The following analysis was conducted by Sally
The first part of the opening sequence is a set of opening titles. The opening titles are a black background with white titles/text, which transition’s are blurred, which could help suggest disorientation. The initial music could suggest tragedy – this is particularly established at the very beginning, where bell-type music helps to symbolise innocence and the drum-type music over the top helping to symbolise the innocence destroyed by an attacker of some sort. Furthermore, this could suggest a murder which is conventional for a Thriller film. Already from the opening titles, we are able to get some sense of narrative, which is also conventional.
We then have a transition of what appears to be a merry-go-round moving very quickly, still with opening titles, transitioning onto a number of different medium shot cuts of Sean Archer (John Trovota’s character) and his son on the merry-go-round. The medium shots here helps to show the overall muse-en-scene, (the location of a merry-go-round emphasises this sense of innocence, which juxtapose with the disorientation of colour and the dark music which suggests danger or evil). The same instrumental music is continued, but with the addition of the non-diegetic voice over of the child laughing. Furthermore, this establishes and emphasises this sense of innocence, and so we as an audience can already guess that the equilibrium will be broken and it could possibly have something to do with the impairment of this character. Medium long shots help to establish them in that location and the medium close-ups help to show the emotion on the characters faces and also instantly establishes the relationship between these two characters – we can instantly establish they are father and son. The colouring seems dimmed down which could help to represent the fact that this may be a flashback or part of the past.
We then have a long establishing shot of a merry-go-round which presents the viewer with many different connotations (happiness, simplicity, youth etc.) which is then broken by a close-up of a sniper rifle followed by a long shot of Caster Troy (Nicholas Cage). The fact that he has a sniper riffle could automatically classify this film as an action thriller. This is the first time we are introduced to this character. The long shot helps to establish the fact that this character is on his own and isolated, which significantly is in comparison to this busy, loving setting at the merry-go-round that we have previously seen. The music suddenly gets darker which could suggest the characteristics of this character, suggesting he is the villain in the story, and also suggests that the narrative will have something to do with a battle against him and Sean Archer. This is where the title of the film appears, with ‘Face’ written in black and ‘Off’ written in white – the significant contrast in colour change here helps to emphasise the narrative of a battle between too people. The title ‘Face Off’ also helps to create this theme of identity (as the face is a vital part of a person’s identity) which is conventional for a thriller. A slow motion close-up of Cater Troy sipping his drink out of a straw before looking through the viewfinder on the sniper rifle emphasises the expression on his face, which appears very casual, suggesting this routine is normal for him, additionally emphasizing the character to be a villain. The point-of-view shot through the view-finder of Sean Archer and his son confirms that the film will revolve around the battle between the two characters and therefore establishes the narrative. The music is very dark throughout this and so therefore suggests drama and evil in the narrative, which is a vital convention in a thriller film.
A zoom out of Caster Troy’s face along with the bell-type music helps to explain the expression his face He seems to be in thought and a sense of discomfort. The music in particular establishes that he has just realised his antagonist has a child, which we immediately presume is the reason of the sense of hesitation/guilt. This is emphasised by a following of a slow-motion shot of Sean Archer and his son smiling and showing affection. This quickly switches back to a medium shot of Caster Troy taking another sip of his drink, suggesting that the hesitation has not thrown him off the idea of what he is going to do next. The fact that the music has not changed also helps to emphasise this. It is a small shot, and is quickly switched back to a number of different shots of Sean Archer and his child showing affection towards each other. All shots are medium close-ups which help to show the happiness and emotion on both characters faces, in exception to the last shot of them together which is a medium shot of Sean kissing his son’s head and then hugging him, showing a bond and a sense of affection and equilibrium between the characters.
We then switch back to a medium shot of Caster Troy looking through the view finder. We then go back to a point-of-view shot of Caster looking through the view finder. As soon as the point in the middle of the viewfinder hits Sean’s back, the music dramatically changes and gets darker. We then get a close-up shot of Caster pulling the trigger, followed by a slow motion shot of the bullet coming towards the camera. The slow motion helps to establish the drama of the scene, and emphasises how vital it is.
