The Book Of Eli Opening Scene Analysis - UPDATED

The first shot of this scene shows a forest. This iconic environment is often used to create a certain type of atmosphere in a film, as they can be places full of mystery and intrigue.
The green tint of the shot paired with the non-diegetic glowing light from above creates an eerie and sinister atmosphere. The audience are instantly given the idea that the environment is threatening, the ominous and gloomy forest carrying connotations of threat and peril, putting the audience at unease. Green often has connotations of nature and is likely used in this scene because of this. However green can often create a sense of sickness and contamination, suggesting the environment is unhealthy. This gives the audience the sense of danger.

As the camera moves slowly across the ground, the first thing the audience sees is a gun. This immediately creates questions for the audience, as they are made aware that something dark and violent has potentially occurred. A gun, an iconic symbol of hatred, is often used in thrillers. This shot shows it seemingly abandoned, making the audience wonder how it got there and why.

After seeing the gun, the camera leads the audience to see a hand, and as the camera continues to move, they become aware that it is a dead body. This immediately pairs suspicion in the audience's minds, as after seeing a gun they know that this was no ordinary death. It is evident that the body has been there for a while, which further leads to the question of where this is and why it has not been found.
The hand is the first thing that the audience see of the body, and it is outstretched towards the gun. This makes the audience question whether the gun belongs to him, and further enquire who he is and why he died.

In this close-up shot, the audience are introduced to the first character. The green hue paired with the gas mask suggests the air is toxic and unbreathable. This makes the audience question where this is and gives the feel of a post-apocalyptic dystopian world. The use of masks in thriller films is iconic, as it has connotations of mystery. This makes the audience wonder who is behind the mask, and whether they are to be trusted.

An interesting part of this shot is the camera angle. The low angle shot makes the figure look bigger, suggesting his dominance and power. This makes the audience further question who he is and what authority he has. This angle can make people look unequal, as if they have a higher power, making this character seem untrustworthy, and someone to be feared.
The background of this shot is also intriguing, as the audience may wonder what is floating in the air. The ash-like substance suggests a volcanic atmosphere, further enforcing the idea that this is a toxic and unsafe environment.

In this shot, the figure is quite small and does not look as powerful as they did in previous shots. Before this, the audience are shown that they shoot a stray cat with an arrow. It is in this shot that they look down on it before picking it up. The hunched over posture and folded arms suggests guilt and shame for killing the creature. This makes the audience question their morality, and whether they killed it for sport or sustenance.
This shot adds to the sinister atmosphere of this scene, as it is evident that the figure is alone. This makes the audience further question who they are and what their purpose is.

This scene includes many components of a thriller. It creates mystery and makes the audience question what's happening and why. It is an eerie scene, which keeps the audiences attention by moving the camera slowly to show them what has happened, raising questions. The act of making the audience see a gun and then a body adds the element of surprise,  as if what they see gets steadily worse and events unfold, making them question what's going to happen next. This scene also uses iconic features of a thriller, such as guns and masks. Doing this makes the audience aware that something sinister and brutal has happened and will continue to happen. The questions raised makes the audience attentive, as they are eager to know what's going to happen next.

I will hopefully use the components within this Thriller opening when creating my own. I like the use of colour to create an atmosphere and hope to bring this within my opening, as well as the slow reveals to show the audience the sinister tone of the scene. When creating my Thriller opening I also want the audience to ask questions to add a sense of mystery and intrigue, to leave them wanting to see more and understand how the story develops.