The strangers

During the beginning clip we noticed different techniques that put the audience on the edge of their seat straight away.

The screen starts completely black and orange text fades-in on to the screen. The main credits are shown and when they have faded out a man begins to speak. The things he says have also faded-in to the screen. His voice is very low and very slow. Like it has been dragged out during editing.

The man talks about crime rates in America and appears to be beginning the story of what happened in this specific event.

All goes quite and black, and the background music fades in. The music is very eerie. It is very low notes blended in with some high. The background music is very important for setting the mood at the beginning. It makes you get goosebumps up your arms. Clips fade in and out of houses. The technique, dollying, is used to make it appear as if a car is driving down the streets, looking at ll the houses. Many different types of house appear on the screen and for each house shown it is getting later and later in the day. It becomes apparent to the audience that the film will be set in the country side because as the houses are shown, they look more and more isolated. This also gives the audience the idea that it will not just be a murder, but also a chase. The more isolated the victims are, the harder it will be for them to escape.

The housing clips eventually stop - the music stays on in the background - and all is black. Voices come on and it is a 911 call. The boys on the phone are very panicked and are talking about there being blood everywhere. This has the audience trying to work out what has happened - we know that something terrible has happened but we are clueless as to what. The picture fades back on and it is apparent - straight away - that this is the end. There are two Mormon boys that are slowly walking toward the house. A whole through the car window and then the door is open. The music and dialogue is still playing in the background. Them Walking through the door is dissolved into a bloody blade and then again into a shot gun and again into a big splodge of blood on the wall.

The images fade out with the phone call. The music is still playing and the title of the music fades-in the middle of the screen.

This beginning is so affective because it has the audience wondering what happened. It is very different to other Thrillers that i have watched lately because it starts by showing the devastation. It forces the audience into the right mood, already on the edge of their seat and already anticipating the blood and murder.

Statistics:
These ratings are out of 10.
Males rated The strangers a 6 on average, with 24, 772 votes.
Females rated The strangers a 6.3 on average, with 4, 684 votes.