We then get a close up shot of it hitting Sean’s back and a load of blood coming through his jacket. The costume of Sean is a green jacket, which could have been used to help contrast the blood on the jacket. We instantly get the sense of broken equilibrium. This is followed by a long shot of him jolting back which fully establishes the fact it has hit him. This is emphasised by the way in which the music the fully comes to a holt, which could also suggest a life has to come an end as well. It also helps to create the tension and suspense of weather this character has infact died the reaction of the other character etc. A medium shot of Sean falling with his son in his arms shows how important his son is to him. A close-up of blood on the horse where the young boy was sitting on the merry-go-round shows that blood has also been drawn by his son. The fact the horse symbolises innocence and now has blood (which has connotations of pain etc.) also helps to establish this. As an audience, at first we presumed that it was only Sean who got shot and believed this up until this point where we realise that as an audience we got a sense of false path, which is conventional of a thriller. We then get a medium shot of Sean on the ground, followed by panning camera movement to his son, who is laying down and is unconscious, possibly dead – this helps confirm the technique of ‘false path’. We then have a medium close up of Caster Troy – the mise-en-scene of the sniper rifle helps to confirm it was him that shot Sean and his son. His facial expression helps to tell us he was not meaning to kill Sean’s son, which confirms the theory that this battle is between Sean and Caster and is not between Caster and Sean’s family. We then go back to a medium shot of Sean dragging himself towards his dead son. The medium shot helps us to see this but also helps us to see the emotion on Sean’s face, which shows devastation. The merry-go-round in the background helps to remind the audience the innocence of the scene. This is then emphasised by a focused zoom-in of the merry-go-round.
Friday 16 January 2009
Opening analysis of The Shining
This analysis was conducted by Laurel
First seen on screen is a wide shot of what appears to be a very remote area. The audience can see a lake with mountains and the sky line in the background. The camera quickly zooms in and sweeps over the lake. This slowly fades into an extreme high angle shot (birds eye view) which looks down on a car travelling along a small road surrounded by trees and water. The camera continues to stay at this high angle whilst following the car on its journey. A quick edit changes the camera to a lower high angle shot which then continues to follow the car. After this another quick edit changes the angle of the camera and the scenery (to a road in the mountains) and again continues to pursue the car. Eventually the audience is able to see the vehicle as the camera overtakes it and swoops off the side of the mountain. Once more, the pattern of the high angle shot tracking the car prolongs. As it maintains this the scenery changes slightly as the car moves deeper and higher into the mountains, for example, the audience can see images of snow capped mountains. The camera then tracks along the road as the car comes closer to meeting its destination and for the opening titles to finish. After two and half minutes of the opening scene and credits we are introduced to the overlook hotel for the first time, we know nothing about it but what it looks like and how big it is. We assume this is where the story is going to take place. By the end of this three minute clip the audience still do not k now who the car that the camera has been following belongs too.
Through the whole opening very bright, ambient and natural lighting is used. Due to the fact that the sunlight is so vivid large shadows silhouette the tall mountains and trees and stretch across the lake and road. This provides the audience with a sense of fear as it suggests that this place is not as nice as it looks or something bad is going to happen to darken the area. It appears to be a very peaceful place, however, due to the music and the vast gulf of isolation we no that this not going to be the case and there is something suspicious about the area.
The music featured on these opening titles is a very effective dramatic device. The piece of music was based on the “Dies Irae” a tradition catholic funeral dirge and is very symphonic. At the start of the opening the music is very deep sounding and single notes are played, with changes in pitch. This continues, where at times the notes get higher, however the music is still very monotone. At approximately forty five seconds through the opening high pitched sounds can be heard through the extremely low notes. This adds to the dramatic and tense feel the music gives to the audience. This follows a few seconds later. Eventually the titles begin to appear. The colour of the font is blue, which is usually seen to be a gentler colour but Kubrick makes this font seem more eerie by the sound he uses of tribal music and screaming women.
In my opinion the music makes the audience feel very uncomfortable and on edge. I think this opening theme music is a good example of having effects on the audience.
The opening of this film allows us to have an idea of the type of complex camera angles that can be used and how a good piece of music can make the opening of the film immediately appeal to the audience and indicate what type of genre this film is going to be.
