The Usual Suspects Opening Analysis



The establishing shot is an extreme close up of a pack of matches struck alight. The fire already foreshadows danger and juxtaposes the water surrounding the boat. We are introduced to a character with a mid-shot on a burning ship with several dead men around. Immediately, the contrast between the extreme close up and mid-shot disrupts the narrative flow, making it deliberately uncomfortable for the audience. This films draws upon the advantages of non-linear chronology thus the opening sequence is important to the rest if the film. The ambiguity created is relied on later on. The man lights a cigarette and starts a fire that will kill him and another man on the ship; this obvious disregard for his own safety really contributes to the image we have of this man's psychological state. The fire ignites a line of oil, passing a dead male before being extinguished by a shadowed figure (Keyser Söze) standing above the man who proceeds to urinate on the flame. Keyser's position and his actions build a sense of power that would suggest he is the villain. Also, because he is silhouetted and we cannot make out any of his features, we assume he is the villain. Keyser descends the stairs and lights a cigarette in front of Keaton, obviously signifying he is in a position of authority.




Singer (Director) creates ambiguity by cutting to various long shots and extreme long shots of the boat and its immediate surroundings. Regardless of the fact, we do not see the violence or the man's death we can infer it, we let our imagination fill in the blanks- a powerful technique used in thriller movies that allows the audience to connect with on screen cast. It allows us to be more in tune with the movie. The sound is an integral feature that contributes to the build up of tension. The music slowly rises in pitch resulting in the audience feeling increasingly anxious as we are left with a sense of expectation- we keep feeling like something is about to happen. Throughout the sequence the music emphasises the agitable, restrained and dramatic atmosphere portrayed in the sequence.