Analysis of 'The Sixth Sense' Opening Sequence

Information contained in the opening:
The first thing we see in this film is the white title appearing on a black screen, which makes the title stand out and look important. The title also gives us information about the story line of the film, as from the words 'The Sixth Sense' we can tell this film is going to be about supernatural things. From where the opening sequence is set we see this film is set in a house. A close up of some cards on a fireplace makes it look like there are children living in this house; which introduces characters to us in a different way. The framing of a man and a woman character in the same shot together makes us assume that they are together as partners, or married.

Use of cinematography:
There is a close up of a light bulb slowly appearing from the darkness at the beginning, which looks creepy. There is then an interesting mid-shot of a woman through some wooden bars, as if someone is watching her and we can see her from their point of view, but then she looks straight at the camera which is different and unexpected which shows us this film isn't going to be the same as every other film. The framing of the woman after this shows her right at the edge of the shot, which makes her look very alone. There is another interesting shot in the opening sequence, where the characters are filmed together in the reflection of a frame rather than just a normal shot of them together, which again shows this film is different and original.

Construction of enigmas: The way the mid-shot through the wooden bars makes it look like someone is watching the woman character shows us there are going to be hidden things in the film as our viewpoint here is hidden behind something whilst watching a character. At one point in the opening sequence when a shadow flashes past, this tells us there is an intruder inside their house but it doesn't yet tell us who, we have to wait and continue watching to find out.

Use of sound to create atmosphere, tone and genre: The first thing we hear is violins playing as the titles show, playing in a slow, menacing way and growing louder , then slow and solemn piano playing as the titles show. This creates lots of tension and a creepy and dramatic atmosphere. The second sound we hear is the sound of someone's footsteps growing closer, which makes us think something is about to happen. The diegetic sound of the woman character breathing heavily is the only sound we can hear for a while to increase the build up of tension, as to what might happen to her. When she is upstairs with the male character there is romantic diegetic music playing in the background of their conversation, which further establishes the relationships between characters as we can tell they are romantically involved. After the characters know there is something in their house, there is a diegetic sound of rustling, which builds the suspense as to what it could be. After they find the man in their bathroom there is some diegetic speech and the man shouts, which shows the drama.

Use of mise en scene:
The clothing in the opening sequence when the characters put on a cardigan and jumper shows how cold their house is, which builds tension as it makes it seem creepier. The props that are used when the characters find their personal items smashed on the floor show us that something bad is obviously going on.

Use of editing:
When the shots are cut from a shot of the couple together, to a shot of their reflection this seems like it might be trying to show them differently, or that something is hidden. When there are shots from the intruder's face to the man's face to the woman's face this shows us all of their reactions to each other and the tension between them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44VRhcFxFF4