We can identify the Genre of Serpico through the various themes expressed in it's opening:
- Police themes are present throughout the opening - Sirens, Police Officers, Discussion of crime - which suggests a Crime aspect to the film.
- Injuries and Blood indicate that there is some violence in the story - maybe the film will investigate the source of the injuries? This again indicates Crime, but also Action.
- Dark Lighting within and outside the Police car, as well as in the other locations shown (aside from the hospital) add an air of mystery and enigma - Thriller traits.
- The Enigma of who 'Serpico' is and why the cast of characters are so worried about him is established through this opening sequence. An Enigma is a feature of Thrillers.
- The Typeface of the titles is strangely blank - this could express the Serpico character's state of mind, but also helps build up the enigmatic setup that a Thriller offers.
Editing:
The big thing one can comment on about the editing of this opening is that there are a lot of cutaways. Although the opening generally follows the car journey with the two officers and the injured man, there are also cut-in scenes showing what is happening elsewhere in the film's world. All the situations shown feature telephone conversation concerning Serpico and his injuries - The first conversation between the officers at the station and those in the car, and the second being an unidentified character in an office environment calling who appears to be the chief inspector. The fact that these scenes are cut in alongside the car journey to the hospital means that these events are all happening at the same time, as opposed to one after the other. It also allows the film to progress further, faster.
Narrative and Sound:
The sequence starts off with nothing but the Police siren, which is extremely loud and high pitched, putting the viewer on edge. After a short while of Siren noise (and before the interior shot appears), we hear a repetitive beating sound, which we originally suspect is a heartbeat. But, as the shots from inside/outside the vehicle are shown, it becomes apparent that this noise is in fact the motion of the Police car's windscreen wipers. The dialogue of the two officers in the car discusses the fact that this person - Serpico - has been shot, and that they cannot believe this. Why? The shot swaps to show the inside of the police station, where all is silent except the dialogue of the officer within. We then go back inside the car, and then leave the car to and office, in which the dialogue of the subject is hardly audible over background noise. The sound inside the home of the chief inspector is also silent aside from his voice, although the sound of his wife's (?) breathing is very slightly audible. Everybody seems surprised/mournful of Serpico's injuries - one police officer asks if he was shot by an officer or not. The story (if vague) is almost entirely spoken through the dialogue.
Narrative and Sound:
The sequence starts off with nothing but the Police siren, which is extremely loud and high pitched, putting the viewer on edge. After a short while of Siren noise (and before the interior shot appears), we hear a repetitive beating sound, which we originally suspect is a heartbeat. But, as the shots from inside/outside the vehicle are shown, it becomes apparent that this noise is in fact the motion of the Police car's windscreen wipers. The dialogue of the two officers in the car discusses the fact that this person - Serpico - has been shot, and that they cannot believe this. Why? The shot swaps to show the inside of the police station, where all is silent except the dialogue of the officer within. We then go back inside the car, and then leave the car to and office, in which the dialogue of the subject is hardly audible over background noise. The sound inside the home of the chief inspector is also silent aside from his voice, although the sound of his wife's (?) breathing is very slightly audible. Everybody seems surprised/mournful of Serpico's injuries - one police officer asks if he was shot by an officer or not. The story (if vague) is almost entirely spoken through the dialogue.
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