Research: True Grit opening

The 2010 western True Grit (dir. Joel and Ethan Coen), follows a simple introductory in the opening sequence which leads to the titles.

The usual logos of institutions begin and then the names appear again in a title (the font of which represents the western genre as it is readable and is a type of  'serif' font').

The film's title appears over black in a simplistic tone and after, a small proverb appears.

The opening scene stays with the black tone in the background and only changes slightly as light appears and then there is a narration in the voice 'People do not give it credence that a young girl could leave home and go off in the wintertime to avenge her father's blood'. - This is an element of the engima code because it causes the audience to wonder why the 'father' has died.

As the light gets closer it becomes clearer as the narration continues and it shows that the light is coming from a house. The camera then continues to move down and focuses on a man on the floor. From the continual narration, 'When Papa tried to intervene, Chaney shot him', it is apparent that the man on the floor is the narrators father.

The narrator's voice is female but not very young so from the first line of narration '..a young girl..' the audience will connect her to be the main girl who is telling her story from an older age.

The dark shots continue to show a man riding off on a horse into darkness. Again from the narration, the female explains how this is the man who killed her father. The horse and darkness emphasis the western genre.

The cut then fades to black and then fades to a window on a train which shows a young girl who the audience distinguish is the main girl at her younger age.

The opening scene and titles for True Grit are simple yet effective because they do not over power the entire narrative in the first few minutes neither are the soundtrack or titles fast, bold or upbeat. Because the titles are gentle presented on screen as are the transitions, the audience feel sympathetic the narrator even though you can only hear her voice.