Opening sequences in movies can show a variety of different things. They can establish place and time, introduce characters, sets plot, themes, and tones and can also raise narrative questions. All of these things are important aspects of movies.
In this essay I intend to explore the opening sequence of American History X, here after referred to AHX.
The title sequence of AHX is placed in front of a beach, with quiet, peaceful music. A few seconds into the music a military beat is added, contradicting the original soft feel. This gives the impression that the movie will very emotional in the way it is set out. .
The opening sequence begins with the camera slowly panning across to a city, it then moves into the town, and into the seat of a car. The car arrives to a house. Afterwards, you enter the house. A teenager looks outside the window, to see the car and some black people getting out of it. He calls out to his older brother, (Derek) who gets up out of his bed and takes a gun out of his drawer. Derek's room is covered in white power and a Nazi flag, the girl that he is with, is wearing Nazi boots. These objects give the impression of Derek being a racist. The younger brother, (Daniel) desperately to stop him from going outside, but he can't do it. A lot of shots are used in this first scene, which seems to add to the rate things happen, making them look faster and even more dramatic. On Daniels bedpost, there are pictures of 2 skulls, which could be a hidden message about the film.(2 brothers, 2 deaths) There it also a picture of a crucifix on the wall, which is half covered in black and half covered in white, this gives the meaning that AHX may be about racism. When the older brother reaches the door, he immediately shoots the first guy he sees. The viewer may think this is justified because you can see the gun in the black mans hand. Derek then shoots the second guy, with camera emphasis on him not having a gun, to show what kind of a character Derek is.
