The first thing that i am going to be talking about is the typography in the opening sequence of The Number 23. I really like how they have incorporated the titles onto what seems to be paper from a type writer. What they want us to see really stands out because the names of the people involved in the production of the film are amongst a sequence on numbers. Its easy for the audience to differentiate between numbers and letters quickly, and this is useful because it means that the titles can move reasonably fast and can still be read, without losing the audiences interest too quickly. Enigma codes are created in the title sequence because as the audience are watching it, the number '23' appears a number of times. The audience then begin to ask questions and wonder why the number '23' is so significant. Smears of blood have also been included in the title sequence which also raises enigma codes and questions from the audience.
The soundtrack used in the opening sequence of The Number 23 definitely takes the thriller genre in account without a doubt. At the beginning, the soundtrack starts off really slowly and a limited number of sounds are used. We hear the sound of what seems to be violins being played at a very low pitch. As we progress through the title sequence, the tempo of the soundtrack gradually increases and more and more sounds are incorporated into the soundtrack to build up a tense and mysterious atmosphere. The soundtrack helps to keep the audience engaged with the title sequence and makes the audience want to watch the entire film. In my opinion, the soundtrack for The Number 23 contains elements from the thriller, crime and action genres, which when cleverly are combined into one soundtrack, sounds very powerful and dominant, and elicits a tense and epic atmosphere.
Not much can be said about the cinematography, narrative or mise en scene in The Number 23 at this point because there are no scenes being shown. Instead, the titles appear on a piece of paper which doesnt really help to engage the audience and the audience may eventually lose interest. The only things being used to hold the audiences interest is the typography and the non diegetic soundtrack. Overall, I feel that the opening sequence is commendable, however I feel that if scenes were incorporated into the background instead of making the titles appear on a piece of paper, the opening sequence may have been more exciting and alot of effective.
