Film Opening Analysis - 28 Weeks Later.

This is the opening scene from the survival horror movie '28 Weeks Later'. The film is a sequel to '28 Days Later'

The film is set 28 weeks after the rage virus has hit London in '28 Days Later'. In '28 Days Later', many people died, and there was gallons of bloodshed, so in this film, providing you've seen the films forerunner, you're going to expect twice as much.

The very obvious part about this opening, is the low-key lighting. This could symbolize many things. One being isolation, the characters in the scene could be feeling alone, it also gives people the feeling of vulnerability. There are a lot of candles in the scene, this could symbolise hope. The key aspect of the film itself is relying on hope, hope that the rage infection is dying out.

The people seem very scared, apprehensive, yet very alert. This shows that they are going through something really traumatic, but are ready for anything worse to happen. When The male character 'Don' opens the door to see the little boy, it shows a glimpse of the female character blocking out the sun from her eyes. This shows that they have been in the dark for a long time, maybe suggesting they are in hiding.

When Don opens the door to the little boy, he has a crowbar, poised to attack any unwanted visitors, namely, the people infected with the dreaded rage virus.

The films target audience is more than likely people aged 16+. Survival Horror films have become really popular in the past 10 or so years, and after seeing clone after clone, '28 weeks Later' is really something different. It's scenes are gruesome and tense. You find yourself screaming 'RUN!', or 'GET OUT!' at the screen. And that's really what you want from a Survival Horror. I can't say I got that same feeling from films such as 'Dawn of the Dead' and 'I am Legend'.

This opening says a great deal about what is to come, as the chase scene that follows it is tense and fast-paced, just like the rest of the film. It really is one of those 'RUN!' moments that get you clenching your butt-cheeks and sitting on the edge of your seat.

The movie is a classic.