The Blade Runner opening scene- short analysis

 Hi, blog!

So, today, we continue our research and analysis into different film openings, and if you know anything about me you know that I can't leave Blade Runner out of anything. With that said, it seemed only fitting that my next film opening analysis is on The Blade Runner.

For the first two minutes of the opening scene, the credits are rolling and viewers don't see anything but names on a black screen. Around minute 2:09, while the unsettling song plays, a story to give background context to the film is shown on the screen, explaining what happened and why Earth is in the conditions we see in the film, followed by the date and place where the shot is taking place in.

The film Blade Runner begins with a lengthy image of a dystopian society; the skyline is nearly entirely black and covered in smog. The picture that is produced is one where there seems to be no nature, almost as if an apocalyptic event had just happened. The color scheme, which is dominated by dark greens, blacks, and browns, suggests that the area is not an appealing location to live. The viewer is drawn in by the director's technique of slowly and steadily trailing the camera ahead. All these components serve to establish the setting of the film, one which the audience feels unsettled and uncomfortable with, which is similar to what the eye in the next shot seems to be feeling, as a close-up shows what seems to be the protagonist's eye watching multiple explosions go off in the city.