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Textual analysis – woman in black

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Rosie Ward

The opening scene of The Woman in Black establishes it as a psychological thriller through conventions like the children being mentally tormented into destroying their toys and committing suicide. The mise-en-scene of period costumes and toys indicates it is also a period thriller. There is no dialogue, but non-diegetic sounds accentuate the tension as the scene unfolds. Camera angles like extreme close-ups are used to highlight the innocence of the children before they look towards something ominous in the corner. The lighting is dark and ominous, setting the scene for thrills to come. The opening leaves the audience with many questions about the mysterious events.

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B Y J E S S I C A R A WL I N S O N TEXTUAL ANALYSIS – WOMAN IN BLACK
Textual analysis – woman in black
The codes and conventions of the opening scene show that the film is a psychological thriller, which is when we see the main character/characters being taunted mentally and emotionally rather than physically. We know this because a one point in the opening the three girls are playing with their toys, and then suddenly look at something which is located In the corner of the room, which the audience cannot see, and then they start destroying their toys and jump out of the windows, leading to their death. This is implying that the children have been possessed or have been told to do sinister things, which makes the audience question why they have done these things, and who have told them to do it, which makes draws them in, making them continue to watch the film.
Textual analysis – woman in black
The Mise En Scene of the opening of The Woman In Black, shows the audience that the film is a period thriller, due to the old fashioned clothing, and props which the three young girls are wearing and using. Even though the audience assume the film is in the past, they can still relate to the film and have a sense of realism as children usually play with their toys and have pretend tea-parties. The use of the tea pots and dolls shown at the beginning of the scene, show that the characters in the opening scene are young children. The costumes used on the three girls, show they are well behaved and show they are pure and innocent.
Textual analysis – woman in black
There is a use of non-diegetic sound throughout the opening scene. There is no dialogue, but we do hear sounds when the tea pot is smashed and when the three girls jump out of the window. The beat of the soundtrack has a slow pace, to build a sense of tension and suspense right from the start of the film. There is also sounds of pianos and violins, through the opening scene mixed with among the soundtrack, which leaves the audience suspecting that something bad is going to happen.
Textual analysis – woman in black
The camera angles are used to establish the setting of opening scene. There are a lot of extreme close up used on the children toys (teapot, tea cups) and on the three girls faces to show how young they are and that they are enjoying playing with their toys. Mid shots are used to show all three of the girls playing, and then suddenly looking at something in the corner of the room. It shows the audience that not only one of the girls are in trouble, but all three of them are. The end shot we see is a point of view shot, which shows the windows that the girls have jumped out of, and a dark figure standing in the corner of the room, which shows to the audience that, the person standing their made the children do what they did.
The lighting in the opening scene is very dark, and as the children are in the attic it also suggests that not a lot of light gets in, and usually bad things take place in more thrillers in the attic. The lighting sets the scene and period of which the film is set in and what the film is going to portray. The lighting creates suspense and tension, which engages the audience right from the very start of the film. The opening scene creates a lot of enigmas, like any good thriller should. The opening scene leaves the audience answering these sort of questions; • Why did the three girls jump out of the window? • What/why was the person in the corner of the room there? • Why did the person chosen them three girls? • What is the woman in black?

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Textual analysis – woman in black

  • 1. B Y J E S S I C A R A WL I N S O N TEXTUAL ANALYSIS – WOMAN IN BLACK
  • 3. The codes and conventions of the opening scene show that the film is a psychological thriller, which is when we see the main character/characters being taunted mentally and emotionally rather than physically. We know this because a one point in the opening the three girls are playing with their toys, and then suddenly look at something which is located In the corner of the room, which the audience cannot see, and then they start destroying their toys and jump out of the windows, leading to their death. This is implying that the children have been possessed or have been told to do sinister things, which makes the audience question why they have done these things, and who have told them to do it, which makes draws them in, making them continue to watch the film.
  • 5. The Mise En Scene of the opening of The Woman In Black, shows the audience that the film is a period thriller, due to the old fashioned clothing, and props which the three young girls are wearing and using. Even though the audience assume the film is in the past, they can still relate to the film and have a sense of realism as children usually play with their toys and have pretend tea-parties. The use of the tea pots and dolls shown at the beginning of the scene, show that the characters in the opening scene are young children. The costumes used on the three girls, show they are well behaved and show they are pure and innocent.
  • 7. There is a use of non-diegetic sound throughout the opening scene. There is no dialogue, but we do hear sounds when the tea pot is smashed and when the three girls jump out of the window. The beat of the soundtrack has a slow pace, to build a sense of tension and suspense right from the start of the film. There is also sounds of pianos and violins, through the opening scene mixed with among the soundtrack, which leaves the audience suspecting that something bad is going to happen.
  • 9. The camera angles are used to establish the setting of opening scene. There are a lot of extreme close up used on the children toys (teapot, tea cups) and on the three girls faces to show how young they are and that they are enjoying playing with their toys. Mid shots are used to show all three of the girls playing, and then suddenly looking at something in the corner of the room. It shows the audience that not only one of the girls are in trouble, but all three of them are. The end shot we see is a point of view shot, which shows the windows that the girls have jumped out of, and a dark figure standing in the corner of the room, which shows to the audience that, the person standing their made the children do what they did.
  • 10. The lighting in the opening scene is very dark, and as the children are in the attic it also suggests that not a lot of light gets in, and usually bad things take place in more thrillers in the attic. The lighting sets the scene and period of which the film is set in and what the film is going to portray. The lighting creates suspense and tension, which engages the audience right from the very start of the film. The opening scene creates a lot of enigmas, like any good thriller should. The opening scene leaves the audience answering these sort of questions; • Why did the three girls jump out of the window? • What/why was the person in the corner of the room there? • Why did the person chosen them three girls? • What is the woman in black?