The opening sequence of the Leon action/drama film establishes the setting of New York City through sweeping shots of the skyline and a sign that reads "Welcome to Little Italy." Natural lighting is used in establishing shots but more tense artificial lighting inside the restaurant. The soundtrack features violin and flute to set a mood of travel as the camera moves through the city. Leon is introduced sipping milk instead of alcohol as thrillers typically show. The title "LEON" is displayed plainly in white on a black background to draw attention. The sequence provides context to intrigue viewers and set expectations around the urban setting and main character Leon.
2. The Leon action drama's title sequence is displayed in this section. Through hazy
and ambiguous images and symbols, the insert gives viewers a glimpse of the
main plot in order to pique their interest and keep them watching.
3. The movie is set in New York, as evidenced by the opening sweeping image of the city skyline, a
banner in the street that reads "Welcome to Little Italy," and a deeper dive into a restaurant called
"Supreme Macaroni Co."
Lighting: The lighting in the establishing shots of the sea, trees, and city is very natural and brilliant,
creating a setting that is familiar to viewers. Contrarily, the images taken inside the restaurant
"Supreme Macaroni co" made use of artificial chiaroscuro lighting to create a more tense and
somber environment.
4. While the white credits are displayed over a black background, the soundtrack's general mood is
one of tranquility and softness. As the camera moves across the ocean, a violin playing at a high
pitch is added, which could have been done to evoke a sense of travel. Flute and pipe instrument
sounds are added to the soundtrack as the camera wanders through the city's busy streets. Up
until the scene where Leon and his Benny are presented to the public inside the restaurant
"Supreme Macaroni Restaurant," the soundtrack is still playing throughout the opener. The only
sounds used during the dialogue between these two men are background noises. To emphasize
the man smoking, the sound of the cigarette being lighted is increased. The burning of the
cigarette is intensified when the man inhales, adding to the significance of his smoking. When a
cigarette is put out in the ashtray, it is said to be done.
5. The first thing the audience sees of Leon is a glass of milk, which deviates from the norm for
thriller movies where it is more typical to see the subject sipping booze. When Leon finishes his
glass of milk at the conclusion of his chat with Benny, it almost has the effect of a full stop. This is
done on purpose to highlight the conclusion and highlight a characteristic of Leon.
Benny, the second male figure who interacts with Leon, is smoking a cigarette while holding a
lighter in his hand. This is inserted on purpose to give the character a "bad" appearance, which is
frequently connected to crime, drugs, alcohol, and the streets. In his black sunglasses with a
reflection of a man named Benny sitting at a table with a red checked tablecloth and a bottle of
drink while lighting a cigarette, Leon is dressed as the character. To prevent his identity from
being revealed, something is added to cover his eye. The spectator is left wondering who the
character is and who the person smoking is, which generates mystery.
6. On top of a black background, the title is written in a plain white font with the word "LEON"
capitalized and separated by spaces. The headline has been highlighted and given prominence
using this writing style and size. Intentionally, the colors are chosen to highlight the contrast and
make the font pop against the ominous background. The font is placed in the middle to draw
attention to it and capture the audience's undivided focus. To draw the audience's attention, the
title is placed so that it specifically fills the volume of the scene.
7. The first image taken by the camera is of a sizable body of water, after which it pans over
numerous trees. The next view is an establishing shot of the skyline of New York as the camera
turns upward.
The purpose of this image is to show the audience where the action will be taking place. After then,
the viewer might have expectations for what might happen next and cues as to whether the shot is
urban or suburban. The busy streets of New York City are then shown as the camera pans closer to
the skyline. The spectator can see from this that the movie is set in an urban region because there
are lots of structures there instead of people or moving cars. Compared to the opening scene,
which featured a natural environment rich in land, trees, and water, this is a contrast. The scene in
which the camera pans through the road at a height above car level reveals the setting of the
movie. When the camera lifts up and zooms in on a sign that reads, "Welcome to Little Italy," the
location is made clear.
8. Leon, who plays a significant part throughout the movie, is the main protagonist and inspiration for
the title.
Leon's hands are shown in extreme close-up surrounding a milk-filled glass on a red and white
checkered tablecloth. It is unusual that the glass contained milk because mature men are typically
shown to be drinking booze, especially if the film is a thriller. The tablecloth is recognizable
because that is how it is typically in eateries, especially more quaint, neighborhood eateries that
are less well-known than others. Benny is shown smoking in an extreme close-up view, however he
is out of focus while the cigarette is sharp. This is done in an effort to grab the audience's
attention by using smoking, which has gained popularity and is now seen to be "cool." A very close-
up shot identifies this prop.
9. An English accent is used throughout the French thriller Leon. Suspense, tension, and excitement
are the micro aspects that a thriller movie uses to impact these emotions. This genre is utilized to
elicit from the spectator feelings of expectation, shock, fear, and dread. A typical subgenre is the
psychological thriller, and Se7en fits this description because it is a fictitious thriller that
concentrates on the psychology of the characters and their volatile emotional states. Thrillers
frequently make use of crowded streets and urban or suburban settings. The focus of the thriller
genre is societal injustice that is resolved.