Tuesday 13 January 2009
M. Night Shyamalan
The following research has been conducted by Sally.
M. Night Shyamalan is an academy award nominated writer and director, who is best known for ‘making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that usually climax with a twist ending.’
Shyamalan said that the "The Tale of the Dream Girl" episode of Nickelodeon's television series Are You Afraid of the Dark? directed by David Winning was an inspiration for the film’[1]
‘Some critics have suggested that he would be more successful by hiring a screenwriter to help translate his stories to the big screen. He has also been labeled a "one-trick pony" for his continuous use of what some people call the "twist" element in his screenplays. After the release of The Village, Slate's Michael Agger noted that Shyamalan was following "an uncomfortable pattern" of "making fragile, sealed-off movies that fell apart when exposed to outside logic."
In a May 31, 2008, interview with the London Independent, Shyamalan offered this answer to the question about his "one-trick" movies: "Q: A common misperception of me is ... A:That all my movies have twist endings, or that they're all scary. All my movies are spiritual and all have an emotional perspective."
In recent years, M. Night Shyamalan has been accused of plagiarism. Robert McIlhinney, a Pennsylvania screenwriter, sued Shyamalan over the similarity of Signs to his unpublished script Lord of the Barrens. Margaret Peterson Haddix considered a lawsuit after it was noted that The Village had numerous elements found in her children's novel Running Out of Time.[2]
‘M. Night Shyamalan’s films often incorporate themes of trauma, death, water, and secrets. His use of supernatural events can invoke a closer look at these themes. And despite being reared in an affluent and very educated family, Night’s creative drive has always been high. So what make’s him tick? Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn recognizes these intriguing attributes, and with "exclusive" interviews with Night on the set of The Village, Kahn sets out to find out if Night is personally hiding some of these elements in his personal life.’ [3]
Films
Shyamalan’s’ first film was released in 1992, called ‘Praying with Anger’. It was funded by the borrowing of money from both Shyamalans’ friends and family. Shyamalan himself acted in this film, playing the character Dev Raman. ‘To date, the film has been shown primarily at film festivals and never received a wide release for mainstream distribution. It has gradually developed a cult following as a seminal work exploring the clash of Western values with those of the Indian subcontinent.’[4]
His second film, Wide Awake, was made in 1995, but was not released until 1998. ‘It is the only Shyamalan-directed film to date in which the director does not make a cameo appearance’[5] ‘The film is similar to later Shyamalan films with a theme of crises of belief, a supernatural sub-plot, and a twist ending that sums up the ideas presented in the film’[6] The film was unsuccessful to say the least.
His most successful film to date, The Sixth Sense, (which Shyamalan both wrote and directed) was released in 1999. The line ‘I see dead people’ instantly became a type of catchphrase for the film. The film gained mostly positive reviews. It grossed $26.6 million in its opening weekend and spent five weeks as the #1 film at the U.S. box office[7]. The film was nominated for six academy awards and in 1999 won the Nebula Award for Best Script in an award from the members Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. In 2007, the American Film Institution put Scary Movie in the 89th position in the run for best film.
His fourth film was Unbreakable, which was also an unsuccessful film and did not manage to make a net profit. Shyamalan says he was disappointed with the response of the general public and critics[8]. ‘Unbreakable was nominated the Saturn Award for Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film, but lost out to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America honored Shyamalan with a Nebula Award nomination for his screenplay.’[9]
Shyamalan’s next successful film came in 2002, with the science fiction thriller film, Signs. The film received generally high and positive reviews from both the critics and the public, and also and was also one of the best earning films of that year.
