Initial research into film openings

I've been making a note of some film openings of movies that I have watched recently.

One of my favourite openings that I watched is the opening to Shrek. Shrek is a childrens' animation film. The film opens by making fun of the "Disney Fairytale" storybook method. This is done by having Shrek tear a page out and use it as toilet paper.
The opening credits are seen around Shrek as he starts his day: the film's title and Mike Myers's name appear in the mud Shrek bathes with. When Shrek breaks the mirror with his smile, Eddie Murphy's name can be seen behind it. Cameron Diaz's name forms out of pond-scum and when Shrek lifts up a snail, its larvae form John Lithgow's name before dissolving.

I love the opening to Juno. Juno is a comedy film, aimed more towards teenagers.
 It introduces the 2 main characters and sets the story up for what the rest of the film is about. It then goes onto the opening credits of the film, which are of Juno walking around her home town, in a hand drawn picture. I found it a really effective opening.


The credits appear throughout her journey around the town. the whole time she's drinking a large bottle of Sunny D.

Sherlock Holmes is a The opening to the new Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr. were very good. It went straight into the action, of a man running down the street with rapid cuts between the unknown man and a horse drawn carriage that is travelling very fast also.


This leaves the audience in the dark, and makes them wonder what this man is running away from, what the carriage is chasing him for. It straight away sets the era of the film, with horse and carriage, what costume the audience can see and the mass use of cobbled streets. I really enjoyed the film as it kept me guessing the whole time.

Another opening that I watched, a rather simple one, is the opening to The Sound of Music. The Sound of Music is a musical from the 1960s set in Austria during World War II.


It opens with Julie Andrews' character, Maria, atop of a hill, singing a song, one that fits with the film.


It is a very recognisable opening, one that I found myself knowing, even before I had watched the film.

Another film that I watched recently was The Notebook. It is a romantic drama set in the 1930s.


This is quite possibly one of the simplest openings to a film that I have seen.


It is simply a boat, on a lake at sunset with a piano melody playing overtop. After a while it gets quite tedious, but it fits extremely well with the film. The lake is later referenced in the film.