Scarface Title Sequence Analysis

The beginning of the title sequence features a black screen with white typography informing the audience about the Cuban refugees moving to the United states in the 1980s. A dark pulsating soundtrack is used and builds up a lot of negative tension for the audience and gives the impression something bad is about to happen. 

The basic white typography stands out from the black background and causes the audience to pay attention to this information only. This gives the audience focus towards information about the storyline of the film and prevents any distractions with a moving background. This has been done because the information is crucial in understanding what the film is about.  

                                                            

This information then fades to a speech from Fidel Castro with english translation below it in the sane typography. 

This gives the film a more realistic and historical tone and really gets the audience to interact with Fidel Castro's brutality and aggression in his beliefs and how he drove people to this extent to leave their home country.

This further straight cuts into a black background with basic,bold,blood-red typography. 

This is effective as it stands out from the background and causes the names to stick in the audiences mind as a result. The blood-red is symbolic to the blood spilled further into the film. As the speech cuts into this title, the soundtrack raises in tempo and is more timid and also catchy as well as consistent. 

The director Brian de Palma cuts this in with real footage of boat journey of the Cuban refugees into the States. The old camera gives a raw and edgy feel to the footage and ties into the treatment of the refugees. 

 

The cuts between the black screen titles and the real footage continue to cut back and fourth throughout the journey and ties into the soundtrack nicely. The alternating effect flows very smoothly and gives the audience a fluent journey of the cubans journey.