Textual Analysis

The first scene in the opening sequence of The Purge is an image of a grey screen that introduces you to the production company, a classical music soundtrack begins to play and carries on throughout the opening scene. The grey background and white writing fits the normal conventions of a horror movie but the font is quite normal representing normality and not something of which to fear. Also the music doesn’t fit the expectations we associate with the idea of the film to come.

Textual Analysis

This is the first image we see in the film, it introduces the first scene of violence to the viewer and also presents the time and date in the “Purge Feed” on the CCTV camera giving us a sense of realism. The soundtrack continues to play and now becomes contrapuntal to the images we are seeing. The images are almost familiar to the audience due to violence in war and on the news. The fact that the music is classical makes the audience feel uncomfortable as it doesn’t match what they think they should feel about human pain, causing an almost disturbing feel to what is really just a shooting scene. This really works well.

Textual Analysis

This image is more violent and gives more of an action thriller feel than the first image. The overhead angle of the CCTV camera gives the effect that someone is purposely watching the violence and doing nothing to stop it, this gives the viewer a sense of distrust and fits the conventions of a controversial thriller. Also the purge feed gives us another place in America as the destination of where the violence is happening, telling the audience these acts of violence are widespread across America.

Textual analysis

This scene carries on with the contrapuntal soundtrack, while showing images of gun shots being fired from behind a car. The CCTV camera effect being used really brings the reality to the film. The time and place being shown on screen backs up the feel of reality within the scene and causes the audience to think about what is going on and what it would be like if it really happened. This fits the codes and conventions of most horror movies as the producers like to make the audience think about the effects of what is going on in the scenes and relate them back to real life.

Textual Analysis

• This scene is also done with the CCTV effect, it is high angled and the soundtrack continues to play. The character in this scene is not violent or threatened but looks as though they have already been attacked. The body language displayed by the actor in this scene is animal like as he goes to stand up it looks unnatural, and that being on all fours is more suitable for the character. This tells us society is backwards in the reality of the film ,the characters are evolving back into savage like men again showing us the chaos of society. Other thriller movies also use this technique for example Eden Lake shows the evolution of the characters into inhumane, uncaring savages.

Textual Analysis

• As the soundtrack continues to play contrapuntal music different scenes of violence are shown through the eye of the CCTV camera all the violence so far has been on the streets. These images are still familiar to the audience similar to recent riot footage making the scenes more realistic and relatable for the audience. These images fit the conventions of a horror action thriller. So far no authorities have been shown in the images leaving the audience to think about why and what it would be like. There is no heroin shown and no sign of rescue or hope.

Textual Analysis

• This image shows bodies lined up in the streets of America the “Purge Feed” stop watch shows the time as though it is a competition moving quickly. The soundtrack carries on quite relaxed and calm. This sense of normality mixed with this image makes the audience think it is normal in the sense of the film for this to happen.

Textual Analysis

• These are the only two scenes in the opening showing us violence off of the streets. The fact that the woman in the office looks to be innocent and the man looks to be tidy tells us that the violence in the movie does not stop at generally violent people. Whatever has happened to cause the violence has effected the whole society. This leaves us with a sense of curiosity and bewilderment and the audience question what is going to happen next. This technique is used frequently in the thriller genre.

Textual Analysis

To conclude the opening to this film fits the codes and conventions of a thriller/horror movie, the contrapuntal sound is a very known technique for this genre. The CCTV effect used is a brilliant way to convey life like images to the audience and make it feel more personal.