Hannibal Rising Opening.

Narrative Structure:
The narrative structure in Hannibal Rising is general but does contain some flashbacks and is not strictly linear, but it does follow a continuous flow, just broken up with flashbacks. However, in the opening , it is chronological because even though what we are seeing is Hannibal's past we have not seen ahead of this time yet.

Thriller Codes and Conventions:
The thriller conventions are how the audience is shown a spiders web and silence of an undisturbed forest. The close ups on the water and leaves is an example of partial vision as the viewer is only being shown a selection of what is happening. Children on their own can also be a convention as it makes the audience consider whether the children are safe. The explosion and the urgency of their parents to get on the road is also a convention of a thriller as the viewer is wondering what they are running to hide from. Although there are clues e.g. planes, Nazi flags. The reassurance the father is giving the children seems more for the benefit of reassuring himself as the children, especially Mischa, are still too young to understand properly. This reassurance also helps the audience to understand what is going on and why they are running away but still creates many questions as to why they are being targeted and if there is any particular reason or if it really is just a random Nazi attack.

Camerawork:
The cinematography of the scene begins with close up shots of the forest, the audience is only shown so much. In contrast to this we see some wide shots of the river and the buildings, this is when the mood of the scene is calm. However, when we hear the sound of an explosion the shots become a lot closer again and the angles they are shot from are sharper, this creates an edgy atmosphere for the viewer.

Mise-En-Scene:
In the way of costumes and setting this shows the audience that the film is get the 30’s during World War II. The house they live in and amount of bags they take also show that they are a wealthy family. The performance of the children shows very clearly that they are inseparable and that Hannibal is very protective of his sister Mischa, we later learn that this is crucial to the story.

Sounds:
The first sounds we hear typical noises of the forest alongside vocally created angelic sounding music and soft wind instruments. This calmness flows the children’s laughing which contrasts to the explosion and birds flapping their winds disturbed the mood changes along with the sounds we hear fighter planes overhead and a horse’s neigh. The music becomes tension building and bombs and guns go off continuously in the background. When they are in house we think that they are safe as the music is a lot softer and there is less background noise they are just a family again.

Editing:
The cuts begin slowly and transitions allow shots to flow into one another they continue to do this in a roundabout way when we see the children playing on the dock but we are shown more angles this time. Cuts become more choppy and frantic when the bomb goes off and they're running away. These short, sharp cuts are representing the urgency that the family have to get out of their house.

Graphics:
Hannibal Rising, the title is written in capital letters and in a serif font and gradually appears onscreen. The lettering comes into view almost from out of the mist and dissolves away as if into the water.