signs: opening sequence analysis.

The film starts with an opening sequence of titles, showing the name of the main character ‘Mel Gibson’ and the name of the film along with other titles. The non-diegetic sounds that play whilst the titles roll through is a very loud and fast score that links to the fast and intense scenes to come later on in the movie.

When the credits finish you come to a shot of a very tidy backyard one that should promote safety and comfort, but you soon learn that is not the case. This is then backed up by the next shot of Mel Gibson looking very uncomfortable in his bed.

In this shot you see Mel Gibson looking very ‘on-edge’ in his bed. The dark colours used also in this shot as well as the previous screenshot could tell the spectator that the film has a dark nature to it. This shot also leaves a sense of enigma because it leaves you confused as to why Mel Gibson looks so scared and paranoid. Also you are introduced to the first character.

This next image shows a picture of Mel Gibson and his family, so at this moment you realise that he has a daughter and a son, but also a wife, but that leaves you wondering why she was not in the bed with him, has something happened to her. Also you learn that Mel Gibson was a priest, so he is a religious man.

In this still image, shown in the red circle, is a faded stain where a religious cross once hangs, does this mean that he has given up his faith and does no longer believe in his religion. The colours are still very dark; this suggests that dark times are currently surrounding him.

 

in the next three screenshots you are introduced to the family of Mel, his younger brother Merrill, played by Joaquin Phoenix, his daughter Bo, played by Abigail Breslin and his son Morgan, played by Rory Culkin. From all of the screenshots you understand that the leave on a farm surrounded by corn and there are not many other houses nearby.  The on edge tension is built when Graham (Mel) and his brother hear the screams of Bo and Morgan in the field. This builds the enigma, and through all three screenshots you are not told what’s happened.

Morgan, the son of Graham, who once was a priest but has now lost his faith, is trying to show his father the way of religion again, as Morgan has not yet lost his faith.