The Woman in Black Opening sequence analysis

By Natasha Tsawayo

Mise en SceneThe décor in this opening scene shows the age of the girl (or more than one) that lives there because there’s a small amount of furniture shown yet a large amount of toys being shown. This could also suggest that their main function of their room is to spend their time playing rather than using it souly for leisure.

The props within the room also shows their age. They almost show a juxtaposition between the young girls carrying out adult activities like preparing food and drinks for the “guests” or dressing the doll’s and tucking them into bed, just like a parent would do for their child.

As the props are all home made, this could suggest the time that they live in and also the class they’re in. Mostly, when children are shown to be playing with home made toys it gives off the impression that they’re unable to buy factory made toys and instead have to make do with the material that they have and make them themselves.

However, it could also suggest the time they live in. The movie was based during the second world war where children swapped old toys at 'toy-exchanges'. Many wartime toys were made of paper or card, because rubber, plastics, wood and metal were needed for the war. Factories eventually stopped making large amount of toys and instead put their materials into making weapons and machinery for the war.

The costumes shown here could hint at their relationships as most young and close siblings would try to match their clothing to each other. The two girls in the screenshot are shown wearing very similar clothing whereas the girl sitting opposite them is wearing a different dress to theirs, therefore proving that the two here have a closer relationship. The costumes are a accurate representation to the time they’re in and the make-up used are appropriate to their age, because

The lighting throughout the sequence appears to be natural and subtle until the girls are facing the windows where the lighting is then low key. This allows objects to hide within the shadows behind them which is typical to thriller genres because its mask to what we cant see and therefore creates a scary effect to the unknown. The light cascading on the girls is coming through the windows and gives off a heavenly shine to them because they’re approaching their death.

Mise en Scene

The facial expressions and body language shown here are all mirrored by all three girls. They all look towards someone or something as if they’re mesmerized by it and are completely speechless in awe however, when they all turn in sync towards the windows behind them its more sinister and controlling as if they’re being brainwashed and told what to do. The girls went from laughing and smiling to one another to sitting in complete silence after seeing the person or thing at the door frame.

The mirrored actions of them standing up, dropping everything and stepping on their possessions mindlessly, as well as opening the windows in sync shows the creepy actions in which someone who is only being put up to something against their will would do.

The colours used in the sequence are graded down to musty, dusty colours like earth browns and dark greens and is also grey scale colouring which is reminiscent to thriller films.

Death is common within thriller opening sequences as it’s what generates questions and a purpose to the whole story. Death is what catches the audiences attention and gives the protagonist a purpose.

Camera Shots, Angles and Movement

The opening sequence fails to use a establishing shot to outline the place and possibly the time of day the characters are in. This however, is common to the thriller genre because it removes the comfort of knowing where and when the situation is and generates more questions from the audience.

Also manipulating the eye-line match shot and not showing the audience where the characters are looking creates a scary effect because the audience would be blind to what’s happening. This is typical to the thriller genre as the main aim in the opening sequence is to make the audience question what they’re seeing and want to continue in order to find out.

However, one other eye line match shot is used when the girls then turn behind them to look at the windows. The only obvious camera movement within the sequence is the pan towards the window, hinting to the audience what events are about to take place involving the girls. Cut to the girls walking towards the window, which shows the camera panning backwards in the window in the path they are walking in.

Key:= Camera movement direction.

A series of extreme close ups.

A series of wide shots.

Editing and Sound

A series of match on action shots showing the girls stepping up to the window frames and cut to the camera showing the girls step up.

Continuity editing, as well as linear narrative editing, is obviously used throughout the sequence in order to make sense to the events taking place. It also engages the audience to pay attention as nothing looks out of place or confusing for them to stray from the action therefore putting their full attention to the scene.

This will be essential and typical to the thriller genre so that it attracts the audience right at the beginning of the film and makes them want to carry on.

The usage of slow motion highlights the actions in the sequence by slowing down the actions and therefore making the audience pay good attention to the detail.

Pleonastic sounds are used such as the click from the tea cups and the break of cups. The score within the opening sequence sounds like a child’s music box being played slowly and repeated on a loop. I think that it was used deliberately to create juxtaposition of terror and innocence which makes things scarier. Nursery rhymes usually have a dark meaning behind them.

It then stops when the girls jump out the window and instead a incidental piece of music, that I think was brass instruments, increases in volume and suddenly stops. Then, above the silence, a woman voice is heard screaming from the outside “My baby” this is an example of diegetic sound.

The Woman In Black Opening Scene