Alfred Hitchcock- Marnie Opening Sequence Analysis

Sound: from the beginning there is non-diegetic sound that builds suspense and tension which is over a title sequence which is in the format of a book. The music then suddenly stops to a tracking close up shot of a woman's hand bag as shes walking, you do not see her face but there is a diegetic sound of her shoes .





Camerawork:  Close ups and panning shots are mostly used in the opening sequence to give the extra feeling of suspense and mystery. When it cuts to the scene of the investigator after the theft you feel as if you are in the room with them which gives extra feeling of realism to the film. In the actual opening sequence the woman who we discover is the thief her face is never revealed. This gives an extra sense of suspicion.  There are a lot of cuts in the opening sequence which goes from completely different scene to scene but they are also connected through the storyline.



Mise-en-Scene: The costumes used are very typical of the era the film was set in which is very formal and made up. The location is in early America, in a middle class area, however the costume portrays a much higher class of people. There is natural lighting throughout with a slight dim-ness to the scene with the police investigators. The body language of the police investigators is at first very strong and bold but when the man who got robbed confronts them about why they are laughing when he describes the thief then hunch over slightly to show a very subtle sense of cowardliness.

 The woman walking after the title sequence is very calm, strong and seemingly powerful and she walks with meaning and sophistication and her head held high- clearly smitten with the fact she had just stolen the money.


Editing:Through the opening sequence there is continuity editing. The pace between shots is fast,but not within every cut, just a few during the investigation and then the suspense has been built up, which shows and reflects the pace of the woman and hows shes constantly on the move.
there are lots of cuts within this opening sequence. On the title sequence it starts off with a fade and each transition is made with a wipe. In the interview with the detectives there is a shot reverse shot between the detectives and the man.