Sequence analysis of opening sequence - No country for Old Men

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 Sequence analysis of opening sequence - No country for Old Men


The opening sequence of No Country for Old Men represents the Idea of the old and new generation through the voice over. The man who is speaking in the voice over mentions how different and the younger and the older generations are yet seems to put the older generation on a pedestal. The voice represents the older generation as he states how he feels that the younger generation aren’t willing to die for their job. He goes on to talk about how the younger generation don't like to carry guns and how he has more respect for the older generation and how he’s proud of the legacy they’ve created with the younger generation following in their footsteps.

The use of mise-en-scene in the opening sequence is quite stereotypical for western movies. They show a montage of pictures from open desert spaces and mountains and the man in the voice over has a western accent. At some point throughout the montage they show a police car. This is quite contradictory as the voice over is going on about how he values the older generation a lot more, however this police car thats currently in frame wouldn’t of been around during the older generations time which shows the divide of technology from the older and newer generations.

Comments

  1. Lisa SocratesJanuary 8, 2021 at 2:16 AM

    Ella, good strong analysis of the opening sequence. Your observations are detailed and formed in conjunction with an exploration of key elements of film form. For example discussion of the mise en scene in relation to the Western is effective and the idea of 'montage' echoing the Western.

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