What Makes a Great Opening Scene- Ken Russell's "The Devils" (1971)

(No spoilers for The Devils beyond the first scene, but if you haven't seen it I'd highly recommend you do)

Ken Russell's controversial masterpiece The Devils is one of my favourite films and I'd like to explain why through it's opening scene. Its opening scene not only sets up the tone, story, characters, and themes, incredibly well but also makes a good example for what constitutes a great opening scene (generally speaking). The film is the story of a 17th Century minister played by Oliver Reed who is accused of witchcraft which leads to hysteria in his home town, but the opening scene is very clear with who the real Devils are.

Here's the scene- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQcNkzs8bn0

Not the best quality so I'll use images as well.

It opens on King Louis XIII performing a strange Birth of Venus play. Straight away he is a joke, a silly frivolous man, portraying himself as the god of sex, beauty, fertility, etc, and his piece also has him showering coins over those with him on the stage. Not only does he see himself as a god but also a generous one. Though as we can see he is framed within the centre of a storm. - http://i.imgur.com/Mvq1cST.png

He’s juxtaposed with the very proper, though ridiculous in his own way, Cardinal Richelieu. He’s separate from the rabble around him both visually and in his head. He sits while everyone stands, he is special. But his veil of respectability is thin. In the second shot he seemed positioned to be the Devil. As the king and his cohorts raise their arms to the sky, to God, he's down below blood crimson watching over everything. - http://i.imgur.com/dK8LScz.png http://i.imgur.com/xOC0I8h.png

He acts like he’s more holy than those around him while wearing a bunch of rings adorned with large jewels. He doesn’t even stand himself, the nuns behind him lift him. Nuns who look washed out and near death compared to his healthy pink skin. -http://i.imgur.com/44NejmF.png

Already we can see how much the Church have sacrificed their values for power, the room has the energy of an orgy more so than respectability or anything else. - http://i.imgur.com/X13rvVV.png

Both the heads of Church and State are equally corrupt and ill fit for their job. They’ve arisen through either luck or greed. Both of them merge as the King kisses the Cardinal’s hand. It’s then that the title card declares them both the titular devils. - http://i.imgur.com/1yr80sS.png http://i.imgur.com/igt2L7P.png

Immediately after that it cuts to the result of this marriage in Church and State. A bunch of Protestant slaves are being ordered around as a tortured body hangs in the air. - http://i.imgur.com/MWUTgOA.png

Russell isn’t subtle but Russell is angry. The combination of two powers driven equally by greed as they are by their own whims and specific beliefs is a horror show that slowly unfolds as the film goes on. Justice, the Church, the State, the people, and everything else are perverted by this happening. Within four minutes Ken Russell sets up one of the major themes of the film while also making a powerful statement. Sometimes you have to be direct when you feel so passionate about something and that’s how The Devils feels. Though it’s made about the past it feels so incredibly urgent, and more about the present than anything. It’s not a film that ends with you thinking “I’m glad we learned from our mistakes” as much as it leaves you sad at how little we change.

That opening is weird, colourful, engrossing, confrontational, and an encapsulation of what the film is about to get in to. An excellent start to an excellent film. But not all opening scenes need to be so direct. What do you think makes a perfect opening scene?

Also, when does a film get too direct? I really enjoy in the in your face nature of The Devils because it makes its points land even stronger with a real sense of conviction behind them. Then on the other hand something like Cloud Atlas really annoyed me with how much it restated its themes. Does it sometimes depend on the message that's being conveyed? The Devils caused controversy so clearly it struck a nerve and maybe the sense that it's a necessary statement is what makes it work while Cloud Atlas is a little more general. There's a fine line between impassioned and preachy and I'm not sure what tips it, could even be what ideas you're more receptive too (though in the case of Cloud Atlas I had little problem with Fish Story which is doing and saying similar things).

If you've seen The Devils I'd love to hear what you think of it too.