Opening 2 mins of a film: Forrest Gump

We discovered that in the opening 2 minutes of Forrest Gump, directed by Robert Zemeckis:

•   The use of the McGuffin, the feather, not only moved the storyline along, as it is typically used for, But also used to create enigma, as it is the first thing that the audience sees, and follows. As the camera tracks the feather, different elements hinting towards the plot are revealed. For example, at the beginning all that is in the frame is the feather, and the sky; however, over time, building, cars and people are revealed, hinting at the time era and setting of the film.
• The music used was very soft and gentle, reflecting the movements of the feather. This created a comforting and calm atmoshpere for the audience.
• When the feather first lands on a mans shoulder, the audience automatically assumes that this is going to be the main character. However, the feather gets caught by another short burts of wind, and so continues travelling. thsi adds both enigma for the audience, as the wonder whom the feather is going to land upon next (who will the main character be).
• When the feather does land, it lands between the pair of muddy trainers of a man sitting on a bench. This adds to the enigma, as the man is wearing a suit with muddy trainers. This in itself is peculiar enough to create an enigma, but there are also the questions that automatically form in the audiences mind: Who is he? What is his story? etc. As the feather travells up the mans body, we see his face for the first time. As he picks up the feather, he does it in a very slow, cautious, child-like manner. This hints at the fact that he has a very child-like mind, which, as the film progresses, the audience discovers.
• When he opens his suitcase, all of the contents are neatly and uniformly packed, hinting at his personallity. He also pulls out a Curious George book... This hints, again, to the audience, that this man has a very child-like mind.