Response to Ashali's Question

1. Do you think the opening scene of a movie with using a metaphor is or is one of the most powerful ways to set the tone for the rest of the movie/documentary/program?

An opening scene is crucial to get right because it sets the tone for the rest of the movie, but also allows for the most freedom of content and film making because there is nothing that comes before it (unlike in a conclusion) to hold it accountable to depicting certain themes, tying certain loose ends, or portraying a nice denouement.

Let's consider a type of film that does opening scenes right: 007 films. In Bond films, the opening scene is all about high-adrenaline action. The story hasn't even started yet, and it seems the filmmakers want to have fun concocting the most outrageous and awesome action sequences before story constrains them. While I'm sure there are metaphors that link the opening to the rest of the film, a metaphorical depiction is not the purpose of the 007 openings.

Now, consider the film W. that does open with a metaphor that is returned to throughout the movie. We see W. in a baseball field going back to catch a fly ball. The metaphor acts as a unifying agent throughout the movie, as it ends with a similar situation. It works, kind of. Personally, I prefer a high-octane intro that gets me on the edge of my seat rather than some metaphor that, at least at the get-go, leads to nowhere.