About the opening credits...

[Lou-chan]

Yes, that's right. The opening credits.
I know this might seem like a really minor thing for some people, but for me it was interesting enough to address anyway. After all, it is the first impression you get from the movie.
When I first saw this movie, it was when it aired on TV sometime last December. I knew absolutely nothing about it except that it was some kind of vampire movie starring children. I didn't know whether it would be good or bad, and to be honest I just decided to watch it in order to kill some time. But when the opening credits started, it immediately caught my interest.
I thought it was a very unusual way to show the credits. On a completely black background, in complete silence, and with the text appearing on the far left side of the screen. Then it faded to snow falling, which later became blurry, and you hear Oskar's first line: "Skrik som en gris. Skrik då."
To me, this was a perfect way to start the movie, and like I said it was a way that I had never seen before. It gave you absolutely no hints on what to be expecting, and maybe even comes across as a bit creepy.
What do you guys think about it? Did it catch your attention? Or did you simply not care about it?

[Ka Faraq Gatri]

Actually now that i think about it, i didnt think too much of it when Oskar was stabbing air with his knife and with subsequent viewings i already knew why he was doing it.

I liked the snow at the beginning because it matched the the snow at the end just before the train scene, which to me signified a new beginning for Oskar and Eli.

Tomas Alfredson is a directorial genius, symbolism runs riot through-out the film.

[ayaparis]

The snow scene is really beautiful, it gives an eerie ambience of solitude. But I almost turned my attention away when the opening credits felt like forever. It certainly was slow paced even my family complained that it was slow. I'm the only one who finished the film and with everybody snoring I gave it another viewing later.

I guess what reinforced me to finish this movie is reading through reviews and spoilers by wikipedia I already know 2/3 of the plot but after watching the film I can only say that words alone can't capture feelings after watching the film in it's entirety.

[RobinPyyk]

I also reacted to the opening credits. It's just so quite and steady. almost creepy. beautiful. perfect.
yeah it is such a beautiful start... the opening credits and then the snow. and then "skrik som en gris" and then suddenly it starts.

but i noticed something for the first time when i watched the movie last time. i'ts not completely quite during the opening credits. you can actually hear sounds of the suburb... like the subway :O very quiet. i had a very good pair of headset hehe soOooo yeahh . .. .. . . . .

[intrige]

I thought my headset was broken, so by the time Oskar said: Skrik som en gris. I jumped off the chear, cause my ears exploted. And even with that first inpression, I still became infected

[Ingenting-ing]

Great idea for a thread, Lou.

Before we get to the very beautiful snow, and transparent Oskar, there's that seemingly endless period of credits on black. Superficially, it's really long and boring. But something's going on. First off, it's sensory deprivation. When the initial sounds and images of the film arrive, they hit hard because by then we're really paying attention. Second, it sets up an expectation. Something with a long intro like that must be really special, worth the wait. Perhaps we give the film additional attention with that in mind. Finally, there's a confidence there on the part of the director. He's not worried that we'll get bored, not feeling the need to give us something stimulating immediately. All told, it's the opposite of the standard Hollywood formula, and is one of the things that sets this film apart. I remember clearly my own sense of anticipation that first wonderful time I sat through the opening credits.

All that said, the first thing to then hit American viewers is what seems to be a reference to the film Deliverance (squeal like a pig). Don't think it was intentional, maybe breaks the mood, but that's just for a few minutes until you get sucked-in once again and realize the film isn't going in that direction.

[bore]

I jumped off the chear, caude my ears exploted.

Then you understand how Eli felt when trying Oskars "music-device"

[Aurora]

I agre with Ingenting-ing a quiet opening like that is IMO the best way to start a film like this.

Having said that I remember Alex Cox (the director of Repo Man) criticising a film that he was introducing on the BBC for using white lettering on a blackground, IIRC he thought it was lazy and unimaginative.

[gattoparde59]

I was probably predestined to like this movie. I love to sit quietly by myself, and I really love to look at snow falling at night.

[N.R. Gasan]

As I recall, when I finally got to see LTROI in its entirety, the long opening credits evoked a kind of anticipation. Like carefully unwrapping a long-wanted gift. As with others, I already had a good idea of what the film was about and that I was going to like it. So it wasn't a feeling of frustration waiting for the film to "get started," but rather a savoring-type experience, kind of "finally I'm seeing this."