Unforgettable/ inspiring opening sequences

Unforgettable/ inspiring opening sequences:

Saving private Ryan-

The opening scene of this film begins with a man visiting a graveyard; you are then taken back to the time of war and to his story. The peaceful tranquillity of the graveyard is in strong contrast to the brutal and bloody scene of war, which then takes place. This is opening I find to be particularly memorable due to the graphic scenes of war which take place from the start. They are executed excellently from all different angles, including close ups of soldiers makes the audience completely feel part of the film world and giving, in my opinion, one of the best true to life representations of what war must have been like. Following this, I feel like the tranquillity of the graveyard with the white stone heads represents heaven and purity that was taken away from all the soldiers that lost their lives. This furthers the emotive reaction from the audience gaining their attention immediately.

From this extremely emotive opening sequence I can take away the use of close up shots to establish characters and character bonds. By using this technique to identify characters at the beginning it highlights and singles out who may be protagonist characters, allowing the audience to feel a bond and emotion for them from the start, which can then follow through the film.

Lord of War-

This opening scene follows to production life and use of a single bullet. The camera is from the point of view of the bullet, so wherever it is moved the camera goes. For example it is picked up and thrown back on the production belt and the camera follows this movement. Similarly, once the bullet has reached its destination at a dock, it falls out of the box and rolls, with this the camera rolls with it.  This life of the bullet sets the premise for the film about an arms dealer. I find it an interesting alternative to straight away going into the story of the film. It sets it up and makes the audience think about what happens before a gun is pulled on someone.