Mission:Impossible

Mission:Impossible (Brian De Palma, 1996)


Sound within the opening sequence contributes in making the images on the screen tense, this is primarily done with the music at the start of the sequence being quite low and gradually building in tension and then the main drum beats kicks in with trumpets over the top. With the music having a pacey tempo it makes the build up to the start of the film tense.

The images shown throughout the sequence are fast paced, this is so that they match the fast paced music in the background but in addition to this is it has been done to create tension and suspense as the audience have to watch the images carefully. Within the images there are shots of police databases which have the connotations of spies thus relating back to the theme of the film. 

In the images shown the camera uses a lot of extreme and normal close ups this has been included to show the detail in the images but also to express the looks of fear and anticipation on the characters faces, by doing this it creates tension and narrative enigma as to what the story is about. In addition when a main character/actor appears the image of them cuts to a negative version of the same image which is used to illustrate who the story line will focus on, also cuts have been used to switch back to the image of the burning rope. Using these continuous jump cuts back to this image makes the opening sequence more tense for the audience as they feel it is a state of emergency.

Example of negative

Example of burning wick

The font style used in the title sequence is all caps and the font has a look of authority in addition as the names of actors appear an insert of the image goes across the middle of screen. 

The size that the text has been given is to ensure that the title can be clearly read and by having the background black it draws attention to the title. Furthermore, the the text used for the main title reflects what the story line is based on this is done through the font used for the 'Impossible' as the font has the connotations of a top secret stamp. Also the word impossible instantly draws the audience in and sets up the film to be of high tension as the mission has been deemed as 'impossible', and before the main title there is an individual shot of each letter of the word 'mission' this draws the attention of the audience and creates tension for the start of the film and puts emphasis' on it being the main title. 

Main title- example of stamp like font

The titles which feature in the sequence are as follows in chronological order;

• Paramount Pictures presents
• A Cruise/ Wagner production
• A Brian De Palma film
• Tom Cruise
• Mission Impossible (main title)