Saturday 2 November 2013

In-Depth Analysis of American Psycho opening titles

The opening titles of American Psycho start off almost identical to those of Insomnia. A white background is present with the first set of titles appearing in black to stand out against it. The white background and the black titles recur mostly throughout the sequence however there are two important aspects that come into play to make the titles very interesting for the audience.

Again similarly to Insomnia, blood (or what is made out to be blood) is used to foreshadow gruesome murders and death. This solidifies its genre as being a crime/drama and the audience can expect sinister events to happen later on. However these opening titles trick the audience into thinking that immediately, something bad is going to occur through its use of music.

The liquid that appears to be blood actually turns out to be some kind of sauce for a very expensive, high end dish at a posh restaurant. When we first see the 'blood' it comes down in a droplet and a strings from the musical score create a sudden sound thats on edge and mysterious. The strings are also in sync with the falling of the 'blood' droplet, perhaps to draw attention to its appearance and or give it more importance. Additionally, there is a low, resonating sound that slowly builds up like a crescendo. Two more 'blood' droplets fall each with an accompaniment of a note from the strings. The fact that two fall shows an increase in pace. 

As the directors name appears we get a steady trickle of more droplets and the musical score moves into a more rhythmic piece but still maintains its mysterious and ominous characteristics. The music is dance like and is if it is something heard in a stage performance; it almost makes the audience want to dance with it. Then it beautifully transitions into a soft and happy sound with the introduction of higher pitched sound instruments which greatly changes the entire mood of the film and relieves the audience. 

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