In depth analysis of "Dawn of the Dead" opening sequence

When the sequence opens, the audience is presented with text which says “Universal Pictures Productions”, the main production company hence why it’s at the very beginning, in a blood red colour. Coincidentally, it is supposed represent blood, revealed by the fact that the text smears. Considering the movies genre is supposed to be a thriller, it can be said that something like blood in the intro is commonplace, but it’s usually not shown in this way, so this film’s opening sequence is innovative because of this. This template sticks throughout the opening sequence and smears dynamically every time it’s shown. After the smear, quick flashes of images appear, the longest one being of a person with wide open eyes and blood around the mouth, and then cutting to the title screen “Dawn of the Dead”. This may have been used just to add to the shock factor of the film which is quite usual for a thriller film to do, but these flashes, particularly this one, can give the general viewer insight as to what the film is about. Sterotypical films based around the concept of the undead would usually have this “crazy looking, blood-lusting” person look, and so the general viewer may be able to recognise these key attributes through these flashes. That and the title “Dawn of the Dead” which does give suggestions towards the awakening of the already dead, hence the use of “dawn”.
 
After this, we can here a public announcement meeting for the press taking place, where the people there are asking questions about the “virus”. Judging by the flashes that appear during these questions, the audience may be able to infer that this virus can ultimately lead to death, and that it is a cause for concern for wherever it is set. This virus also leads to the zombification of it’s victims (judging by the flashes that appear on the screen) and it appears that when this movie is set, there is no current cure. These are all common themes in thriller films based around the undead, so by now the audience would have inferred the genre of backstory to this films just from the beginning of the opening sequence. 

ther typical thing that is used in openings like this is country music. At 0:37, this genre of music begins to play. Upon researching the song that is used (“The Man Comes Around" by Johnny Cash), the song has many cryptic biblical messages, which could relate to some flashes shown throughout the beginning, such as the large gathering of people praying, perhaps used in context as praying for their life and well being. The music also gives connotations of “judgement day” and the coming of that day. Upon further research again Christian futurists believe that this day will come after the resurrection of the dead. In this way, it relates to this films undead themes and thriller genre, and is a brilliant way of implying the story of the film through the use of the music at the beginning through some of the lyrics.

Conclusion:

The Dawn of the Dead opening sequence is good in my opinion to analyse, but it uses characteristics of horror and thriller openings which wont really be helpful to us when we end up creating our own film opening. However, one thing did strike me throughout this opening sequence, and that was the use of music, and how the opening itself summed up the whole background story to the movies plot in under 2 minutes.