Opening scene of Limitless

Stephanie Head

The movie starts with a tracking shot through the city. The shot is zooming through objects like cars and shops. This shot is blurred, with the use of editing. This causes the audience an effect of speed and maybe terror. After the tracking shot, the camera focuses on to billboards which are displaying images of the structure of the brain, and neurons, this suggests that the character is under the influence of drugs. Drugs cause the audience to feel thriller due to what they can make a person do. We are seeing this shot from point of view so the audience feel involved with what is happening.

The mise-en-scene of the location and the character indicates that this scene is set in a city. This is a busy, packed place where action and thriller can occur. The character appearance looks like a person with alcohol/drug issues. The clothes he wears are tatty and make the character seem as though he is poor. It makes the audience feel pity for the character with what he has to put up with adding a thriller theme with the life he lives.

We cut to a wide shot in his flat, the character is seen typing on his laptop. It is really hard to see the character as his desk is so messy which shows the audience his life may be unorganised. The mise en scenes of the location suggest he lives in a small flat which is messy and cluttered. He seems very lonely and the flat is seen to be quite isolated and dangerous in the big city.

The location changes to a pub were the main character is talking to two other men about his book. Shot reverse shot is used to view their conversation. Shot reverse shots are really effective because it used to show the emotion of the main character who appears really excited about his book whereas the other men aren’t. This specific part of the opening scene adds to the characters mise-en-scene, because the audience feels that others find him unimportant and worthless. He’s portrayed as a lonely man who's life is a mess.

Sound

There is loads of sound used in the opening scene. There is high tempo music when the film is building up to something and this causes suspense. It keeps the audience engaged. There are loads of car noises and people chatting. They do sound a bit echoed as we are going fast past them. There is narration from the main character that is talking about how he was a year ago and what has changed. The character has a sense of reflection on what their life used to be.

In conclusion the opening scene of limitless has loads of thriller for the audience to view. The opening is quick and action packed but doesn’t tell the audience to much therefore makes them want to watch on.