The Walking Dead - Opening Scene Analysis

The Walking Dead – Opening Scene Analysis
The scene begins with a very long shot of our protagonist’s car driving down a desolate road
in what seems to be a secluded, wooded area. This shot continues, and soon reveals the car
is a police car. The shot also reveals that he is driving towards two wrecked cars, one of
which is a lorry which has been tipped. The road looks to be deserted, as the broken
streetlights and wreckage would infer. This makes the audience wonder about how this
came to be, and why our policeman does not seem to be driving with any panic or urgency.
Our long shot soon transforms into a medium shot, with the police car finally being parked
alongside the ruined cars.
The scene has still yet to cut, which makes the first ever shot of the walking dead a long
take. This long take gives the audience the most immersive view possible into our
protagonist’s world, and how gritty, dark and lonely it can be. Throughout this, the sound of
birds in the background and wind begin to play. Also, you can hear the crickets from the
forest surrounding, which again adds another layer of immersion for the audience.
Once parked, the policeman steps out of his vehicle, and pulls out a jerry can from the boot
of his car. He wanders through the countless cars and belongings scattered along the road.
He seems not intent on his surroundings, and completely ignores all of the wreckage around
him. This tells the audience that this situation is almost normal for our protagonist, and that
despite him being a cop, he has no intention of saving lives or wellbeing. The world we have
been introduced to is corrupted, and their normal way of living has been interrupted. The
jerry can further insinuate that the cop is searching for gasoline, which may be a commodity
in this new world. One minute in the audience is already introduced to the outcome of some
horrific event, but what caused this event is yet to be revealed.
The long take continues, with our policeman still wandering through the road. The camera
begins to zoom onto his face. His expression is one of anguish, and possibly fatigue.
Then the first cut of the scene is made, from a close up of our protagonist’s face to a
medium shot of him descending a small hill. Whist’s climbing down, the cop grasps his side
hastily, which would infer he is in pain or is injured. The concept of an injury adds to the
sense of danger in this scene. It also makes the audience ask to themselves, “why might he
be injured?”.
The scene continues into a gathering of cars, which appear to be parked, and not broken.
Our protagonist continues onwards, and the shot reveals more and more parked cars along
the fields. The medium shot tracks back, showing rick stumble through more and more cars.
The scene is then cut to the cops POV, revealing a small, pink tricycle and doll. The ambient
noise being to pick up and become louder, and our protagonists breathing starts to become
very noticeable. Naturally, the fact children’s toys are in such an unusual place makes the
audience begin to worry. In this potentially dangerous environment, children are under
threat and the audience will acknowledge that. Our POV shot promptly ends, and is cut to a
medium-long shot of the policeman again walking through the cars. This shot reveals a tarp
behind the protagonist, as well as washing baskets and clothes. Its now evident that people
lived here and used the area as a campsite or shelter. Now the audience will begin to
wonder why people are living in such conditions, and why their homes are not a better
option.
The cop begins to stoop down to one of the cars, and peers through the window in a
medium close up shot. In the driving seat, there is a rotting corpse of a woman. However,
our protagonist does not seem to panicked by the horrendous sight. Although slightly
disgusted, he simply brushes it off a continues searching for petrol. The scene has now
established that death, and disease are a common sight within this apocalyptic world, and
that our protagonist is under constant danger.

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