‘Roger Ebert wrote:
M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" is the work of a born filmmaker, able to summon apprehension out of thin air. When it is over, we think not how little has been decided, but how much has been experienced ... At the end of the film, I had to smile, recognizing how Shyamalan has essentially ditched a payoff. He knows, as we all sense, that payoffs have grown boring.’[10]. In 2004, Bravo ranked a scene from Signs #77 on the list of 100 Scariest Movie Moments. The Village was released in 2004, and was the third of Shyamalan’s films to hit success, earning him his first Academy award for Best Opening Score. However, after its first successful weekend, the film received a major fall of 67% and some later said the film was a disappointment. ‘Shyamalan expressed a great deal of regret in the way the film was marketed, telling producing partner Sam Mercer, while overseeing the editing of the teaser trailer for Lady in the Water, that he had wished for The Village to have been sold as a period romance with a scare only at the end of the trailer. Shyamalan is also said to have thought that the shift in the main theme of faith from his previous films to that of deception resulted in the mixed-negative response. Citing that his other movies set out to make an audience believe in the supernatural, The Village set out to do the opposite’.[11] Shyamalan’s most recent film, The Happening, was released in 2008. It was Shyamalan’s first R-Rated film, and over its first weekend, ‘the total gross came in at $30,517,109 in 2,986 theaters in the United States and Canada, averaging to about $10,220 per venue, and ranking #3 at the box office, behind The Incredible Hulk and Kung Fu Panda’[12] and also appeared at the top of the DVD rental in its first week of release.
[1] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0796117/bio
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Night_Shyamalan
[3] http://www.dvdfile.com/review/the-buried-secret-of-m-night-shyamalan-29
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praying_with_Anger
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_Awake
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Night_Shyamalan
[7] http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=sixthsense.htm
[8] http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,333419,00.html
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbreakable_(film)#Comic_book_references
[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signs_(film)#Reception
[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Night_Shyamalan
[12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Happening_(2008_film)#References
M. Night Shyamalan is an academy award nominated writer and director, who is best known for ‘making movies with contemporary supernatural plots that usually climax with a twist ending.’
Shyamalan said that the "The Tale of the Dream Girl" episode of Nickelodeon's television series Are You Afraid of the Dark? directed by David Winning was an inspiration for the film’[1]
‘Some critics have suggested that he would be more successful by hiring a screenwriter to help translate his stories to the big screen. He has also been labeled a "one-trick pony" for his continuous use of what some people call the "twist" element in his screenplays. After the release of The Village, Slate's Michael Agger noted that Shyamalan was following "an uncomfortable pattern" of "making fragile, sealed-off movies that fell apart when exposed to outside logic."
In a May 31, 2008, interview with the London Independent, Shyamalan offered this answer to the question about his "one-trick" movies: "Q: A common misperception of me is ... A:That all my movies have twist endings, or that they're all scary. All my movies are spiritual and all have an emotional perspective."
In recent years, M. Night Shyamalan has been accused of plagiarism. Robert McIlhinney, a Pennsylvania screenwriter, sued Shyamalan over the similarity of Signs to his unpublished script Lord of the Barrens. Margaret Peterson Haddix considered a lawsuit after it was noted that The Village had numerous elements found in her children's novel Running Out of Time.[2]
‘M. Night Shyamalan’s films often incorporate themes of trauma, death, water, and secrets. His use of supernatural events can invoke a closer look at these themes. And despite being reared in an affluent and very educated family, Night’s creative drive has always been high. So what make’s him tick? Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn recognizes these intriguing attributes, and with "exclusive" interviews with Night on the set of The Village, Kahn sets out to find out if Night is personally hiding some of these elements in his personal life.’ [3]
Films
Shyamalan’s’ first film was released in 1992, called ‘Praying with Anger’. It was funded by the borrowing of money from both Shyamalans’ friends and family. Shyamalan himself acted in this film, playing the character Dev Raman. ‘To date, the film has been shown primarily at film festivals and never received a wide release for mainstream distribution. It has gradually developed a cult following as a seminal work exploring the clash of Western values with those of the Indian subcontinent.’[4]
His second film, Wide Awake, was made in 1995, but was not released until 1998. ‘It is the only Shyamalan-directed film to date in which the director does not make a cameo appearance’[5] ‘The film is similar to later Shyamalan films with a theme of crises of belief, a supernatural sub-plot, and a twist ending that sums up the ideas presented in the film’[6] The film was unsuccessful to say the least.
His most successful film to date, The Sixth Sense, (which Shyamalan both wrote and directed) was released in 1999. The line ‘I see dead people’ instantly became a type of catchphrase for the film. The film gained mostly positive reviews. It grossed $26.6 million in its opening weekend and spent five weeks as the #1 film at the U.S. box office[7]. The film was nominated for six academy awards and in 1999 won the Nebula Award for Best Script in an award from the members Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. In 2007, the American Film Institution put Scary Movie in the 89th position in the run for best film.
