Thriller Openings

The opening of a thriller film can either make or brake the film. A trend which occurs throughout multiple thriller films is the use of the colour red in the opening title sequences. A film which demonstrates this very well is the New Zealand based filml called 'Once We Were Warriors' directed by Lee Tamahori released in 1994. The video clip mentioned is posted below:



The use of red text against a black background connotes to violence and death. This is used to show that the characters introduced in this way are shady and perhaps are into crime etc. A couple few screen shots of how this is used are below:

Notice that there is a black splatter on the 'S' in 'Morrison'. This could represent decay or even blod splattering. Whichever it may be, it surrounds this character with a slightly violent edge.



The title sequences contains the same splatters on the R and S. This gives the audience a clue as to what this film may be about.

Other films which include red within the title/title sequence are Kill Bill Volume 1 directed by Quentin Tarantino released in 2003. The red streak of blood following the line of the brides' katana.

The red streak designed to look like blood surrounding the name 'Reservoir Dogs' connotes to the four men on the front as devious and possibly dangerous. The four men are all dressed the same. This deprives them of any sense of identity and creates an enigmatic aura about them.
Reservoir dogs was directed by Quentin Tarantino released in 1992.

The word 'Seven' being written in red gives the audience the idea of blood, anger, hatred, danger etc. The typeface (font) of the word 'Seven' is also like handwriting.
Se7en was released in 1995 and directed by David Fincher.

The fact that the symbol of the dragon starts off at the bottom as a flame is significant because it relates to a dragon breathing fire but it could also suggests that the central character 'plays with fire'. Red is also used here as the colour of blood, anger and hatred. The fact that you only see half of her face is suggestive of her enigmatic nature within the film. It keeps her identity a mystery much like in 'Reservoir Dogs'.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was released in 2011 and was also directed by David Fincher.

The red running through the centre of the crowd  suggests that there is a divide between good and bad which links to the name of 'Angels & Demons'. The theme of red continues within the title by having a red '&'. The only people wearing red in the picture are Catholic priests which could represent corruption and murder within the church. This is the opposite view which religion has in the real world. The character being played by Tom Hanks is caught in the middle of the red suggesting that he is walking a very fine line.

Angels and Demons was released in 2009 and was directed by Ron Howard.