Camera- distance, angle, movement and editing- speed style
The film opens to a close up of a man's face. The camera then swirls around his head which has music and non diegetic sound in the background of who we presume is him talking. After he finishes talking, the camera then abruptly cuts to a road which shows a point of view shot from a car, which is driving around the street. This has been sped up to match with the music and this makes the film seem edgy and different. The camera (passengers) look to either side of the road which could suggest that they are unsure of where they are, which adds tension to film. This the cuts again to a woods which is more much slower and controlled compared to the street scene. The camera is shown to brush past some branches which makes it look like a point of view shot of someone walking in the woods. This shows the titles. Again, the camera cuts back to the road with some added jolts to make the film seem uneasy. This then cuts back to the woods, but this time showing a pathway in the woods which denotes choices and decisions and this fits into the film's content. This again the cuts back to the road which resolves why the camera was in a street as it then stops outside a flat, still at fast pace. This 'trippy' car journey makes the film become individual and different, as the sped up pace makes the film more fascinating.
The camera then cuts to inside the building of the flat, showing a man walk up the stairs. This low angle makes him seem more much taller which connotes him being powerful. The camera then looks up towards the ceiling showing the spiral staircase to the audience. This choice of camera movement fits into the hallucination of the street scene. The camera then cuts back to show a point of view of him walking up the staircase. This point of view shot has been used three times in the opening, all with the same technique. Danny Boyle has decided to never shown the person's feet or hands and this adds suspense to the film as the audience doesn't know who it is. The man then reaches the door to the flat which shows the names of the people living there on a gold plate.
Sound- effects and music
The music opens the film by introducing the tone which is edgy and peaceful. This sound makes the opening become more different and unique which then builds up after the man starts talking. The music becomes much more louder and a lot different compared to the beginning. This is because it's more upbeat and dance like.
Mise-en-scene
The high key lighting used for the man's face highlights his pale complexions and blue eyes, which adds to his melancholy facial expression. This connotes that the film will include depressing issues. The same lighting is used for the street scene which adds to the fast pace making it seem more blurry. For the woods scene however, the lighting becomes more much darker due to the branches covering the light. This makes the mood become much more sinister due to the dramatic contrast.
The red door used for the flat connotes many things such as :
- passion for the flat mates as they share an important friendship
- death and violence as red usually symbolizes blood,
- fire/hell as their flat holds danger and evil which is explained later on in the film
- and anger, they friendship is tested
The gold plate used however contradicts the negative connotations as it shows they have an important bond.
Titles- placement, font, colour
The way Danny Boyle has made 'Shallow Grave' fill in with red symbolizes someone filling in a grave or hole. This is because the red connotes danger and blood, adding the scary atomsphere.
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