Analysing two Film Openings

I have chosen two Film openings that i like and have given me ideas for my own film noir opening. The first of my openings is Superbad (2007) directed by Gregg Mottola. The second is Kill Bill Volume 1 (2003) directed by Quentin Tarantino.





Superbad
I like the opening of the movie superbad because the style is unusual and interesting and i like the use of sound. It uses simple wide shots to show the two main characters dancing, their costumes are casual, but because of the choice of colours this is hard to make out. The use of music goes really well and i think gets you closer to the characters before you have even begun watching the film. The simple titles go really well with the style of the music and the action on camera. You can not tell what the characters are like from the beginning sequence but from what you can see, they appear to be two casual, young looking people. From the sequence i would guess that this film was either a comedy or a musical. The sequence gives away no hints to the story of the film but leaves it open and, could be considered to be one big enigma as you know nothing about the people on screen, where they are or their relevance to the film.
Kill Bill Volume 1
This opening is closer to the genre of film noir than my other choice. I like this opening because it uses pleonastic sound on the male characters footsteps and adds a much more dramatic feel to the scene. The cinematography is simple but it fits the mood very well, with the ttracking shot that follows his movement across the room. Also the close ups on the female characters face show her in detail and that she is clearly in trouble. The location appears to be a poorly lighted room that is dusty and not used often, the female character is wearing a wedding dress which suggests that she has some involvement in the male character who we see very little of. Pleonastic sound is also used on her heavy breathing, which gives you the idea that she is in trouble and is in pain and worried. Their is no music to this piece, dialogue and diegetic sounds are all that can be heard. The scene contains a certain amount of enigma until her final line reveals a major part to the story, their are no hints towards the female character and all you know about the male character is his name. I think from this small sequence iwould class this film as an action film, with a maturer target audience because of the violence and choice of characters.