The sixth sense
This scene we are analysing is set at the scene of a car
accident focusing on the two main characters (a mother and her son) as they are
held up in their car because of the commotion ahead. This instantly puts the
two main characters in a position where they are trapped because in a typical
traffic jam you cannot abandon your car and have no choice to sit and wait
until it clears. This is a common convention of a thriller because the scene is
set in a common day situation which isn't pleasant to anyone directly or
indirectly involved and as it is a realistic and common experience, it enables
the viewer to see them self in the characters positions much more easily.
As we start to get a longer and better overview of the
characters we see fear and curiosity in there expressions, especially in the
young boys. After the general comments made by the mother there is a dramatic
pause before the young boy looks towards his mum and says “ I'm ready to communicate
with you now.” This takes the audience
and his mother by shock and triggers their curiosity into what the boy means by
this statement as it isn't something that a boy of his age would ever say. The
young boy then goes on to explain to his mother that he knows someone got hurt
in the accident ahead. This foreshadows to the audience that something is
abnormal in this situation as he knows information that his mother doesn't when
he is in almost the same situation that she is. The young boy then shocks the
audience by stating that the woman who died in the accident is stood by his
window.
Tension builds very quickly in this part of the scene due to
many reasons. The first being that information about the paranormal is coming
from a young child’s perspective, and the fact that the child looks terrified
amplifies the unpleasant situation. Too add to this tension you see a camera
shot of the woman stood outside the child’s window with blood running down her
face. This is a graphic image that comes as a shock to the audience and is very
unconventional; this is because the shot is taken from the mothers point of
view however due to the conversations, reactions, and next shot, it is clear
that it is only the child who can see the woman.
The sound in this clip is a variety of digetic and non-
digetic however it is all made to sound like part of a realistic clip and
setting. This is because in the situation at hand extra disturbing sounds aren't needed because the sounds you would usually hear in that situation aren't pleasant anyway. Sirens are always a signal of danger and can always be heard
at the scene of an accident as well as the rumble of many static car engines.
This all helps the audience relate to the situation that the mother is in with
her child behaving in that way; and also the situation the child is in being
terrified of what is happening to him and why.
Terminator
In this scene it is automatically clear to the audience
instantly which character is the terminator due to how he is presented from the
moment he enters the bar. The terminator walks in unusual straight lines which
shows power and the fact that nothing can get in his way, the way he walks up
to the wire mesh in the start and then smoothly moves round it signifies that
he is unstoppable. Because this is set in a happy atmosphere of a club where
everyone is dancing the terminator stands out dramatically in the crowd by his
un-energetic movement and actions. Also what the terminator is wearing compared
to everyone else in the club signifies that he is in a place where he doesn't fit in. When the terminator first enters the club the camera tracks backwards
from the character with a shot that is slightly lower than eye level, this
makes the character out to seem intimidating and dangerous and makes you as an
audience are backing off from the character.
As the terminator passes through the club scene it is made
obvious by his actions that he is looking for something from his actions and
his power is shown when he crushes a full grown mans hand with no effort
needed. The lighting in this club is red and blue foreshadowing danger and just
before the terminator confronts the woman who he is after a woman wearing a
bright red dress is at the front of the camera. The colour red always relates
to danger and can foreshadow death because it is the colour of blood.
The sound in this scene is non-digetic as you would expect
to hear songs playing in a nightclub. However the song playing has been chosen
by the producer of this film to add a sense of fear and insecurity because the
song lyrics are not pleasant and repeat the line “ you've got me burning”. Also
in this clip just before the woman is killed time is slowed down. This can be
done for dramatic effect and to help the viewer take in what is going on and
possibly even to enable them to relate to the situation better by placing
themselves in the woman’s situation.
Comparison
In comparison the scenes from these movies are completely
different and do not abide by many of the typical conventions of a thriller.
Firstly ‘The Sixth Sense’ focuses on making the audience feel uncomfortable in
a mysterious and unpleasant situation, whilst ‘The Terminator’ focuses on
making the audience feel in danger of a super-human being with the
confrontation of death. However both movies focus on getting the audience to
see the situation from the characters perspective and rely on them being able
to relate to the characters feeling the emotions themselves even though it isn't happening to them in real life.
Secondly both movies keep the camera shots around eye level
to help the audience interact with what is going on and feel more connected to
the characters. This is a typical convention of a thriller and is included in
most thrillers. If the producer failed to get the audience to feel in the
characters situation or relate to the film, it would not be a good movie for
the thriller genre and would disappoint the audience massively.
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