Opening Title Sequence Analysis - SE7EN - Kyle Cooper

The sequence commences with a close up of hands turning the pages of a book, alongside distorted non-diegetic music. The music contains disk scratches and screaming noises that reflect the horror genre. The music increases in volume and tempo throughout the sequence, this helps to build suspense and makes the audience feel nervous and eerie of what is to come. The sequence reveals a compilation of close up clips showing hands, books, razor blades and a needle and thread. As an audience member it is very difficult to to understand what is happening because all the shots are extreme close-ups, however this adds to the uncertainty and suspense. The use of the sharp objects, for example the razor blade and scissors appear many times throughout the sequence as we see the character cutting paper, newspapers and his fingers. This disturbing imagery immediately reveals the horror genre of the film and creates themes of violence and danger in the audience member's head. We also see the character crossing out lines in the book and cutting pages with precision, this creates a link to mental illness as it often comes alongside disorders like OCD. The clip durations shorten at many points and the sequence becomes fast paced, we also see lots of flashing images as each clip begins to overlay one another. This creates a distorted look and becomes heavier throughout the sequence. The titles are displayed with shadows layering the words, distorting the words. Other words are also shown in a messy handwriting, linking to the character in the sequence.