Ella: Thriller Opening Analysis - 'Devil'

The film starts with a quote which fades in and out. This quote gives the spectator some indication  of what they are about to see in the rest of the film, and as this quote mentions the devil. The quote also is religious iconography of the thriller genre. The fade of this quote queues a voiceover which mentions death. It fits in with thriller mood creating an enigma as we are unsure who is speaking as they aren't shown, it also foreshadows the events of the film. As the voiceover begins we hear quiet high pitched string music underneath. This music builds in a crescendo as the voiceover continues, building up the tension eventually climaxing as it suddenly cuts with a loud drum beat changing the soundtrack to a fast paced and a beat which reoccurs. We then go to some credits whilst panning over the whole of Philadelphia shot upside-down, being shot upside down is confusing & disorientating for the viewer which establishes the thriller mood and immediately makes them feel unsettled. The way the camera starts to move could suggest that we are following the ‘devil’ earlier mentioned, as it twists and turns across the city in the sky and goes into the building through the pipes. It is unnatural and creates an uneasy feel. 

We are then being taken inside a building - tracking across the floor, panning upwards with the voiceover continuing over the loud soundtrack with an eerie atmosphere. The panning is quite slow which adds to the disorientation we feel having tracked across the floor. Initial setting appears to be in some sort of office building which we can tell from the tiled floors, huge windows and metallic-looking walls. We are then only introduced visibly to one male character, he is wearing blue overall and begins to polish the floor which would suggest he is a cleaner of some description. There is no obvious connection or suggestion between him and the voiceover, implying the cleaner is not the person speaking. The setting is an everyday scene, an office, which creates a sense of normality for the spectator. That is until we see a second character who has presumably jumped, land o

n the top of the truck in the background. This is almost humorous as the cleaner appears to have no idea  what is going on, however the loud and sudden bang he makes on impact is most likely going to shock the viewer and make them jump. It is unexpected and makes the sequence interesting, creating an enigma for the spectator of who has jumped and why? The suicide has a connection voiceover as he states “it always starts the same, with a suicide”  This connotes to the spectator that the voiceover is speaking of an experience he has already been through and furthermore that what he has been talking about it a genuine story and most likely what the film is going to go on to depict.