vertigo

One of the most interesting things about the opening sequence for Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 psychological thriller Vertigo is the use of sound to build up suspense. The gradual building up of sound accompanies the shots as they zoom closer in on the face, creating an uneasy atmosphere amongst the audience as it is often uncomfortable to be so close to a stranger's face. Rather than continuously building up, the sound wavers whilst the camera zooms into an extreme close up, triggering the audience's apprehension as it is unexpected what is going to happen next; the sound is unpredictable as it builds up and quietens down in places. A red tint then overwhelmes the extreme close up of the eye, which has sinister connotations of death. The credits are then presented with kaleidoscope images besides them, which was a clever way to make the credits look interesting yet still relate them to the film, as vertigo is associated with a spinning sensation. The re-appearence of the eye, alongside the nightmarish non-diegetic sound has a haunting effect. The extreme close up of the eye is a significant shot that could be replicated for our own opening sequence as it is an interesting shot and can successfully create tension and suspense for an audience.