Thriller Research: What Lies Beneath opening sequence

Whilst watching the openining sequence I was able to analyse the following points:

Title Graphics:

• 20th Century Fox was in the titles, and it is a big company which suggests that it gave the film a big budget.
• The title was under water tells the audience that water is significant in the film.
• The titles were ghost-like, creating an eerie effect and suggesting the film's genre.

Sound:

• The high pitched piano created chilling connotations.
• The discordant off-key note played creates an eerie atmosphere and suggests that something is wrong.
• The digetic sound of gasping created panick.
• The silence that exists in the bathroom draws the audience's attention to particular sounds, for example, the hair dryer and gasping. It indicates that she is alone.

Characters:

• The focus on the woman during the sequence indicates that she is the main character.
• The gasping and shock of the woman suggests that she will be a vunerable character.

Lighting:

• The dark lighting in the water suggests a dark setting.
• The dark and low key lighting also indicates dark emotions and a sense of anxiety f0r the unknown.

Colours:

• Dark murky colours reflect the mood.
• Blue colours also reflect the water so that the audience infers that water is important.

Mise-en-scene:

• The shot of the window showing the lake tells us she lives near the water.
• The scary/dead face in the shot before going onto the woman shows a connection between the two.
• Because the opening sequence is mainly shot in the bathroom, it suggets that something will happen there.
• We can tell that the woman lives in a big house and is middle class. There is also an indication that she is alone in the house.

Camera Movement:

• The slow movement of the camera through the water creates suspense, making the audience expect for something to jump out.
• The focus and close up of the hair dryer suggests that it has an importance.

Keeping our interest: (we ask the following questions)

• Why is the face underneath the water? What is its significance?
• Who's face is it?
• What is the relation between the face and the woman?
• What is the significance of water?
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