Analysis of Thriller Film Openings (up to 2 mins 50 secs)

Valkyrie (Singer, 2008)

How do the following elements create mood/atmosphere?

Camera-work:

Reveal – from a red background (danger) to showing the Nazi flag, which is an internationally recognised symbol and everyone knows what it represents
Vertical Track shows Cruise's uniform which shows the audience that he is a German officer
Close up of Cruise, his face is half-lit, the lamp casting a shadow on half of his face suggesting that he is a mysterious character and is perhaps hiding his true feelings
Close up as he closes his diary in order to keep it private – suggests that his views are not those that would be excepted by his peers
Close up of Hitler's portrait on a leaflet – film based on events that focus on Hitler

Sound:

German soldiers speaking an oath to Adolf Hitler – Audience know that this film is based at the time of the Second World War
Actual recordings of the oath - realism
Wind can be heard in North Africa – cold, hostile environment
Tom Cruise's monologue first in German, then gradually into English
The scratching of the pen on the paper – selected – emphasising the importance of Stauffenberg's views in the context of the film
His monologue outlines the plot of the film, “A change must be made” (regarding Hitler)

Mise-en-Scene:

The fact that it states that the film is based on a true story creates a sense of realism for the audience
The words of the oath chosen suggest that the plot is based around the loyalty of the soldiers to Germany and to Hitler
Red flag as background – shown to be the Nazi flag – a symbol for what the film focuses on
Desert colours – light browns, golden browns – emphasise that the location is a desert in North Africa

Editing & Lighting:

Low-key lighting – only source of light supposed to be the lamp
Low-key lighting (& choice of colours) similar to sepia tone – past events

How are the characters introduced?

Tom Cruise (Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg) is the main character and is introduced through a slow track in into a tent in North Africa during WW2, while he is writing his diary

How are the credits integrated?

Words are first in German – symbolising the location and focus of the film – before they are translated into English so that the target audience can understand
Speech (Cruise's monologue) is in German and is subtitled in English, until it is slowly changed by Cruise into English