Opening Scene Of A Thriller

Once Upon A Time In America

Basic Information
Made in 1984 Set in 20s 30s and 1968 Non-linear narrative told through flashbacks Noir Thriller Certificate 18 Originally released to be 229 minutes long, buy in USA they cut it to 139 minutes and they have recently shown the full version to be 259 minutes long Directed by Sergio Leone Pays tribute to classic noir 1940s thrillers like Gilda

Context
It is apparent in the title Once Upon A Time In America, that it is set in America. The majority of the story line is during the Prohibition period (19201933), when the dealing of alcohol was prohibited in USA in order to eliminate any drunk and disorderly crimes. This lead to many gangsters dealing Alcohol illegally and backstreet bars, which ironically caused crime rates to rise instead of decline. This is a very good time period to shoot Once Upon A Time In America as it adds to the deviousness of the characters who are associated with Alcohol intake and dealing as they are breaking the law, so the audience may be anticipating them getting caught, which throughout the film is climatic. I believe that the title of the film is ironic to the context of where and when the film is set, as it sounds like a typical fairy-tale opening which always ends in a happy ending. However the audience find out when watching the film that America is not this amazing place that people make it out to be, as it is full of inequality and injustice. So it can be seen that Sergio Leone is criticising America by mocking and deliberately misinterpreting the stereotypical ideas that are installed within society.

Sound
When the beginning titles show, there is a sound bridge which creates anticipation for the next scene. There has been non-diegetic sound added in the beginning sound. The sound track God Bless America is played before the acted clip is played. This use of non-diegetic sound pays tribute to the film The Deer Hunter, where they sing the song, which in both films is ironic in the sense that America is not as omnipotent and omnibenevolent as they want to be perceived. As if they were, it would not be the case that there were high crime rates and inequality in America, which are key leitmotifs within the plot of Once Upon A Time In America. In the sound bridge there are footsteps (a generic convention of the Thriller genre) which one could assume is leading to the apartment where the opening scene is filmed. This places the viewer in the characters position as there is no action taking place, they have the imaginative freedom to imagine themselves walking up the stairs, which not only engages the audience but builds anticipation for the next scene. The footsteps could have either been diegetic or non-diegetic as it could have integrated the sound of footsteps whilst editing to make it more of a noticeable sound.

Location
The first scene is set in an Attic/Apartment which is very common of a Thriller film as it is an enclosed space which makes the viewer feel claustrophobic and as a result feel more tense and apprehensive whether the characters next action will be a dangerous or risky one. For example, in the following scene after Eves murder, when Noodles is waiting for the lift to come down, there is a worms eye view shot of the lift coming down, which is climatic as the audience is waiting for the character in the lift to be killed. To emphasise the climax, Sergio Leone uses shot reverse shot to engage the audience and maintain a high tension. Elevators are a generic convention of a thriller as they are confined and ensnared, which if a victim was stuck in one, means they would not be able to escape and in affect are trapped. This creates an apprehensive atmosphere within the audience as they know there are no means of escape from a lift, so they may expect something violent or unpleasant to happen e.g. a murder.

Lighting
In the first scene, non-ambient noir lighting is a key feature which Sergio Leone has incorporated into this noir thriller, as it establishes a dark and eerie mood, which foreshadows the fact that something corrupt is going to happen. It is also enigmatic as the audience does not quite know the exact details of what is awaiting for the character(s) within the mise-en-scene only an idea that whatever the action is it is most likely going to be a negative one. Sergio Leone uses chiaroscuro lighting within the first few scenes. This gives the delusion of nightmare, which fits well to both the Thriller genre due to the fact it is full of enigmatic suspense, and to the following actions within the scene, as Eve gets murdered, and death is a common aspect of a nightmare.

Guns are another convention which Sergio Leone incorporates in Once Upon A Time In America. These props are weapons that represent death and tragedy, so by using these props, it foreshadows there is going to be death and adds to the mystery. The beginning scenes are set in the 1930s, in which the characters are dressed in classical clothes which were typical and fashionable at the time, such as Over Coats and Trilbies, which the male characters wear. This is a typical convention of a Noir Thriller, as the characters look more mysterious and dubious creating an ponder of whether to trust the character. The female character Eve, wears elegant and glamorous clothes and makeup which not only fits into the time period, as women were starting to dress more desirably, but Eve also has many aesthetic traits that are conventions of a femme fatale. She wears pearls which represent tears, which foreshadows the fact of her tragic ending in murder.

Costume and Props

Camera Angles
In the opening scenes of Once Upon a time in America, there is a common usage of close up shots. The purpose of this is to engage the audience by establishing the characters emotions at that particular as it helps the audience relate to how that character is feeling. This is a close up shot of Eve when she discovers the bullet hole silhouette which foreshadows her death, and as you can see she is shocked and frightened, so the viewer may feel scared for the characters wellbeing. This is a worms eye view, and also a point of view shot from the character Fat Moes perspective after he has been beaten up by the corrupt police. This shot states to the audience that the character is in a state of vulnerability and indicates fear. This builds suspense to the audience as they are not sure what the characters outcome is going to be.

Camera Angles Continued

In the beginning scene when Eve gets murdered, Sergio Leone integrated high angle shots. This is a high angle shot of Eve which belittles the character to seem more vulnerable and/or pitiful, which makes the audience perceive that she is a character to empathise for, which we find out later in the film she is in fact a devious femme fatale. Rule of thirds are another type of camera angle which they have included. The composition of the shot gives the perception to the audience that the three policemen standing behind the out of focussed Eve have a higher stature thus making them look more powerful. Also, the fact that Eve is out of focus reflects on the fact she is dead as it states that she is no longer an important subject within the world, and is just a memory.

Other
In the beginning scene, when Eve pulls back the bed covers, she finds a silhouette indented in the bed by bullet holes, which foreshadows her death. By doing this, it makes the audience feel tense as it is a message that something corrupt/ruthless is going to happen, so they are automatically on the edge of their seats to await a tragic action carried out on Eve.

 Made in 1978 Stars Robert De Niro as Michael, who plays Noodles in Once Upon A Time In America Directed and Co-Written by Michael Cimino About 3 young men from Pensylvania who fight in the Vietnam war, and how they are affected by it. Here is a link to the last scene from The Deer Hunter, where the bereaved characters are singing God Bless America, which is clearly ironic as the song is supposed to be sung cheerfully and with pride and usually when there is a celebration, but subversively, Cimino uses it in a darker, and more serious situation, which like Leone, gives the impression that America is not as great as it is supposed to be.

The Deer Hunter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LwGt9d1-lU