Nano Technology

The opening sequence of the film shows four silhouettes of people travelling on a train. The film then cuts to show the molecular make up of the train and the material of the monorail line. It is made up of nanotubes that have incredible strength when placed together.

 

This opening sequence is meant to demonstrate the various different layers of the film’s structure. On the one hand it is about four people travelling on the train, but on the other hand the film is interested in what is happening on a molecular level and how this affects their lives.
Silhouettes were used in this scene to distinguish between the different individuals.

 

Although four people are travelling on a train together, their stories are very different. As a result the film does not reveal the characters until their story becomes apparent to the viewer.