Drive Opening

The film Drive starts with a long shot of a classic New York skyline at night, with the camera rolling forwards closer to the city at a smooth slow pace. It frequently switches between long shots of night time New York with the car driving, and mid or close up shots of the man driving, behind the steering wheel to keep viewer interest with variation. However the frequent switching between angles and cameras does not create a fast paced mood for the opening but rather the opposite as the different shots merge and fade into each other so that the lights from the skyline are cast over the face of the driver.
The car is shown as a dark silhouette against the blurred, coloured lights of the city, which are kept out of focus and drift by to create a dream-like atmosphere in the sequence. This atmosphere is added to by the use of non-diegetic sound, in the form of an upbeat pop song with a steady pulse and synthesized backing music. The slightly unreal edge to the music and the edited voice of the singer adds to the dreamy mood by slightly removing the scene from reality. It is also used to create satisfying moments for the viewer like the light in the room being turned off in time with a beat in the song.
The lighting throughout the sequence is low key and presents a sharp contrast between the bright city lights and the deep shadows of night. The driver's face is often cast partially or completely in shadow as street lamps and the reflection of lights on the windshield pass over him. This creates a soothing, pleasant atmosphere rather than a menacing one as the sights are slightly unreal,  with the blurred lights and silhouettes, yet also familiar and therefore relaxing.
The Driver briefly leaves the car during the opening, and like the motion of the car driving his walk, and that of a woman's in the background, are smooth and even with no stopping or starting, so that the images on screen are consistently visually pleasing to the viewer and never uncomfortable.
The sequence ends as it began with a long shot of New York and the driver back behind the wheel on the road again.