His fourth film was Unbreakable, which was also an unsuccessful film and did not manage to make a net profit. Shyamalan says he was disappointed with the response of the general public and critics[8]. ‘Unbreakable was nominated the Saturn Award for Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film, but lost out to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America honored Shyamalan with a Nebula Award nomination for his screenplay.’[9]
Shyamalan’s next successful film came in 2002, with the science fiction thriller film, Signs. The film received generally high and positive reviews from both the critics and the public, and also and was also one of the best earning films of that year.
‘Roger Ebert wrote:
M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs" is the work of a born filmmaker, able to summon apprehension out of thin air. When it is over, we think not how little has been decided, but how much has been experienced ... At the end of the film, I had to smile, recognizing how Shyamalan has essentially ditched a payoff. He knows, as we all sense, that payoffs have grown boring.’[10]. In 2004, Bravo ranked a scene from Signs #77 on the list of 100 Scariest Movie Moments. The Village was released in 2004, and was the third of Shyamalan’s films to hit success, earning him his first Academy award for Best Opening Score. However, after its first successful weekend, the film received a major fall of 67% and some later said the film was a disappointment. ‘Shyamalan expressed a great deal of regret in the way the film was marketed, telling producing partner Sam Mercer, while overseeing the editing of the teaser trailer for Lady in the Water, that he had wished for The Village to have been sold as a period romance with a scare only at the end of the trailer. Shyamalan is also said to have thought that the shift in the main theme of faith from his previous films to that of deception resulted in the mixed-negative response. Citing that his other movies set out to make an audience believe in the supernatural, The Village set out to do the opposite’.[11] Shyamalan’s most recent film, The Happening, was released in 2008. It was Shyamalan’s first R-Rated film, and over its first weekend, ‘the total gross came in at $30,517,109 in 2,986 theaters in the United States and Canada, averaging to about $10,220 per venue, and ranking #3 at the box office, behind The Incredible Hulk and Kung Fu Panda’[12] and also appeared at the top of the DVD rental in its first week of release.
[1] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0796117/bio
[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Night_Shyamalan
[3] http://www.dvdfile.com/review/the-buried-secret-of-m-night-shyamalan-29
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praying_with_Anger
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_Awake
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Night_Shyamalan
[7] http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=sixthsense.htm
[8] http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,333419,00.html
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unbreakable_(film)#Comic_book_references
[10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signs_(film)#Reception
[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Night_Shyamalan
[12] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Happening_(2008_film)#References
Thursday 8 January 2009
The Others. Opening analysis.
This piece of reseach was conducted by Laurel.
I was unable to find the opening on youtube and post it on here but have analysed the opening from the DVD.
Whilst waiting for her husband’s return from war, Grace and her two young children live an unusually isolated existence behind the locked doors and drawn curtains of a secluded isolated mansion. Then, after three mysterious servants arrive it becomes chillingly clear that there is far more to this house that can be seen. Grace finds herself in a terrifying fight to save her children and keep her sanity.
At the beginning of the opening titles of The Others there is a voice over from the main character, Grace, played by Nicole Kidman. She speaks about God and how many years ago he was the only one who existed, and therefore was the one to create the world, such as plants. This then leads onto the opening titles.
First seen on screen is the film title. This is faded into the foreground through a black background. The letters of the tile are like small lights, similar to candles, which also stand out. The dark atmosphere is continued as the lighting goes onto flicker like a candle. This displays to the audience a cartoon like background, which represents the story that will follow in the film. The colour of this is black but lit up with the candle. It also shows the characters that will be in the film, such as the mother and her children and the nanny.
The music is quite slow and high pitched, which gives a chilling feel to the audience as in the back ground echoes of singing children can be heard. The images that can be seen on screen also add to this feel as the camera focuses on drawings such as children screaming and a puppet doll with no legs, one arm and some broken strings.
The writing of the titles are white and placed over the drawings. They are quickly faded in and faded out. The editing and transitions are slow as at some points the screen goes black until the audience are again introduced the cartoon drawings. The camera follows the drawings like reading a book, from the bottom of the screen upwards. This is in point of view as it feels as if the audience are looking at it direct.
