Opening Sequence Analysis

Genre: Thriller/espionage


The main character, Leon, is introduced very mysteriously in the opening sequence. He is gradually picking off the guards placed around the hotel his target is in, however we only see glimpses of him, which heightens our estimations of how powerful and skilled he is, being able to take out so many henchmen without the slightest of difficulty. Only towards the end of the sequence do we recieve confirmation that he is a paid assassin, as he takes a phone call from his informant and agrees to his orders.


The audiences expectations of a highly skilled assassin are clearly met. The sequence idolises Leon, making him seem omnipresent and invincilble by the way he effortly picks off a security team. The fear shown by his target also illustates the power he has and to the audience is incontrovertible.


An establishing shot of a high angled pan of New York City plays to the genre well as large cities with many builings is a convention of the espionage genre. The builing where the action happens in the sequence is never confirmed, which gives even the audience a feeling of being disorientated and creates an unfamiliar environment which makes the audience uncomfortable, which fits the genre well. This is then backed up by the use of tight framing of shots, and the fact that the exits to the builing have been blocked off, which brings a sense of enclosure and anxiety, which also heightens the power of our hero Leon.