RESEARCH: Art of the Title: Drive (2011)

THE ART OF A FILM TITLE

I chose to write about the movie 'Drive' as it has an exceptionally powerful opening sequence. It offers a slow build which draws you in emotionally with a clear initial insight into the overall plot.  

Drive is a Hollywood movie made in 2011, directed by Nicolas Winding Refn and starring Ryan Gosling. It is a feature film about a young man who is a talented getaway driver for criminals. The opening sequence is dark and moody with credits shown against black with voices heard. It soon cuts to more sounds with mapping in the background of a clear route with criminal intelligence behind it. The main voice is sending a voice mail to a loved one about what could potentially happen to him and requests they do not attempt to contact him as he will no longer be using that phone. This small snippet of the opening scene ends with him tossing the phone onto the bed, and walking away with the bag, with the camera remaining still whilst he walks out of the frame.This is an intense and powerful start-up as the audience is continuously questioning what the main character is getting himself into.

A slow transition shows the character driving his car in the dead of the night on an empty road. There is complete silence with the exception of the humming of his quiet engine. A few minutes later, the driver pulls into an exceptionally busy car park where there appears to be a protest/riot taking place. As the character gets out his car, he walks in the opposite direction to the crowd - he places a hat on his head. Upbeat music plays as he smiles to himself. The Credits Role.

This is a compelling opening scene as it allows the opening of the movie to set itself up.  It’s enticing and lets the viewer gather evidence from the opening scene to be able to assess what is to come.