The Sixth Sense (1999, M. Night shyamalan, USA)

Film Title:

The film title is affective as it is in spaced out capitals across the screen which makes it stand out and seem important. The font is also in blue which is a typical colour associated with thrillers. Also, when the Title comes up the music changes to suddenly which is quite jumpy and it also sounds quite urgent because the music that plays when the title comes up implies that the film could be scary. It really helps to give an atmosphere of the film.

Setting:

The setting if first revealed when the audience can see that the woman is in a cellar, hence, she is most probably in a house. This helps to create an erie atmosphere as cellars are dark and dingy which can be quite creep and make the audience feel on edge. This is a good setting to open the film as thrillers are usually set in quite bland, dark, mysterious places where something unknown could happen.

Costumes and Props:
The costume of the women plays along with a women stereotype, she is made to look pretty and is in a long bright coloured dress, she looks as if she's come back from a party. This is affective as when she is in the cellar getting wine, she looks really vulnerable. The wine is an important prop as it helps to indicate that the characters are drinking, which also indicates that in effect of the drink the characters become more vulnerable and in a less alert state of mind which is important later on in the film when they encounter someone that has broken in. The man is also wearing a suit, this shows him and the woman had probably been out somewhere. the prop of the award is important as it indicates they had been to some sort of party or awards evening and they read it out so you get to know some of the background of the male character. This prop is important as it gives away information to the audience that the male character in that he is a Doctor of Psychology, therefore there might be encounters with psychiatric patients throughout the film. The costume of the man that has broken into the house is odd as he is only in underwear, this makes him seem strange and indicates to the audience that he is possibly mentally ill, even though he is a threat to the other main characters he seems vulnerable due to him having no clothes on and being exposed, this makes the the audience feel pathos towards him.

Camera work and Editing:

The close-up of the woman's feet running up the stairs is affective as it shows a matter of urgency and emphasises the fact that she is running which makes it seem like the cellar is dangerous. another technique is that it zooms into the characters faces when they realise someone is in the house, this is affective as it emphasises their emotion and shows they are worried and scared which is the atmosphere that needs creating in thrillers.

Titles and Font Style:
The title font is plain which is easy to read and doesn't matter as it has a good backing track which creates the atmosphere needed to draw the audience in. The titles get stretched across the screen with erie music playing in the background this creates a mysterious atmosphere and draws the audience in. The titles are also blue which is a typical thriller associated colour.

How the Opening Sets The Story Up:

The opening is good in how it sets the story up as it gets the audience ready on edge, waiting for the first exciting part to happen. Also the opening helps the audience to find out information about the characters, especially the man as you find out about his past his life now and about his career, this gives the audience some idea of how the film might go.

Genre:

The genre of this film is a Thriller, the opening of this film suggests this in many ways. The music whilst the titles are running creates a very erie, mysterious atmosphere which draws the audience in. The setting at the beginning in the cellar is creepy and makes the audience on edge which is what a thriller is meant to do, this is due to the audience knowing that cellars are dark places underground which makes it seem dangerous. Also after the man gets shot it is left on a cliffhanger and the scene changes keping the audience in suspence which is a key characteristic of a thriller.

How characters are introduced:

The woman is introduced first in the cellar, women are seen as vulnerable characters in thrillers so the fact that shes on her own in a dark place makes the audience feel anxious for her. The man is introduced as the womans partner when she goes back to the living room and he is sitting waiting for her, this shows that he might be a person that could protect the woman when something bad happens in the film. The mental person is introduced when the couple go upstairs and notice that someone has broken in and they find him in the bathroom.

Good shots:

I really like this shot of the cellar through the shelving as it looks like someones watching the woman when she walks it, it also is blocking the view therefore the audience are wanting to see more and want to know what is going to happen.