Thriller Openings Research Task

Hanna (Joe Wright, 2011)

Throughout the whole clip, there is little sound used, apart from the ambient sound of running water from the lake. The lack of sound creates tension for the audience as it makes them feel as though something is going to jump out and startle them, or that something bad is about to happen. There is also only one line of dialogue – “I just missed your heart”. This could be seen that Hanna (the female shown during the clip) was taking pity on the reindeer that she shot, as hitting it in the heart would be a much quicker death. Or, it could also been viewed that she just wanted the reindeer to decease quicker so that she could obtain food (and possibly fur) faster.
At the start of the clip there is a slow pan across the landscape, which shows us that there is nothing but snow for miles around. Once again, this creates suspense for the audience, as, not only does it make them wonder where everyone is, but the emptiness of the picture also goes along with what you feel due to the lack of non-diegetic sound
Hanna’s costume is brown, warm and comfortable. The colour of her costume may help her to blend in to the surrounding trees when hunting for animals, as they won’t be able to pick her out as well if she was wearing a bright pink top (etc.). It is important that her costume is comfortable as she needs to be able to move freely in order to gain the stealth that is needed to hunt. It is also warm, which ensures that she keeps out the cold in the winter landscape. All of these things indicate to us that she is used to this environment, as not only is she wearing the correct clothing, but her body language also points this out. She stands up right and keeps herself hidden away from the animals, which makes it much easier for her to hunt because she has the element of surprise.
There are only two titles in this sequence: "Focus Features Presents" and "A Joe Wright Film". This is unsual because normally the titles in the opening sequence almost always contain the actor(s)/actress(es) that play the main chracter(s).