Detailed Analysis of three film openings...

GOODFELLAS:

Sound
Jazz music is played after the men kill a man brutally – this is unnatural because happy music shouldn’t be played in such a horrible situation. This makes the scene even better because it makes the audience uncomfortable, doing what a thriller wound do. It could also be showing the audience what nice lifestyles the gangsters lead.
During the credits, there are sounds of cars driving on a motorway – this is subtle, but it introduces the audience to the first scene of a car driving.
There are environmental sounds when the man is being shot, such as insects making noise and traffic passing by, and this makes the scene feel more realistic.

Editing

The place and time of the scene are added at the bottom in white writing at some points of the opening. This makes it easier for the audience to follow what is going on, without being confused.
The opening credits are simple – black background with white writing.
The title ‘GOODFELLAS’ is written in capitals and in red, by using red they are showing there will be danger and blood involved in this film.

Mise-en-scene
The men are wearing shirts, jackets and trousers, which is a stereotype that gangster people where these kind of clothes. The setting is good too, because you can’t see any houses or passersby, and this also links to the stereotype that gangsters pull over in empty places to sort out ‘business’.
It is difficult to tell much of the mise-en-scene because of how dark the scene is.

Camera Movement

The camera zooms in on the boot of the car, when there is banging coming from it. This suggests the importance of it, because when we see the man inside the boot being killed, the audience can assume what the rest of the film will be about.
The way the camera moves from behind the car, to beside then in front of it, it looks as though the camera is actually a car changing lanes.
There is a close up shot of one of the characters, to show the audience his reaction to what is happening.

Lighting

Immediately, the film starts in the dark, with a car with red lights on it. This shows from the very start, that the film will be dark too and the red lights of the car symbolise bloodshed and danger.
The red lights are used to brilliant effect because when the car boot opens, they shine on the ‘gangsters’ and this makes them appear even more sinister.