in Panic Room is another difference because it sets the scene whereas with Vertigo the background behind the women is dark and mysterious.