DRIVE: Notes On Thriller Openings

Drive
·      High angle establishing shot of skyscrapers sets the scene in New York City – fades to a low key, low
    angel shot; introducing the main character and seeing him shrouded in darkness immediately portrays
    him as a mysterious character
·      Contrapuntal pink calligraphic font similar to Barbie·      Over the shoulder shots show the profile of the main character in shadow – the rest of the image is out of
    focus so the audience’s attention is drawn to him. The whole shot is very dark
·      The music is suitably slow, heavy and intense - the audience feels trapped in the quiet of the car interior with the driver, as the car cruises through the almost black streets – only lit by the colourful array of lights on a montage of street shots – this shows the journey (eg. fades of several birds-eye-view shots, creating a criss-cross affect of the dark streets and the orange lights of cars moving slowing down them 

 this also overlapped with a side angle closeups of the man with his arm up on the steering wheel helps the audience put the two images together – of him driving and the car moving)
·      Following the man down the corridor, the shot cuts off at the base of his neck and so we are only shown his back in the slightly out of place scorpion jacket. We also catch a glimpse of Carey Mulligan’s character, passing through the hall, made to seem insignificant at first but foreshadowing alter events
·      The man wanders through the dark apartment, keeping the scene still without light