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Apr 07th 7PM ET Considering Art : Considering Openings In this first of a series, we will view, consider, and unravel the opening scenes of two films from the 20th century by Fritz Lang and Agnes Varda.
A film’s opening scene is an entryway into a world being built before the viewer’s eyes, through the decisions of a filmmaker. It is the moment that we, as viewers, begin to temporarily suspend awareness of our surroundings and our disbelief that the events about to unfold on the screen are illusory.
What do the earliest moments of a film tell us about what is to follow? How does an opening scene become a short film within a film? Why are these first glimpses into the world of a film, along with the very last moments in the film’s ending, so crucial to our understanding of the film as a whole?