The Italian Job opening sequence

The titles start with an establisher shot showing the audience the setting and the sound of a car can be heard breaking the silence, because it's the only sound the audience can hear they will focus on it and be curious as to where it is and where it's going. The director is focusing the audience's attention on the car because it will indirectly play an important role in the development of the story.

The car is revealed: a Lamborghini Miura, this choice of vehicle shows that Roger Beckermann (the driver) is a wealthy man with style and taste, this helps the audience get an idea of what he is like. The car is shown in the picturesque landscape of the italian alps and all is well. The roar of the engine slowly fades out and the music slowly fades in, this creates a very calm atmosphere as the credits begin.

During the credits some names are shown in a larger font so that the audience will notice them more, these names are usually of people who are already famous and this will keep the audience interested and may draw fans of those actors to watch the film even if they weren't orginally going to.

During the credits there are very few changes in camera shot, for the most part it is just one; a POV shot out of the windscreen of the car, this keeps the pace slow and relaxed. The POV shot is mixed with several medium shots of Roger Beckermann as he is drving. He is always shown to be relaxed and in control and during one shot he puts on a pair of sunglasses, this continues to show that his character is a stylish and cool headed man.

The credits and the song draw to a close and the engine sound fades back in as the car enters a tunnel, there is very little light inside and this combined with the lack of uplifting music creates an eerie atmosphere. Suddenly the car explodes, this quick change of pace will come as a shock to the audience.

A bulldozer drags the mangled remains of the miura out of the tunnel and a suspicious looking man (Mafia boss Altabani) appears out of the smoke, he casually looks at the wreck and signals for the bulldozer driver to dump the wreck over the cliff. The audience will instantly dislike this man due to his lack of respect for the dead, and they will feel sympathy to Roger Beckermann as he and his car are carelessly destroyed.

A short, down beat non diagetic song is played as Altabani walks towards the cliff. He steps on Roger's sunglasses, thereby destroying the last piece of his identity. A ceremonial wreath is handed to him by an assistant and Altabani throws it down into the gorge after Rogers remains, the other mafia men then bow and lower their hats but Altabani doesn't, once again showing his lack of respect to Roger.