Opening Scenes and Enigma - 'The Usual Suspects'

The next film I am going to look at in terms of creating enigma and mystery is the thriller 'The Usual Suspects'.

The scene opens with a man setting fire to a dock, the lighting is low-key and the audience aren’t able to tell where the main character is. We see a dead body on the floor covered in blood, which would lead us to believe that the main character is about to be killed. 

Then the audience are introduced to another character, perhaps the antagonist, but because of the lighting we cannot make him out clearly. He is dressed in dark clothing and he is shot from a low angle so that his face is covered and he appears menacing. 

The man dressed in black steps over the dead body showing that he is used to death or that he could be linked to the murder of these men. The music is sinister and foreboding, and the sound of the lighter clicking is enhanced which creates the sense that the two men know each other although the audience are still unaware about the relationship between the two characters. The 'hidden' man is revealed to have a gun and shoots the man who we thought might be the main character, creating further enigma for the audience as they have lots of unanswered questions. 

After the gunshot there are extreme long shots to show the deserted and abandoned location, before the shots then get closer to show the spilling oil, which foreshadows the man setting fire to the dock. The close up of the lit cigarette falling creates enigma for the audience. There is then cross-cutting between he fire and the wood, and a shot of ropes where someone appears to be watching events. This scene creates lots of mystery as the director withholds narrative information, before cutting to a flashback where, the audience hopes, more information will be revealed about the two characters and their situation.