Analysis: Bourne Supremacy opening

Titles:
There is only one piece of titling in the opening sequence, and that is the title itself. The animation has each letter "rolling" into view, and collaborating to form the words 'Bourne Supremacy'. This leaves much mystery as to who the film is both made by, and also what the film may entail.

Sound:

• Dramatic music adds suspense to the opening sequence, and sets us up for the tone of the film overall.
• We hear dialogue over the opening sequence - a mature sounding man referring to a 'live project' that the 'soldier' has been sent on.
• Towards the end of the sequence, we hear a woman complaining and screaming, and then a gunshot. We gather that she has been killed.
• As soon as this sequence ends, the sound goes almost silent - the only sounds being the rolling ocean and a set of wind-chimes. This calms the film right down.
• After the man has stated that he cannot remember the good things any more, Calm, sad music begins to play. This emphasises his mood towards his lack of remembrance.

Editing:

The very beginning of the sequence is cut very swiftly - some short pieces of footage, and some still images. The swift cutting emphasises how sudden and scary the actions within them are, and sets us up for the mood the film may follow later on. But, as we enter the seaside home, the rate of shot interchanging slows right down. This helps us to take in what just happened at the beginning, but also states the mood of the current scenario - calm.

Genre:

• The Gunshot heard after the complaining woman indicates the death/maiming of her. Death and Injury are features of Thrillers, but guns are generally the tool of choice in Action films.
• The Enigma set up with the quick-paced editing at the beginning both confuses and unnerves us, the audience. Enigmas are features of Thrillers.
• The lighting in the beach house is very dim and unclear. This mysterious visual feature means that we are unsure of where we are, and therefore enforces the Thriller theme.

The Bourne Supremacy is a Thriller, but possibly also an Action Thriller.

Enigmas:

1. Who's is the car? Where is it, and where is it headed?
2. Who is referred to as 'Soldier'?
3. Who is the woman complaining?
4. Who/What is shot?
5. Why does the movie vacate to India?
6. Why is the woman in the house so worried about the man's well-being?
7. What exactly are they discussing on the porch?
8. What/Who is he trying to remember?

Narrative:

• The first piece of dialogue we hear is that of a mature sounding man, relaying orders to person who he refers to as 'Soldier'. He ensures this person that "this is not a drill", and that what they are doing is a "Live Project". The fact that we don't know who he is referring to or talking about builds up a mystery as to the situation.
• When the man gets up to take medication, the woman is concerned for his well-being. But, he ensures her that "it's just a headache", which may indicate that he has got up in the night for much worse reasons.
• When the two of them move onto the porch, they discuss the man's need to remember whatever it is he needs to remember. We are completely unaware as to what this is, and this sets up an enigma for the viewer that is hopefully clarified later on in the film. 
• The man states that writing down what he dreams never helps, as it is never productive (no new information). This clarifies to most viewers that the beginning of the film was a dream sequence.