Analysing the opening sequence of Fargo

Analysing the opening sequence of Fargo

Fargo (1996) 

Fargo's opening sequence begins with a non-diegetic sound of harp playing softly while this image is shown. 

Right from the beginning, this image will have an impact on the audience. The message indicates that people will die in the film, leaving audiences wandering how and why.

 A fade to white is then used as the harp continues to play. On this plain white screen, black titles begin to appear. The contrast of black on white is quite unconventional for a thriller title sequence as the white creates a brightness unlike the black which can create a dark mysterious tone.

Once the first set of titles have been shown, they fade into the second set. The music changes and a violin is now accompanying the harp. This creates a shift in the genre as to begin with the harp sounded more classical whereas now the two instruments sound more like folk music. 

The titles continue to appear on screen however the plain white background begins to fade out and display objects in the distance through a long shot. For example, a bird can be seen flying across the sky. As the bird is black, it again creates that contrast, however this time the white acts as a fog which enables us from seeing clearly, this adds mystery as we are looking into the "unknown". 

A long take is used and the white "fog" effect remains the same however, two dots slowly begin to appear in the distance. The audience at this point may feel curious to know what the two dots are. As the two dots travel closer it becomes apparent that they are the headlights to a vehicle however, the audience will still have questions such as where the car is going and who's driving. Also, in this shot a large sense of isolation is created through the small dot of the car placed in a vast white landscape of snow. The shot helps display the location of the thriller but also displays the loneliness and how this has a ominous nature to it. 

The vehicle then disappears for a couple of seconds behind a hill and the non-diegetic music stops which builds suspense. This is followed by seven drum beats and then the vehicle emerges. The suspense and mystery then lessen as the audience are able to see that the vehicle is a car as it has driven out of the fog. However, the mystery hasn't gone completely as when the car goes past, the audience are unable to see the drivers face. The music at this point has become more western as it includes a drum beat and bells. The strings have also changed as more of them are being used, reflecting the importance of the shot.

The title in the same style of the other titles then appears on screen in black. However, this time the letters are more spaced out, in the centre and are slightly larger then before. They are also against a plain white background which makes it clear that it is the title of the film. A long shot then displays the car driving along a road however this time it is shown from the side revealing that it is towing another car behind it. After this reveal, more questions are made for audiences. A straight cut edit is then used and a shot of the car driving into the distance is followed by a fade to black.

Once the shot fades to black the non diegetic music beings to fade out also until a shot of a bar appears suddenly on screen with the car driving to a stop accompanied by a loud bell sound. This last shot displays a lot of contrast compared to previous shots. The image is colourful with neon lights and it is dark outside so shadows are being created. Also the way the shot transitioned was different, as previously all of the shots had faded away and into one another however this time it was a sudden straight cut. The contrast adds to the mystery and ambivalence for the audience.