Renegotiating the Overture: The Use of Sound and Music in the Opening Sequences of A Single Man and Shame

Melvin explores the concept of the cinematic overture, addressing the broader interpretations of the term within current and classical filmic practices. The chapter focuses on two films—Tom Ford’s A Single Man (2009) and Steve McQueen’s Shame (2011)—and in particular their opening sequences, neither of which constitutes an overture in the conventional sense, yet nonetheless seems to embrace many of its preconceived functional and aesthetic connotations. By considering the integration of sound, music and image in each example, Melvin offers a more holistic reading of the overture that renegotiates its established notions within the vernacular of contemporary cinema.