Opening sequence analysis - Woman In Black - JP

Woman In Black - Opening Sequence

- 'Woman In Black' (James Watkins, 2012) was based on the novel by Susan Hill, with the same name, that was published in 1983. The film focuses on Gothic horror, is set in Edwardian England, with A-Lister Daniel Radcliffe starring as the main character, Arthur Kipps. The opening scene depicts three young girls playing with dolls, with happiness shown through facial expression, but that happiness is juxtaposed by string instruments playing slowly; sound which is synonymous with horror. The girls suddenly look at something in the corner. That 'something' then causes a sudden change of expression within them, and the girls become transfixed on the large window in the room, as though they are possessed. They then walk towards it, each at the same speed, stepping on and, subsequently, smashing the dolls they were playing with as they walk. They then step onto the window sill and jump to their deaths as the non-diegetic music comes to a halt, and is replaced with a moment of silence, before a woman screams 'my babies'. The dead girls and the woman are not seen by the audience, but it is apparent that the woman has discovered the dead girls.

Genre

'Sinister' (Derrickson,2012)

- The sub-genre of Gothic horror is enforced within the opening sequence, as the girls' costumes, toys and bedroom are old fashioned and clearly from the Edwardian, or Victorian, era, of which most Gothic horror films are set; such as 'Dracula' (Fisher, 1958).The opening scene is typical of Gothic horror in numerous ways.

- One way being the non-diegetic music that is played over the scene, and lack of dialogue, as string instruments play with a slow tempo, to create ambiance and enforce to the audience that something bad will happen, as the music is strongly associated with the sub-genre. The use of this type music in gothic horror to anchor what happens, or what is going to happen, is common and used in most films of the sub-genre, one modern example being 'The Orphanage' (Del Toro, 2007) which was praised for the use of music to convey horror.

- The opening sequence of 'Woman In Black' is conventional in terms of what the audience expect from a modern horror film, as something traumatic happens, which is then the basis for the film, and the main cause of, or of strong relation to, the horrific occurrences throughout the film. That convention is one that is used in numerous horror films, such as 'Amityville Horror' (Douglas, 2005) and 'Sinister' (Derrickson, 2012).


Film Language

'Annabelle' (Leonetti, 2014)

- Camera distances, movements and angles are important in creating tension within the scene. This is apparent straightaway in the scene as a close-up on the old fashioned children's china cups and tea pot is used, and shows how the girls pretend there is tea, as they pour it into cups, emphasising the playfulness of the children, and how innocent and young they are, which is important as it creates more empathy and shock for the audience when the girls die. Close-up shots are then used again on the cups, as well as toys, when they are being smashed by the girls before they jump out the window. So close-up shots enforce the creation and destruction of innocence and life as the young girls become possessed and end their lives.

- Mise-en-scene is integral in any scene, and so is the case in the opening scene of 'Woman In Black', as the costume and props create the sense that the film is set in the Edwardian era. The use of dolls is particularly important, as the dolls are clearly old-style and from that era, but children's dolls are also associated, in horror films, with possession and horror, due to films such as the 'Chucky' series (1988-present) and 'Annabelle' (Leonetti, 2014). Character blocking is also important in the scene as the three girls jump out of the three windows, at the same time, and the focus is on them as they jump, and take up the majority of the screen. There is no dialogue within the majority of the scene, which creates a sense of mysteriousness, and emphasises the only piece of speech in the scene, which is a woman screaming 'my babies'. Non-verbal language and facial expression enforce the sudden change of happiness and playfulness, to that of seriousness and possession, as the girls stop smiling and appear transfixed on the same thing, before stepping to their death without any expression of fear, showing they are possessed by someone or something.


Narrative
- Children are stock characters within horror, as they are the most innocent and vulnerable, in comparison with adults, so more shock is created and the audience are more scared and shocked by the film. That conventional use of children to portray the destruction of innocence is clear in the 'Woman In Black' opening scene. The audience are made to feel helpless and shocked by the scene, as it is clear what the girls are going to do, when they walk towards, and become transfixed on, the window, but the audience cannot stop the innocent children dying, creating more sadness, and horror among the audience.

- Tension is created through the use of slow non-diegetic music, and the overall slow pace of the scene; even when it is apparent the girls are going to kill themselves, the death is still prolonged due to the slow walk, and opening of the windows. The audience then feel extremely empathetic and shocked at the end of the scene due to the piercing extra-diegetic scream that is heard.


Representation and Ideology
- The main social group presented in the scene is that of young children, who are represented conventionally in the scene as they are happy, playful and innocent. That end to the innocence and happiness that occurs in the film could reflect the lack of innocence that modern-day children have as they get older, but within horror, young children, girls in particular, are depicted as they are seen in society, as pure and innocent. That convention and view is not broken within the scene, as the girls do not choose to die, they are possessed, the innocence remains within the children, and that is what makes the scene so horrific and shocking.


Media Audiences
- The target audience for 'Woman In Black' was those from the age of 12-25, particularly females, and was anchored by the starring of popular actor Daniel Radcliffe. The use of Daniel Radcliffe also meant that the film attracted, or interested, millions of Harry Potter fans, so the target audience was teenagers and young adults. It is clear through the fact that the film is of the horror genre that the target audience is not young children, and that is emphasised in the opening scene as there is the serious theme of death. The death of the girls would also most likely disgust the older generation, beyond the point of being scared as most older people are not used to the realism created through HD cameras and filming techniques, and the death of children would not be seen as acceptable, particularly if they have young children or grandchildren, so the target audience of young adults and teens is conveyed in the scene.

- I saw the film at the cinema when it first came out, with a group of friends, and we all fitted into the target audience of 12-25 year olds. Before studying the techniques of the film in depth, or even starting the AS Level or GCSE media course, I was scared by the film, and especially the opening scene through shock at what happens to the young girls, as death in children is not something I had, or have, experienced as a British teenager. After studying the film techniques and details from an AS Level media student's point-of-view I would imagine that my views would not represent those of most teenagers in Britain watching the film, but I see the opening sequence as conventional of horror, as a film that scared me, and was impressive in the creation of verisimilitude, and therefore shock value.

Institutional Context
- The leading actor was Daniel Radcliffe, who is most famous for his lead role as Harry Potter in the 'Harry Potter' film series (2001-2011), and this lead to the film obtaining audiences that were only, or primarily, watching the film in order to see Radcliffe. The film was industrial but was not produced by any of the major six Hollywood studios, and only had a budget of $15million, but made $127million at the box office, so proved a huge success. That success was down to the fact that the film had a 12 certificate, which is rare for a horror film, so younger teens could go and see it, yet remained scary enough to shock older teens and young adults. The use of popular actor Daniel Radcliffe also would have greatly increased revenue from the box office.