'The Sixth Sense' Opening Sequence Deconstruction

'The Sixth Sense' Opening Sequence Deconstruction

'The Sixth Sense' Opening Sequence Clip

Point 1 (Anna collecting wine from the basement)

Camera Angles

• The first shot seen is a close-up of a light-bulb slowly illuminating from darkness. This emphasis on the light-bulb could connote that the film will make the audience think as a light-bulb generally suggests an idea or thoughtfulness; this has the effect of keeping the audience on their toes throughout the film.

• Full shot of her next to large vertical pillar to show her small and defenseless size- highlighted by her holding herself and shivering. She is taking up a small amount of the screen and this shows how lonely she is in the scene.

Sound

• No non-diegetic sound other than the very low sound of wind. This makes her footsteps echo when she comes down the stairs and makes her breath when she shivers seem loud- all this emphasises her isolation and suggest that the scene represents her life after her husband dies.

Editing

• The scene uses continual editing to give the audience a sense of reality.

Mise en scene

• Anna is the dominant of the scene. 
•     Basement- bare and stone walls show the discomfort of the character
•     There are a lot of bottles of wine featured and this shows the expensive taste of the character- backed up by the purple dress connoting wealth
•     A lot of binary composition used - parallel lines of the horizontal wooden shelves and the vertical pillars could imply that Anna will never reach a resolve for her loneliness.
•     The above picture is an especially effective shot- the lighting is used so that three rectangles are shining on the wall presumably made to look like natural moonlight coming through a window. Anna occupies the first rectangle, a shadow fills the second and the last is empty. The last empty rectangle could show that a loved one is supposed to be there but is not -highlighted by her looking longingly in that direction- and the shadow in the middle implies that the reason she is not with her loved one is due to a bad character as a shadow is in the middle and in between them. All of this could be the foreboding of the death of her husband.
•     Anna runs out of the basement quickly as if she is desperate to get away from her feeling of loneliness.

Point 2 (Anna reading out Dr. Malcolm's award to him)

Camera Angles

• Eye-level close-up shot increases the intimacy of the scene we feel we are witnessing a very affectionate moment. 
• The position of the characters are at a profile this means that they are facing towards each other rather than the camera and even though this means we can see the characters it highlights that the relationship between them is more important. 

Sound

• Diegetic jazz saxophone music is playing and this creates a relaxing and romantic ambiance.

Editing 

• Continual Editing is used to give a sense of reality to the scene- this makes it relatable for the audience and means many can empathise more easily.

Mise en scene

• The proxemics between the couple are at an intimate distance and this shows a tenderness between them- she is also sitting on the floor beside him and this implies that she worships her husband.
• While Anna reads out the award to her husband you can see the couple's reflection in the award and this connotes that they are reflecting on their lives and achievements however the award has been purposely put at a diagonal angle and this Diagonal Composition could show that something in his life he has done wrong (as the award represents his life) and that there could be consequences for this fact.

Point 3 (Dr. Malcolm approaches the bathroom after realising someone is there)

Camera Angle

• Camera is close-up and eye-level on Malcolm's face as he approaches and this is effective as it shows his anxious and cautious expression- intensifying our own apprehension.

Sound

• A non-diegetic sound of chromatic and uncomfortable-sounding music predominantly made up of orchestral strings and horns is used- it gets gradually louder as Malcolm nears the doorway and this increases the tension continually. 

Editing

• In this scene Eye-line Match is used- we see his face as he advances and then we see what he is looking at; the empty door frame. This is effective as we know as little as the protagonist does making us feel in his shoes and increasing our fear and feeling of threat.
• The camera very slowly zooms in toward the bathroom, and then gradually pans the bathroom floor to show the clothes lying there. However when the legs of a man are seen the camera very quickly cranes upwards to reveal the full length body. This mimics the way a person's eyes would survey a room when cautious and therefore we feel as though we are the protagonist- or seeing through his eyes.

Mise en scene

•  Vincent -the man in the bathroom- is seen to be mostly unclothed. We can also see that his clothes are on the floor around him. This increases our fear; as we immediately do not know who he is or his motives at all but are inclined to think that he is insane as this is unusual. 
• The lighting, walls floor and furniture in the bathroom are all white however Vincent's clothes are black- this could connote that his suffering now taints the Malcolm's innocence.

Point 4 (Vincent is sobbing and talking to Malcolm)

Camera Angle

• Vincent is positioned full-front to the camera and this invites our emotional attachment to the suffering he is relaying to Malcolm.

Sound

• Non-diegetic constantly low tone music can be heard with a few high-pitched minor piano notes creating unease at the situation. 
• Vincent's voice mimics that of a child as he demands that 'I want what he promised me'- this backs up the audience's idea that he is insane. 

Editing

• Vincent and Malcolm are never seen in the same shot and this emphasises how disconnected they are- Malcolm could never reach his patient and therefore he has failed him.

Mise en scene

• Vincent is seems very small in the doorway- he takes up a very minimal amount of space in the shot making him seem weak and this is emphasised by him holding onto himself. 
• Vincent's lack of clothes reminds the audience of a small child in a nappy.

Point 5 (Malcolm is shot and lies on the bed in pain)

Camera Angle

• Birdseye view of Malcolm lying on the bed in pain- makes him seem defenseless.

Sound

• Quiet uneasy orchestral music can be heard to emphasise the anxiety of the situation and create tension.

Editing

• Camera zooms out and effectively  moves away from the action- this has the effect of leaving the couple alone for what could potentially be their last moments together. It also gives the audience the feeling that they can be of no service and makes them feel helpless.

Mise en scene

• Malcolm is placed in the centre of the shot to highlight his importance. 
• The deep-focus full shot means the audience can see the room around them which seems to have a very open form - there are clothes strewn on the floor and books piled on the bedside table- this gives the audience the impression of reality. How normal and relatable the couple are made through this makes Malcolm being shot even more the tragedy. 
• There is a diagonal shadow in the corner of the shot to show that something has gone terribly wrong.