From the get go Oliver Stone has his influence all over this film. We watch as Mallory dances with the jukebox in the diner as a man joins her. The camera tilts far off-centered to reveal the imbalance of the main characters in the world they exist it. The angle can be seen as a metaphor for their mental state which is overrun with the desire to fulfill the violence within them. And Stone makes it clear that violence is what is in them when Mickey has flashes of bloodying the man next to him at the counter.
These shots are seen in black and white and tell us instantly that they are in Mickey's mind and the screeching sound that accompanies it makes it all the more clear that Mickey has an open nerve that connects to rage and violence. We then watch as Mallory and Mickey murder everyone in the diner. While they do, Stone intercuts black and white scenes with full color. This shows that the violence that was inside of Mickey is coming out into the real world.
And the addition of a dance sequence under a spotlight concludes that the Knox's are certified psychopaths. We get all of this from the first sequence in the film and it creates immediately the tone that Stone is seeking to impress upon the audience. By doing this we are instantly transported into the world of the film and territory we are not accustomed to experiencing in our lives as viewers.
An important note is that Quentin Tarantino wrote the screenplay for the film, which he was given a "story by" credit for. Thus we see glimpses of Tarantino's trademark style as this film was prior to Pulp Fiction.
