Influenced by “Snatch”, “Wild Bunch” and Muhammad Ali! ? The secret story behind the birth of the title background!

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2018.07.13Atsunobu Ushizu

Would your impression of the movie be different without the title background?

Thus, the concept of this film was solidified by combining the techniques of The Wild Bunch with the Muhammad Ali poster, an element that at first glance would seem to have no connection. However, there were many other small details that needed to be worked out, such as the order in which each character appeared, the points at which the screen would freeze, the consistency with the music, the font and position of the text, and the directing ideas of how the characters would pass the baton to each other. Furthermore, Guy Ritchie is someone who places as much importance on the credibility and reliability of his staff as on their abilities and talents, so Hilton & Cross would have had no time to relax during the limited time they worked on it.

All of this was done to make this "one minute" the most fun and fascinating moment. And in "Snatch," where one mistake could have led to the film being labeled as "a movie with too many characters and a complicated story," it is no exaggeration to say that the fate of the film was determined by the quality of this one-minute title sequence.

What if this movie didn't have a title sequence? Just thinking about it is enough to send shivers down your spine, but on the other hand, it was precisely because of the title sequence that the characters who never meet together in the actual story were able to compactly gather together in one minute. By tying up the knot of this long story, the disjointed impressions of the movie take on a tight cohesion.

This title sequence is not only cool and catchy, but also captures the characteristics of an ensemble drama and is packed with content. It is precisely because everything is so carefully calculated that it is still so addictive and continues to be loved (in some ways, more than the main story).

Ian Cross and Stuart Hilton were such strong supporters of this film behind the scenes. I wondered if they continued to steadily create title sequences after that. I was curious and looked into it, and found out that they only worked on one film, "Snatch." They are still active as a creative duo under the name " FAQ ," and are mainly active in the commercial field. If you search, you will find their website, so if you are interested, please check out their recent work. Although the commercials are all completely different in style from the title sequences, the same "Snatch"-ism of well-paced and well-thought-out detail is still alive and well in all of their works.

reference:

http://www.artofthetitle.com/title/snatch/

Text: USHIZU ATSUNOBU

Born in Nagasaki in 1977. When he was 3 years old, he saw ``Superman II'' with his father and became fascinated with movies. After The Graduate from Meiji University, he worked for a movie broadcasting channel and then became a movie writer. Currently, in addition to writing for Eiga.com, EYESCREAM, Real Sound Movie Club, etc., he also contributes to media press and theater programs.

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"Snatch" on sale now

Blu-ray 2,381 yen (excluding tax) / DVD 1,410 yen (excluding tax)

Publisher/distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment

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