In the opening title sequence of "Forrest Gump", we see a single feather is moving with the wind decending toward the civilization below. As we view the feather decend a melodic, classical tune is playing in the background. We do not know at this point where the feather is located, or what city we are catching glimpses of as we track its dessent. As the feather finally makes it way to the ground it lands directly in front of a man sitting on a bus bench, who picks up the feather and places it within a book in his luggage. Based on knowledge of the movie I can interpret that the feather symbolizes the character of Forrest Gump. In the opening sequence the feather begins alone but slowly as it decends downward it is exposed to the buildings and peopel inhabiting that city. As with Forrest Gump, he primarily lived a simple life at the beginning of his, and as he aged he was exposed to new experiences that altered his path, just as the wind had with the feather. The melodic music palying in the background was simplistic and corresponded with the life of Forrest Gump. When Forrest Gump told the words of his mother to the stranger sitting with him on the park bench: "Mama always said, life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get", the symbolism provided in the opening sequence supported what she said in a way. As the feather was moving with the wind, there was no way of tracking it's location or interpreting what would happen next. As with the music, although it has a score and a set way that it's being played, other instruments were featured spiratically, and the listener could not interpret what would happen next. Forrest Gump is saying to be open to new experiences and let what will happen, happen.
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