Title Sequence Analysis

A Nightmare on Elm Street

The first part of the title sequence is small montage of an unknown man (Freddy Krueger) picking up some metal pieces and using them, along with an old glove, constructs a menacing looking claw. It is obvious that he is the villain of the movie and that he will use this weapon for evil due to the eerie non-diegetic music and his evil laughter being narrated throughout the scene. When Freddy wears the glove and displays it to the camera, that is when the title is shown and enlarges itself that it takes over the entire screen. During this montage, the text has been at the bottom of the screen in order to show the production company and main people involved with the movie.

 

After the title, it cuts to a scene of the claw cutting through an curtain, before jumping to a totally different scene. A teenage girl (Tina Gray) enters the frame in front of a white foggy background, appearing as if she will be the movie's protagonist. The close up on her face displays she is looking around the area, and her facial expression is of worrying concern as it shows that she doesn't know where she is or if someone is following her. It then cuts to an extreme close up on her face looking forward with determination, as if she knows what she is going to do, and is prepared to escape. It cuts to a long shot of Tina then running forwards, while also looking behind her to check that nobody is following her. The long shot also displays her choice of clothing, which happens to be some pyjamas, which could explain the idea that she is in a dream. The setting is of an dark entrance of some kind, which makes it hard for the audience to see what will come out.

She continues to run whilst looking behind her occasionally, but then stops in the middle of the entrance and turns around one last time. The camera zooms in on her face, and when she turns around she screams, but an eye-line match reveals it was just a sheep. She then runs off in another direction.

It cuts to a boiler room where she is still trying to be cautious of her surroundings. It cuts to a scene of Freddy's face, before cutting back to Tina reacting to what has just happened before continuing with her escape. This goes on with the credits still going, until Freddy appears in front of Tina, showing he is the monster she was escaping from, and then tries to outrun him. She then tries to hide from him in a narrow alley, but in a medium shot to show suspense, Freddy pops up behind her, preparing to kill her, but a cut into a bedroom and Tina rising up from bed, to show a close up on her panicked face, shows it was all just a dream.

This title sequence had the text being displayed while the action was still happening, in order to create tension and not to disturb the action.

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