From Hell – Opening Sequence Analysis

Introduction

Albert Hughes blows us away with the amazing new spectacle that is From Hell. This Crime / Horror

film will be released in cinemas on 8th February 2002 and features a movie based on the legend that

is Jack the Ripper. The opening sequence of the movie is symbolic to the genre that the movie

portrays for various reasons.

Macro Elements

The movie’s macro elements are important to the overall feeling of the movie. One of the films

establishing shots is of one showing a bustling city deep in the industrial revolution, the smoke from

many factories shows viewers immediately that they have been transported back through time. The

viewer can guess straight away that London will feature in the movie due to its connections with

Jack the Ripper, however a handy caption underneath tells us straight away that this is the location

and setting throughout the movie.

The genre is also easy to identify throughout this opening. The movie begins with a white

text quote painted onto a black background, this is key as straight away this hints at darkness and

grimness throughout the movie, it could also hint at loneliness which can be reflected at the families

loneliness when one of their loved ones has been killed.

The opening shots show a dark street corner, the shots are very dark indeed and this use of

dark colours show off the potential darkness and sinister notions that the movie may contain.

Straight away the movie shows off a gentleman supposedly on his own, we see these intricate items

surrounding him including a shot of him smoking something. This has its own analysis to it, the item

he is smoking could be making the character warped or slightly delusional hinting that a, or this,

character could be like it throughout the movie hinting at the Jack the Ripper storyline. Once we see

the eyes of the man we have made a connection to him, we know he will likely appear again

sometime during the movie. We can also guess straight away that this character is important to the

story as why did we need to meet him straight away. The viewer can only guess that this character is

the criminal due to the symbolism and iconography of the scene, him smoking can show he is

delusional just like he will be when he is killing people; this is only academic at this point as we do

not know more about the character.

The women we see at the start are also key, we instantly believe the girls we see are

prostitutes through their appearance and what they are saying. This is key as we can instantly see

this characterisation through the opening two minutes of the movie, their dirty appearance shows

off they are up to no good and taking part in illegal activities. The setting also proves this, they are

not in the heart of the city but just on the outskirts buy a rundown pub, this shows that these people

are not socially acceptable and are doing illegal activities.

Micro Elements

The movie’s micro elements are also important to the opening. The mise-en-scene shows off straight

away the darkness that the movie may contain, the quiet street corner is also important as it shows

off the creepiness and the eeriness the movie may have later on.

The dark colours and lighting of the scene create this dark atmosphere which will be very

symbolic of a crime or a horror movie. It gets viewers immediately understanding that there will be

some form of darkness throughout the opening sequence.

The music of the opening is also important, the non-diagetic sound is very slow at the start

but builds up throughout the opening, this helps build up tension as well as showing that this movie

will build up over time until we reach the end when all will be solved.

The costume and props are very important throughout this opening. The period clothing

worn throughout these opening shows that the movie is set back in the past, the props are also

important as it shows off the old carriages with the cobbled streets. This shows off that the movie is

based in the past and helps identify the time period that we are in. The clothing and the props here

suggest the industrial revolution so these help identify this for the viewer. The clothing and props

also help create a sense of realism without the breaking the verisimilitude of the scene. It would look

very weird if the Jack the Ripper story was based around gangsters so the period clothing helps

generate realism for the viewers watching the movie. One of the opening shots off an old candle as

well, again showing the time period that the movie is based in.

The editing is also key to the opening. The red text on a black background throughout the

opening credits has connotations with death and violence, blood and death springs to mind so again

fits in with the Crime and Horror genres.

Camera Angles

The films camera angles are also important to this opening. The close up shot shown when Mary is

attacked by her boss shows off her facial expressions and her thoughts and feelings during this time,

this gives the viewer an opportunity to react with the characters and feel part of what they are doing

at this time.

The use of fairly low camera angles at this time shows off the superiority that these

characters have during this time frame. This could however change when the attacks start taking

place. It is interesting to see how power can shift throughout the movie.

Verdict

Overall, the new Albert Hughes film is an exciting mix of Crime and Horror that is really projected

into show during the opening exchanges. It is definitely a movie hot on everyone’s lips at the

moment and is definitely one you should go and see.