'American Sniper' Opening scene analysis

The opening scene itself foreshadow the dark violence within this film. It serves as a tension builder for viewers to know how horrid war could be. It is certainly not a comedy-war-thriller or any other light mood genres.

To emphasize my point, here are some evidences:

The extreme long shot of the view from an aerial perspective shows a Middle-Eastern city, utterly destroyed by war. This allows viewers to know the setting of this story so as the time it takes place. From what we can see, the film probably takes place either in the Iraq war, or the war against Al-Qaeda.

The camera movements of these two scenes are completely different. The infantry unit kicking open doors were filmed in a handheld technique. This indicates the burning agitation and the crowded commotion the soldiers were going through. However, the shots where the two snipers were taken tends to pan more smoothly and stable. This therefore, indicates that the snipers were calm and harmonious, waiting for whatever target they will be handling. Viewers receive the information that being a sniper means a very inexorable heart - callous - even. 


In this scene, instead of feeling sympathetic towards the main protagonists, viewers are more concerned about the targets of the sniper. A child an a nun were the ones targeted.  This furthermore creates tension and inner controversial feelings whether or not shooting them was the right thing and who, in truth, should be seen as the victim. Instead of using stereotypical terrorist men, the film chose to use children and women... And if the woman was not a nun, viewers might be able to cope better. This use of mise-en-scene therefore, creates internal conflicts between our usual moral code of protecting the weak, and is killing them the only way out of this war - the only way to ensure the US Army's safety? The scene corresponds to the earlier paragraph. Being a sniper can mean merciless acts to ensure that duty is accomplished.

This close-up reaction shot of the main characters after the victims were shot shows that there could be no mercy after all in war (or moreover, in desperate times). People who are well trained like the Navy SEALs needs to be very strong both physically and emotionally. By laughing and calling the nun a 'bitch', shows that the characters has no more respect in religious beliefs, which might as well be what most other people at that time thinks. Praying does not free them from intruders and war.