The Messenger (2015) / Robert Sheehan - Opening Scene Analysis

- Analysis -

The opening sequence to "The Messenger" begins with a long shot of the main character out of focus, with a gradual effect of him sharpening as he comes closer to the foreground. this is introduced by the diegetic sound of aeroplanes in the background, which is accompanied by an increasing non-diegetic sound of a piano piece, which is in the minor key, suggesting that this movie will be a drama or horror/thriller. As the character walks closer, we see him giving the audience eye contact, inferring the intimacy and connection we will have to the character.
This then cuts to a low angle shot showing the main character perched up against a wall, looking around as if he were anxious at that current time, in the background of the shot we can hear the diegetic sound of a train, this implies the location of his whereabouts, which would be at or close to a railway track. This shortly cuts to a walking pace mid shot of the character, as we are shown his arm movements and facial expressions. The character appears to be wearing scruffy, dirty clothes, followed with a muddy face and greasy hair - this suggests that the character is in a bad state.
He continues to look around every now and then, as if he were being followed. This transitions into a long establishing shot of the character walking past a church, whilst the diegetic sound of birds chirping and church bells ringing echoes throughout the shot. The non-diegetic sound of the piano slightly builds up emphasis to the dramatization, along with a slight eerie atmosphere towards the movie. The camera proceeds to follow the character on his commute home or wherever he is headed, this suggests a stalker feel to these shots, as if someone were following him.
As the music gets slightly faster, we see the character build up his pace, as he looks fairly anxious, and paranoid, his footsteps become heavier, and his posture slouches down, creating an uneasy tension. He proceeds to walk this way, with the occasional fast head turn, to see if someone were behind him. The head turn shot cuts to another angle as he does this, building up tension, and curiosity. The pace of the non-diegetic is only slightly sped up, and the characters foot movement is increased. The character is shown to have his hands in his jacket pocket, inferring that he is an isolated and restricted person, he keeps to himself, he is alone. There is a really clever still establishing long shot of the character walking, in which emphasizes the whole uneasy outlook on the movie. In the background we hear dogs barking, showing that he may be in a rough area. We are then introduced to a sliding shot of the character as he looks up, we see his facial expression become confused and shocked, as there is a man standing on the top of a building, on the vurge of jumping. This is when we are introduced to the characters everyday life...