Dexter

When Eric Anderson was producing the American TV series ‘Dexter’ he knew he had a character that was split in a way between ‘normal and violent’. He wanted a name that would mirror the characters personality. He discovered that the name ‘Dexter’ looked similar both right way up and upside down.

Even though the opening sequence of Dexter seems to be the daily routine of a man getting ready for the day, it’s packed full of violent references. Dexter’s life revolves around death and blood. He is a blood splatter expert at work, and a mass murdered in his spare time therefore the opening sequence is showing that everything about his life has violent reference to them. In a way the close ups symbolise that know one can ever really see the full picture which mirrors his personality because everyone is oblivious to his alter ego.

The slicing of the meat for his breakfast all have murderous connotations along with the slicing with the sharp knife and the splatter of tabasco sauce.

Even to the way he gets dressed, pulling his shoes laces through the holes with such force gives a strangulation kind of reference. The micro pause when he pulls his top over his face so you can make out the structure of his features gives them impression of suffocation. And yet after all this previous imagery of violence he leaves the house presented as completely ‘normal’ looking man. The shot of the key leaving the lock in the door I think is a strong example of the saying ‘’you never know what’s behind closed doors’’ as this mirrors his personality perfectly. The open sequence is accompanied by very jaunty menacing music which best describes Dexter’s personality.