Hermeneutic Codes

For us to give our film a convincing story line we have studied Hermeneutic Codes.

The opening sequence I have chosen the is the first 2minutes of the 2001 thriller vanilla sky, I will address the hermeneutic code theory of how film story lines are constructed. The hermeneutic code is one of six codes laid out by Roland Barthes.
The very start of the opening sequence is an ariel shot of an expensive looking new york apartment this is already maintaining the audiences interest in the film. The camera then cuts to a room it's a simple but hight class looking room, as the camera pans a flat screen tv is seen again this holds the interest of the audience it also teases the audience showing them expensive brand new technology. The camera carries on panning and ends up looking at the main character asleep in bed in the shot an expensive looking music system beside the bed is seen again teasing and holding the audiences attention.
The character, played by Tom Cruise awakes and turns the tv off and the TV sinks into the floor this is a key hermeneutic feature called equivocation meaning a mixture of truth and snare and futurist items. The TV sinking into the floor shows future design and wealth. This grabs the audiences attention again by making them think is the film set in the future. As Tom walks across the room the camera follows him he appears to be an average Joe character living a millionaire life style. It cuts to the bathroom and the character shows how vain he is as he plucks his grey hair. This questions the audience, as they don't know who he is or what he does, is he a model or a playboy millionaire. Again it cuts to a shot of him getting dressed still holding the audience as they want to find out who he was. Once dressed he picks up a rolex watch a stereotypical item of wealthy people, as he picks up the watch he also picks up a huge wod of money confirming his wealth. It cuts again to a shot of him walking out his apartment the camera is fixed and captures how big the apartment is.
The hermeneutic code is still in full use as the shot cuts to a shot of Tom in a Ferrari as he goes to pull out of his car park he looks left and right and the street is empty. A very unusual sight for the centre of newyork this again keeps the viewers interest. As he progresses through the city every street is empty he arrives at times square (the centre of newyork) and even that is empty. The empty city and the not know who he is keeps the audience interested and forces them to keep watching. He gets out the car and starts running, the shot jumps back to the first shot of the scene, exactly the same as it appeared at the start and as it pans down to the bed he jumps awake and the previous scene is represented as a dream.


This is where the two minutes were up. In the scene the audience is taken on a ride of suspense and interest. The opening sequence really sets the tone of the film. The sequence sticks to every rule of the Hermeneutic Code. AS the film progresses it still sticks to the code right up till the end.