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Limitless Opening Sequence Analysis

The opening scene of Limitless builds tension and mystery. Loud banging is heard on a black screen, without context for the source. Shots then reveal the banging comes from a steel door being shaken. The empty room and unopened boxes suggest someone recently moved in. Dead bodies are found in the hallway, revealing this is a crime thriller. The camera pans up to the roof where the protagonist stands on the ledge, as the voiceover from this scene provides an non-linear narrative. This intrigues audiences to learn more about the events that led to this moment.

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155 views

Limitless Opening Sequence Analysis

The opening scene of Limitless builds tension and mystery. Loud banging is heard on a black screen, without context for the source. Shots then reveal the banging comes from a steel door being shaken. The empty room and unopened boxes suggest someone recently moved in. Dead bodies are found in the hallway, revealing this is a crime thriller. The camera pans up to the roof where the protagonist stands on the ledge, as the voiceover from this scene provides an non-linear narrative. This intrigues audiences to learn more about the events that led to this moment.

Uploaded by

Hamzah
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Limitless opening sequence analysis

The opening scene of the film Limitless, Burger (2009) begins with the
diegetic sound of loud banging which increases in pace and volume as the
opening progresses. This creates a tense atmosphere for the audience and builds
suspense as the audience dont know where the sound is coming from and who
is making it. In addition to this, the audience can only see the opening titles on a
black screen, this therefore instils and builds upon fear for the audience as they
can only hear the noise and it seems as if they are trapped.

There is a fast cut to a close up of a steel door which is shown to be the


source of the banging as the door shakes with every thud. The audience still
dont know who is making the sound or why theyre trying to break into a secure
room. This creates an enigma as the audience are trying to piece together what
is happening. There are then a number of panning/dolly shots which establish
the setting a hotel or apartment room. The room has lots of unopened boxes
in it which suggests someone has recently moved into it and that the room is
empty as no one is there. The intensely loud banging continues and, as with the
change in titles, each bang matches an editing cut. This had been done to mimic
the sound of the banging to bring it to the audiences attention and keep them
on the edge of their seats.

A typical convention of the thriller genre is the non-linear narrative


structure, in which the events in the film are shown out of order and non-
chronologically. This is establishes a non-linear narrative when we hear a
voiceover narrating to the audience about an event that had happened that the
audience is unaware of and havent seen. From this we can infer that what is
happening is in the scene is from later on in the story. This intrigues audiences
as they want to know more about what led to this moment.

An element of mystery is introduced to the audience as the camera pans


across a hallway to show some dead bodies which is striking as it is not an
expected sight to see in a high class hotel. Although death and dead bodies are
a typical convention of the thriller genre so it is to be expected to be seen as
some point in the narrative. This adds to the enigma and also reveals to the
audience that this is a crime thriller as the bodies look to be of hitmen due to
their smart attire.

The next shot zooms out from the hotel lobby to the outside of the
building, simultaneously the fast pace diegetic music begins to build up. The
music continues to grow louder as the camera moves up (crane shot) to the roof
of the building, where a man is standing on the edge is revealed. The music
begins to fade as the camera slows down and the voiceover begins again. The
voiceover is from the man on the ledge, who we assume, is the protagonist.

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