DONNIE DARKOOPENING TITLE SEQUENCE

MISE-EN-SCENE LOCATION/SETTING

• The setting is very isolated, this is common in the thriller genre because it suggests that the protagonist is trapped with no way of escape. However in these shots the scenery looks peaceful and beautiful, this contrasts the overall message that thrillers try to portray, which is that society is dirty, evil and dark as this scene of the countryside is clean and fresh.

• Thriller films usually take place in urban spaces to show the audience that extraordinary events happen in ordinary places, however, this is different because this is a very rural area.

• The colour of the sky indicates the scene is set in the early morning, as a result no one will probably be around, creating a scene of loneliness and abonnement.

MISE-EN-SCENE LIGHTING/COLOUR

• This shot is very dark and almost murky looking, this creates confusion and mystery for the audience because it is not clear what is lying on the road. The fact that the scene’s lighting is dark suggests that the protagonist may have a darker side.

• The shot has a blue hue to it and this conveys a sense of coldness and loneliness. This is purposely done to show the audience that perhaps the main character is lonely, or maybe it is to portray the cold, heartless life that he lives in.

MISE-EN-SCENE COSTUMES

• Donnie is wearing pyjamas which is extremely unusual. This makes the audience confused and suggests that he is a spontaneous teenager, who does crazy things. This goes against the normal thriller character conventions as they are normal ordinary people, however by what he is wearing, it suggests that he is not what society calls “normal”

• The fact that Donnie has woken up in his pyjamas makes the audience believe that he has been thrown in an extraordinary event, which is common in thrillers, as it adds to the excitement for the viewers.

MISE-EN-SCENE PROPS

• The main prop in the opening title sequence is the bicycle, this shows the audience how Donnie reached the place that he woke up from. However, it isn’t significant to the narrative but it does appear a lot in the scenes.

• In saying this, a bicycle is a very normal everyday object that is used by thousands of people all over the world and this expresses the fact that thrillers occur in the normal society.

MISE-EN-SCENE ACTOR’S PERFORMANCE

• Donnie wakes up in the middle of the road in the beginning of this scene. This is a very odd thing to do which suggests that maybe Donnie crashed and passed out. Or perhaps he decided to fall asleep there judging by his clothes.

• When Donnie awakes his facial expression suggests that he confused and disorientated, resulting in the fact that he can’t remember where he is, and therefore supporting the fact that he may have fallen off his bike and knocked out. The actions presented in this scene goes against the typical thriller conventions as they imply that he is not an average teenager.

MISE-EN-SCENE ACTOR’S PERFORMANCE CONTINUED

• After Donnie has taken in his surroundings he begins to smirk which suggests to the audience that he is remembering the events that occurred that led him to his current location. His smile indicates that maybe he wanted to end up where he is which again, goes against the everyday, ordinary character narrative that thrillers usually portray.

MISE-EN-SCENE CAMERA ANGLES

• The first shot in the scene is a panning shot across the countryside to give the audience an understanding of where the action is taking place.

• An establishing shot is then used, which is unusual for thriller films, as they give more information about the setting for the audience, and thriller films likes to keep the mystery and uncertainty.

MISE-EN-SCENE CAMERA ANGLES CONTINUED

• A close up shot is used to let the audience see Donnie’s facial expression in order for the confusion of this scene to be shown.

• After, another panning shot is used, almost as a point of view shot so that Donnie is aware of his surroundings. However, this shot is not a point of view shot, but the fact that the camera pans across the countryside suggests that is Donnie’s views.

MISE-EN-SCENE SOUND

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_eUyo8aWTQ

• The opening scene starts with a low hum which gives a cautious feel, maybe because Donnie is lying in the middle of the road, which is dangerous. Soon after high piano notes enter the film score, which creates a more safe feeling, reflecting the physical state in which Donnie is in. However the notes have a sad feeling to them, this could be portraying Donnie’s loneliness and the isolated location that he is in. After this a vocal sound is layered on top, and creates a more magical, mystical atmosphere. The titles appear and up beat guitar strums begin, this could be Donnie’s mental state, as he smiled when realising what had happened.

• There is no diegetic or ambious sound, the only sound in the whole sequence is the non-diegetic film score.

MISE-EN-SCENE EDITING

• The whole of the opening title appears to be in one take, and the only editing is when the Title of the film fades into the frame is a shot of light, which are obviously special effects.

• After this, Donnie is riding his bicycle, this slightly parallels with the previous scene, as the bike appears in both of them.

• After the titles appeared, the shot faded into white, and then cut to the scene of Donnie riding his bike. This could be showing a time difference.