Film Openings Analysis #5 | No Country For Old Men (2007)

Titles

The interesting thing about No Country For Old Men is that after the studio titles and the actual movie title, there are no opening credits. This could have been done for a minimalist effect, which creates a very raw, natural atmosphere in the opening credits. What little credits there are, much like those of Brokeback Mountain, are written in a plain white font, with no serifs or accents. This reinforces the natural and open theme which surrounds the opening credits.

Music

Again, the opening credits of this movie are unique in that instead of having a theme or a score being played over the opening, the Coen brothers have instead opted for another form of non-diagetic sound - a voiceover narration by the main protagonist, played by Tommy Lee Jones. His southern drawl tells the audience that his grandfather and his father were both sheriffs and that he was simply following in the family's footsteps. He then goes on to say how "sheriffs used to never even carry a gun" which illustrates to the audience the changing nature of society and how it is becoming increasingly violent in modern times. This divide and change in society's nature is reinforced through Jones' repeated use of the term "old-timers" and he even says that he wonders how "they would have operated in these times." There is something seemingly cataclysmic/apocalyptic/biblical about how he speaks of the crumbling of society. This is reinforced when he tells us of the man who shot a fourteen year old girl, as he says that it is "his arrest, his testimony", This biblical nature of his speech is further solidified when he says that the criminal had known "he was going to hell," There is an impending finality that is illustrated by the criminal's use of "see you in fifteen minutes".
Jones then tells us of his daily fear of death, but that he understands that he has to be willing to die to even do the job he is doing. He ends on a tone of acceptance with "You just have to say 'OK, I'll be part of this world.' This further reinforces the sense of impending finality that is prevalent in the latter half of the opening scene.
The Coens' decision to not use a soundtrack but instead focus on the words of Jones sets a thoughtful, reflective tone to the introductory scene of the film, and as a result, to the rest of the film that is yet to unfold.

Shot Types/Mise-en-scene

Open, rolling landscaped, establishing long shorts constitute the vast majority of the film's opening. However, the last twenty or so seconds are characterised by a smooth panning shot which moves from the fields and hills to the road, where a criminal is being apprehended, who we are led to believe is Anton Chigurgh. It is at this point Jones' monologue moves onto the segment about accepting that he might die doing his job. At this point, the audience draws the idea of the impending finality, what Jones is saying, and what is onscreen together and a growing sense of dread is created which lasts the entire movie.