Looking At Openings

The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations Opening

This opening scene was very interesting because it was very different to other psychological thriller openings I have looked at and analysed. 

Creation of Enigma

There are shots of a park, boy on a swing and his mother,which would fade in and out to reveal the opening credits. The music throughout this part is very soft and sweet and gives off the impression of relaxation and peace and gives no impression that this is going to be a psychological thriller. But, on the other hand, when we get a shot of the mother the music darkens and deepens connoting that the mother isn't all she seems, but she gives a different impression when with her son. The music goes back to normal not long after. These fade ins and outs keep us on the edge of our seats because we are expecting something to happen because it is building tension. There are a few long shots which makes the viewer feel as if they are watching them we are also hardly ever up close to the mother and son creating the feeling of us watching them, then there was a medium shot of a man in a black jumper in the bushes watching the mother and son, why? He keeps checking his watch, why? We end up asking ourselves questions like why is someone after a mother and son, they look completely harmless, especially a child. when the mother gets murdered we once again ask, why? Why kill her? She has a son! Why do it in front of him?! She seems lovely and innocent and loves her son. Also the man in the bushes stands and watches this event happen, why doesn't he help?! We find out why after the titles are finished with.

Introduction of Characters

We get introduced to the mother and son and a masked murderer, we also get introduced to the man in the bushes who turns out to be the hero, he has special abilities where he can sort of go back in time, witness a crime and then help the police solve the case. After the titles, we learn this with the help of seeing him hooked up in a bath to a bunch of wires and is being helped by a woman but we do not know their relationship status with one another, but we learn her name because she says it aloud in a condescending, mimicking tone to him. We are introduced to all these characters but can't fully make any links as of yet. 

Pace and Rhythm 

Everything is very slow paced to start off with to give off the impression that it is relaxing, happy and nothing bad can/will happen. But, when the mother gets murdered everything speeds up and the slow rhythm and pace is interrupted and things no longer look peaceful and calm and nice, even when we get the long shot to show the nice environment and weather. When the man jumps out behind the mother, we jump because it is completely unexpected and is completely out of nowhere. When she is unlocking the door, things seem to be going slower and camera angles change so its like we are sitting in the car watching with a close up view of the events and this is when it gets bad and she is murdered. 

Setting up the Plot 

We find out that someone (a mother) has died and we do not know who the murderer is, hopefully this will get revealed later on in the plot, also we find out that somehow this man can go back into the past and witness events and can then help with the police case. 

Mood and Tone

At first there is a happy, calm tone and looks as though nothing bad can happen, there is high key lighting of which we associate with good things (low key lighting is what we associate with bad things) It stays this way until the new sets of credits come up after the mothers death. Everything is slow connoting that there isn't a care in the world and there is all the time in the world, but when the mother is getting murdered the music gets louder, much more chilling, pitchier, but there is still high key lighting. The establishing shot connotes that no matter where you are and how beautiful it is, looks are decieving and anything can happen.