'Narcos' Title sequence analysis by Daniel Robb

From the website www.artofthetitle.com, I'm studying the opening sequence of Narcos (2015).

Firstly, the opening shot immediately establishes the tone of the film as that of mysterious and dark by introducing elements such as the dark blue tint and low exposure lighting. Also the imagery of the recorder demonstrates a mysterious construct at play due to the connotations of espionage associated with the antiquity.

As the scene moves forward, the spilling of cocaine enters the frame as if exploding onto the background which immediately reinforces the criminal undertone by explicitly demonstrating the mechanism of future greed and aggression. Also, the close up shot effectively introduces the importance of the narcotic therefore drawing on the main hook point of the show.

Furthermore, a certain intensity is initiated concerning the implications of how the episodes will endeavour to dramatise the issue of drug abuse and dealership. As a result, the use of monochrome colours aids the black and white mentality relating to good and evil which also cleverly demonstrates a method of juxtaposition.

In direct contrast, orange tinted lighting introduces a metaphor for rose tinted glasses relating to the 80s era of how the world was seen in an optimistic lens furthermore the white barrier covering the eyes serves to reinforce this ideal by utilising their eyes as receptors of the ideal. However an alternative interpretation could be argued that the barriers act as the elimination of targets for the drug enforcement agency therefore alluding to the criminal undertone present amongst the atmosphere of Narcos. Furthermore the saturated colour scheme enables an essence of claustrophobia as it spills from the edges seemingly trapping the viewer into an already bustling environment.

Using the imagery of an unidentifiable soldier also relates to the criminal themes however it could be argued that the red bandana and cap help to conceal their identity therefore the mystery element is kept intact and a layer of uncertainty allows for a fear factor to be introduced.
Therefore, the following shots culminate into an effective method of encapsulating the criminal undertones and thematically relating to the tyranny of Pablo Escobar and associating itself with a correct alignment of how the TV show will play upon these themes.

Incorporating archived clips would also benefit in increasing the immersion as it effectively introduces the different element of realism that would be provided relating to the accuracy that Narcos will need as prerequisite due to its unconventional take upon releasing a genre that meets the middleground between documentary and action.

Finally, revealing the aerial shot of the city and a long shot of a burning car recapitulate the overarching themes of freedom and chaos that have the potential to be foreshadowed for the remaining episodes; driving the inevitable suspense into stimulation for audiences.