The Opening of 'The Butterfly Effect' (2004)

 

In this piece of work, I will analyse to what extent the opening of The Butterfly effect is like a typical Thriller.

At the beginning of the film, we are told of a death, in that Evan’s Girlfriend has died, and that Evan is now on a quest to bring her back. Immediately, this gives the audience an idea of what the film is about, and how it might develop.

Unusually for the film, we are then taken back 13 years, to Evan’s childhood years, where we discover that his Father is in a mental institution. This is a technique not usually used in a Thriller, but the use of the flashback at the beginning of the film means that the audience can build an idea of how the film might develop. In addition, Evan keeps having blackouts, and so the element of mystery is created, as we are told that the Mother is on a mission to find out whether her son has the same disability as his Father.

One of Evan’s Doctors tell him to keep a Journal of everything that happens, which then becomes a very important part of the film. This is unconventional for a Thriller, as we would usually associate journals and diaries with romance movies.

The film has four main characters, Evan, Kayleigh, Tommie and Evan’s Mum. Unusually for a Thriller, the three main characters, Evan, Kayleigh & Tommie are all children, which makes the audience wonder what might be wrong with the children. A scene between Evan and his Mum shows the typical relationship between Mum & Son, indicating to the audience that they are a normal family, and their house appears to support this theory.

However, we are first introduced to the Mother when she is mending the family car, which perhaps suggests that something is not quite right. In addition, it also makes the audience wonder where abouts the Father is, as these sorts of jobs are usually associated with Males.

At the beginning of the film, the scene is set in an Office, with slit blinds creating distortion of the character on the other side. The office is dimly lit, which indicates to the audience that the characters are not meant to be there. This sort of opening is perhaps typical of a thriller, as it launches the film straight into action.

After the initial flashback, the film opens with a shot of a typical American suburb – with nice green spaces, trees and blue sky, this is in contrast to the scene shown moments beforehand. This sort of opening is not typical of a thriller, as it creates the impression that everything is calm and in order.

Later on, a scene is filmed in a school, where Children appear to be happily playing, which again, is not something we would expect to see in a Thriller film, as it gives the impression that nothing is wrong.

The start of the film is dimly lit, which adds an element of mystery to the start of the film, making the audience wonder what the characters are doing, whilst also indicating that they should not be there. In addition, Evan is wearing a hospital gown, which would make the audience wonder what is wrong with him.

After it has been revealed that Evan drew a disturbing picture of himself stabbing someone, his Mother takes him to a place call Sunnyvale Institution. This large, dark building with a long drive is very imposing, and would make the audience feel very scared. When filmed with a low angle shot, it makes the building seem very daunting compared to 7 year old Evan.

At one point in the film, Evan presents a knife to his Mum. Knives are something that are commonly used in Thriller films, as they present the feeling of fear and danger and represent death.

More unusually, after Tommy has placed a stick of Dynamite in someone’s letterbox, one of the other children give him an Asthma pump because he has been running. This does two things; adds an element of comedy to a very tense and dangerous scene, and also reminds the audience that these characters are children. Both of these actions are very unusual for a Thriller film.

Non-Diegetic string music is used at the beginning of the film, to bring an element of tension, and to indicate to the audience that the characters are in danger, and that something bad is about the happen. This is something that is often done in Thriller movies, as it makes the audience apprehensive, and makes them want to continue watching.

In addition, the fast-paced sound grabs the audience’s attention, and the increasing tempo indicates that the scene may come to a conclusion.

Also, the school bell rings just as Evan arrives at the school, which indicates to the audience that they are running late.

More unusually, when Evan is filling out his Journal, what he is writing is recorded as a voiceover, accompanied by video of him writing. This indicates to the audience that these are his thoughts, and that they are not actually being said out loud.  Also, diegetic sounds of dogs barking and birds are added in the edit, which makes adds an element of realism when they are outside. Again, this technique is something that we would expect to see in television shows, and not in a thriller film.

Death is something that is often represented in the film. For example, the first scene shows the boy dealing with the death of his girlfriend, and Evan also has to deal with the death of his Father after they meet at the Institute. Unusually, when the Father is being buried, the only people present are Evan, Evan’s Mother and Kayleigh, who we would not expect to see at the funeral. This perhaps shows that they have a strong bond between each other, and that this may develop as the film goes on.

Males are represented more in the film than females, although there is generally an even mix. This is unusual for a Thriller, as parts are mainly played by Males.

In addition, the death of the Father cuts off a crucial source of information in solving the mystery of Evan’s disability, as just before he dies, he says ‘He has to Die it’s the Only Way’. These words indicate to the audience that the Father may know something that we do not, and that as it is suspected Evan has inherited the disease from his Father, the Father’s death suggests that this is the way Evan’s life may end.

At the Father’s funeral, the editing of shots speeds up, this indicates that the narrative is moving forward in time, and that the scene will soon dissolve to another shot. This is a technique often seen in Thriller films.

Also, when Evan is being given hypnotherapy, the edit cross cuts between the current scene, and a Woman driving a car, which is then blown up. This technique suggest to the audience that this is what Evan is seeing in his head, and gives us an insight as to why he is fitting.

An unusual editing technique is that at the beginning of the film, a text overlay is used displaying the words ’13 years earlier’.  This technique is a good way of indicating to the audience how time is passing in the film, and, although unusual, works well in this instance.

When the doctor is discussing with Evan’s Mum, the Point of View shots are shown at eye level. This, together with the use of a straight cut, indicates that neither of the characters are dominating the conversation.

The edit misses out crucial details of the film, which puts us in the position of Evan, who has blackouts whenever something significant happens. This adds to the sense of mystery, and can leave the audience confused as to what is happening in the film.

Many different times of camera shots are used to film the opening part of this film.

At the beginning of the film, a tracking shot through the slit blinds follows the character on the other side of the blind, adding suspense, as the audience cannot clearly see who is on the other side. It also makes audience wonder what will happen when the camera and the character meet.

Unusually for a Thriller opening, it is filmed in one continuous shot, rather than a montage of shots. In this case, this has been used well to show the violence of the scene.

Also, after the opening, a pan shot is used showing the children cycling down a hill on a street, and, as the camera pans round, the attention is drawn from the children cycling, to Evan who is fighting with the family dog. This shows contrast between the happiness of the children on bicycles, to the violence of the fight with the dog.

When we first meet Evan and his Mum, eye-level mid shots are used. These allow the audience to learn more about the character, and allow us to relate to them more as the film develops.

As often happens in films, over the shoulder shots and a two shot are used to film a conversation between two people. This is an effective way of allowing the audience to see the reactions and expressions of both people involved.

When the Sunnyvale Institution is filmed, the use of a low angle shot makes the building seem very imposing, and makes it seem very powerful. This would make the audience scared, as we do not know who or what may be inside the building.

When Evan is introduced to his Father at the Institution, the meeting takes place in a secure room. When Evan enters, a high angle shot is used. This allows the audience to see that the room is very plain and intimidating for a 7 year old boy, and also allows us to see that there is only one exit to the room, so that if anything bad did happen, there would be no escape for the boy. This sort of shot is often used in Thriller films, as it enables the audience to see an overview of a situation, giving us a greater understanding of what is happening.