Film Opening Research #1-- Rocky

4 titles are displayed during the opening sequence to the film.

A close up of God and two fighters during a boxing match are prioritized in the opening sequence.

The painting of Jesus above the ring can mean that a higher power is looking over the fighter(s). It's also a contrast to have a religious figure signifying peace and love above a violent sequence such as a boxing match,

The setting appears to be in a literal boxing ring, so the symbolic code reinforced the genre heavily. The camera zooming out on Jesus's face to immediately see the main character being punched in the face also reinforces the violence and shocking intensity of sports films. The diegetic sound of the audience cheering, grumbling, and yelling around them adds to the setting and the dark lighting adds intensity and emphasis to the action taking place.

An enigma is kind of established because the first actual shot of the movie is a close up of a religious figure's face, which you may not expect from a seemingly violent sports movie.

To appeal to their target audience, the opening credits use a lot of dramatic, "champion-like" introductory music, and the gritty feeling of the opening scene with two men fighting violently in the ring while the audience yells and boos at them appeals to anyone who likes violence, action, or sports movies that have an old and gritty feel.

The technology was used very effectively in this film. The transitions were exclusively cuts, but the angles were varied based on if the action followed the fighters or the audience.