The Purge - Opening two minutes

The Purge

Opening two minutes analysis

The opening shots subvert to the horror stereotype as there is low key lighting and brutal attacks and murders can be seen on screen. A man with a gun viciously shoots down what we believe to be an innocent man before moving on without showing any remorse or care, this helps the viewer identify the fact that this film is a horror/thriller. There's no flowery, pretty, lovely opening it cuts straight to a man being murdered which is common in a horror movie (death). This cuts to a group on men attacking someone, kicking them repeatedly and shows the film to be quite aggressive and brutal in the first opening two shots. Guns and fighting are a recurring theme in the opening shots usually alternating between each other, guns are usually used singularly to show their power as a single object and their authority over people who cower away from them whereas fighting is more commonly a group activity as there are no weapons other then the attackers fists and feet so power in numbers is needed. People left for dead and burning buildings are a common sight in the opening two minutes showing destruction and chaos roam in this environment, this draws the viewers in and leaves them wondering why such chaos exists and the long term effects of it. The stereotype of young males and hoodies are featured in the opening two minutes of this film highlighting the prejudice views that young hooded men are most likely to commit crimes. Inhumane beatings are seen over and over in the opening two minutes, likely to stir up feelings within the viewer as this is not a common sight in their world and leaves them intrigued as to why this is occurring and why it's the feature of the film. Quiet abandoned streets are contradicted by the chaos seen in shops and on streets of brutal attacks and general mayhem, people savaged like animals, crawling across empty streets left for dead are all powerful images that are likely to provoke a reaction from the viewer who is already developing opinions on what is going on even though it's not 'real'. That is a key way to get viewers involved and hooked in a film, provide a topic that draws them in and provokes reactions so they become desperate and dependent on finding out the outcome of the film. All of the above proves quite clearly that this is not some lovey dovey romance with a fairy tale ending - its a brutal, hard hitting horror/thriller shown through its use of low key lighting, isolated settings and general gore.

All the shots are seen through the perspective of CCTV which is an interesting way to present the opening two minutes and gives an insight into this new environment we're entering. It could represent the fact that this environment is so dangerous that you couldn't go out with a camera and therefore need to use footage from CCTV cameras. Alternatively it could be used to show a wide variety of cases as its hard to believe that someone could get around the whole world but you could use CCTV from around the world as it's easier to get hold off and is a unique interesting way to show this chaos happening worldwide although that isn't shown explicitly. The words 'purge feed' are visible on all the CCTV footage which show that this content may be visible online for people to view and see the atrocities of the outside world. Nearly all the shots are high angle which could be to show the victims looking vulnerable, alternatively it could be to show how that because this is happening globally each individual murder or beating won't get the attention it needs and is effectively insignificant not just because it's happening all over the world but because crime is now legal - this could stir up more emotions in viewers as they develop their opinions further and get drawn further into the film. Alternatively still it could be just to make it believable as CCTV cameras are usually up high and so if there was low angle shots etc then the viewer may not believe this is actual CCTV footage and would draw their attention away from the important part - the content. One scene in particular hits home hard as amongst the chaos and fast, action packed shots there is one slow, haunting shot of a man crawling along the deserted street. His face is not seen so we can't see his emotion but we can imagine fear and pain are dominant, his desperate crawl as blood soaks down his back is a powerful image as it makes the viewer empathise with him and desperately want to help him, again drawing the viewer in and making them more a part of this film. As his arms seem to collapse and his body slowly crumbles to the floor the viewer can't help but feel sorry for him and begin to imagine what life must be like in this brutal environment.

Tranquil, calming music is played during the opening two minutes which vastly contradicts the brutal scenes on screen, this sort of music would usually be associated with a period drama or calm, peaceful environment - definitely not a horror movie! This plays whilst the opening titles are on before any action is seen and lures the viewers into a false sense of security as they feel calm and relaxed before the titles fade away and they see murders and brutal attacks on screen. It grips the viewer and leaves them wondering what is going to happen next. The music could represent the authorities behind this or in fact all the people sat at home whilst this is happening, instead of standing up and risking their own lives they pretend they don't know what's going on outside and fail to notice how wrong this is, this is similar to the music as it doesn't relate to whats going on and is simply oblivious to the horror going on in the world.