Analysis of an opening title sequence of a thriller.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pz46qS38OgM

This thriller produced by Alfred Hitchcock is extremely effective as it plays tricks on the viewer and how they see things. The opening title sequence is very much focused in on the eyes of this person, this is shown through the use of close ups and the amount of time spent on the one image. The camera uses slow zooms into the eye and remains there for a considerable amount of time, as the music increases in pace and volume. The music then has an air of dizziness about it as the image of the eye begins to change and we see a swirling image that replaces the eye. The use of the optical illusions in the title sequence of this thriller is effective as this is how the viewers mind is shook up and their view on how they see things changes as it becomes harder to look away and they become more and more fixated. The colour that is used in this shot is red which is a symbollic colour as it is strong and vivid, people associate the colour red with thrillers or disasters etc... The music slows down as we are taken into the image of the eye and it changes to the various optical illusions. The music has a much faster pace and is more high pitched, with short bursts of louder, stronger sounds inbetween at certain points. This keeps the viewer intruiged throughout the sequence and keeps them wanting to know what is going to happen as their anticipation builds at the same time as the pace of the music that is used. The short bursts of music have the effect on the viewer that they are reminded that things are not quite right and that soomething much more secretive or sinister is going on. The music is extremely dramatic as are the strong bold colours used and the illusions and images used to keep the viewer watching. The focus in on the eye is a convention used in the thriller genre a lot. This particular opening title sequence of a thriller however does challenge the conventions of a thriller in some ways as it does not use much mise en scene at all. There is no use of props or costumes to create such an atmosphere for the viewer, instead it is all based around the eye. Both the image of the eye in the sequence and they eyes of the viwer with the use of  the optical illusions playing such a huge part in this opening title sequence.