Suicide Squad opening scene analysis

Suicide Squad opening scene analysis

Suicide squad was released in 2016, and is an American superhero film based on DC Comics directed by David Ayer.  

The film starts off with the Warner Bros picture logo, however it is themed in suicide squad colors (pink, purple, green and blue) and the lights then suddenly turn off whilst the words flicker which will intrigue the audience as they have probably never seen this from the Warner bros company in any other film. In the background there is a non-diegetic sound played in the background which is quite fast and upbeat which is normally seen in action films giving the audience a sense of familiarity and an insight into what the film may contain. It also shows the DC Comics logo and at this point the audience will know for sure that it is a superhero film it then adds the effect of zooming into the logo in which it switches to the first scene as if we entered the world of DC Comics.  

The first seen is introduced with non-diegetic upbeat yet mellow song, which however is slightly contrasted to the visual image as the camera shows a long shot of a lake with factory-looking buildings in the background with the sky filled with clouds causing the area to look dark and gloomy. Also in the bottom right corner the area is written in black to inform the viewer where it will be taken place, it is called the 'Black site', the color black connotes evil, power and mystery, from the gloomy scenery and the name 'black site' the audience is then fully aware the area is a bad place. With the camera in long shot as it's moving forward, it cuts too a large, rusty grey wall with barbed wire indicating that it is a prison. On this wall there is a picture of a skeleton, with a black behind bars and a skeleton symbolising mortality may imply that the actual people within the prison are not normal humans. A large vehicle then goes past the wall causing a diegetic sound of a moving lorry with guards walking past. It then cuts to a long shot of a dark office, with a desk and a men facing surveillance footage which informs the audience that whoever is in the prison is being watched. 

Then next cut is of Will Smith, who is sweating wearing no top, with a lot of sweat punching a grey punching bag in an old cell, showing the audience the first prisoner he is seen to be strong and powerful with his defined abs and muscles. With the guards coming in they are all wearing black which connotes that they are in power, whilst they go to his cell there is a point of view shot of a guard looking in as they proceed show dialogue. The guard gives Will Smith food which is clearly distasteful in which Will Smith's character threatens the guard. He is then pushed into a chair as all the guard stand around him emphasising how helpless he is within the prison, his aggression and anger is displayed when he kicks two guards down to the floor he is then hit with a large stick yelping out in agony. 

A sound bridge is then used where he is getting wacked, each hit sound shows a different location in the prison as he grunts going to the next scene of a large cage in a grey room with a woman dangling from the top doing a particular position and then to a close up of her face showing that she is a main character within the film. As she is shown a non-diegetic song is played upbeat, high tempo song she is seen wearing no makeup, with un-kept hair and a skimpy, ripped white dress. Normally white is meant to signify purity and goodness which is ironic as she is in a prison cell. The audience may be led into thinking she's the love interest within the film from her flirtatious smiling towards the guard, hair touching and suggestive moves such as sexually licking the bar at the guard. She is then knocked back from an electric shock and as her head bangs on the floor it cuts to her on the floor crawled up wearing hardly any clothing with guards surrounding her, however the camera is filled with special effects adding the colors pink, purple and green there is then a close up of her as she laughs hysterically with the screen moving forward and backwards in single beats, it is then clear that this was a memory as she acts how she is feeling with her facial expression in distress and runs up to the bar hitting her head.  

She is then knocked back from an electric shock and as her head bangs on the floor it cuts to her on the floor crawled up wearing hardly any clothing with guards surrounding her, however the camera is filled with special effects adding the colors pink, purple and green there is then a close up of her as she laughs hysterically with the screen moving forward and backwards in single beats, it is then clear that this was a memory as she acts how she is feeling with her facial expression in distress and runs up to the bar hitting her head.  

The prison has low lighting with dark, dull colors reflecting on the negative atmosphere occurring within the prison. As she is seen lying on the floor on the surveillance camera a security guard is sat back in a relaxed manner eating a takeaway implying that he has no care for what happens to the prisoners. The next scene shows a road with cars going along within dark lighting as the camera zooms in on two identical black cars pulling in which is stereotypically the government in action films. With a man in a suit stepping out holding a gun, another door opens with a women stepping out then the man closes it for her, this insinuates that she is at a high level of importance as people are guarding her. A non-diegetic voice over is then played of her voice as she is walking past  man selling superman shirts just as she is talking about him, with a flashback of a funeral the audience is then aware that superman is dead and the women is going to do something about it as she said "And that it is why I'm here" in the voice over. This leave the audience intrigued to find out more, as they do not know who she is or how she will be connected to the prisoners.