I think the opening titles to this film are very effective towards the audience. This is due to that fact not only does it indicate what type of film it is going to be or what might happen but it also puts a small amount of fear in the audience. The slow music and dark atmosphere contrast with the opening scene.
The opening scene is a shock to the audience due to the fact that the first thing to be heard is Grace screaming, whilst in bed, this also corresponds with the fear on her face. The next scene that follows is the view of the house. This again automatically gives a chilling feel due to the fact there is this big Victorian house out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by mist. The silence of the surrounding area and the footsteps of the three servants in the distance add to this. In addition to this we also find out that the other servants who worked their previously mysteriously left the house without taking their wages. Furthermore, we learn that Grace locks every door as she goes from room to room and that there is no electricity at all. They live in a household where silence is valued. She also lives in the dark due to her children’s condition of being allergic to sunlight. The large rooms are plummeted to darkness and the only way to see around the house is via candle light. Grace and the two servants walk up to the attack and it is at this point where we are introduced to her two children, Anne and Nicholas.
Straight away just from the opening three minutes of the film we can immediately categorise The Others into the thriller genre. Through what we learn at the beginning the audience establishes that this film will be one of mystery and suspense due to the isolated and dark existence these people live.
I was unable to find the opening on youtube and post it on here but have analysed the opening from the DVD.
Whilst waiting for her husband’s return from war, Grace and her two young children live an unusually isolated existence behind the locked doors and drawn curtains of a secluded isolated mansion. Then, after three mysterious servants arrive it becomes chillingly clear that there is far more to this house that can be seen. Grace finds herself in a terrifying fight to save her children and keep her sanity.
At the beginning of the opening titles of The Others there is a voice over from the main character, Grace, played by Nicole Kidman. She speaks about God and how many years ago he was the only one who existed, and therefore was the one to create the world, such as plants. This then leads onto the opening titles.
First seen on screen is the film title. This is faded into the foreground through a black background. The letters of the tile are like small lights, similar to candles, which also stand out. The dark atmosphere is continued as the lighting goes onto flicker like a candle. This displays to the audience a cartoon like background, which represents the story that will follow in the film. The colour of this is black but lit up with the candle. It also shows the characters that will be in the film, such as the mother and her children and the nanny.
The music is quite slow and high pitched, which gives a chilling feel to the audience as in the back ground echoes of singing children can be heard. The images that can be seen on screen also add to this feel as the camera focuses on drawings such as children screaming and a puppet doll with no legs, one arm and some broken strings.
The writing of the titles are white and placed over the drawings. They are quickly faded in and faded out. The editing and transitions are slow as at some points the screen goes black until the audience are again introduced the cartoon drawings. The camera follows the drawings like reading a book, from the bottom of the screen upwards. This is in point of view as it feels as if the audience are looking at it direct.
I think the opening titles to this film are very effective towards the audience. This is due to that fact not only does it indicate what type of film it is going to be or what might happen but it also puts a small amount of fear in the audience. The slow music and dark atmosphere contrast with the opening scene.
The opening scene is a shock to the audience due to the fact that the first thing to be heard is Grace screaming, whilst in bed, this also corresponds with the fear on her face. The next scene that follows is the view of the house. This again automatically gives a chilling feel due to the fact there is this big Victorian house out in the middle of nowhere surrounded by mist. The silence of the surrounding area and the footsteps of the three servants in the distance add to this. In addition to this we also find out that the other servants who worked their previously mysteriously left the house without taking their wages. Furthermore, we learn that Grace locks every door as she goes from room to room and that there is no electricity at all. They live in a household where silence is valued. She also lives in the dark due to her children’s condition of being allergic to sunlight. The large rooms are plummeted to darkness and the only way to see around the house is via candle light. Grace and the two servants walk up to the attack and it is at this point where we are introduced to her two children, Anne and Nicholas.
Straight away just from the opening three minutes of the film we can immediately categorise The Others into the thriller genre. Through what we learn at the beginning the audience establishes that this film will be one of mystery and suspense due to the isolated and dark existence these people live.
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