Openning Analysis

The opening sequence in a film is one of, if not the most important parts of any film. The

opening sequence is the moment where the filmmaker will either captivate and hook on to the audience

or lose their interest. The opening scene must establish a tone for the rest of the film. A successful film

opening also brings in a well developed sense of intrigue that will leave viewers glued into their seats,

wanting to know more about the story and the characters that audiences next one and a half to two

hours. The opening scenes of Karl Reisz's social-realist film Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

(1960) is brilliantly able to establish it's most important elements, setting and the protagonist Arthur, for

example. While he is able to introduce these elements, at the same time he allows reveals useful

information about the other characters that effect his motivations, ideals, and and way life. From the

beginning you will become entrapped in the story of Arthur's life and his motivations for living the way

he does and wonder what chances if any will his life take throughout the course of this film.

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning begins before the audience sees any visual imagery with

it's intriguing use of sound effects. After the production company logo the viewer is presented with a

black screen, during this screen the sounds of machines progressively great louder and louder. This

technique is used to make viewers question what they are listening to, until they fade into the opening

shot of the factory. Next is the establishing shot of the workers in the factory. Within the frame is a

cluster of machines and workers seeming going through the motions, as if the machines and men is

one. The camera then begins to pan to the right showing more and more workers, until it stops on

Arthur (name unknown at the time). From the first time you see Arthur he visually stands out compared

to everyone else. All of the other workers in the factory are dressed in their engineer uniform while

Arthur on the other hand is shown wearing a plaid buttoned shirt with slacks. This distinction is just the