Analysis of The Sixth Sense

Analysis of The Sixth Sense (Shyamalan, 1999, US)

There is a mixture of features visible in the opening sequence of the sixth sense which includes sound, cinematography, editing and mis-en-scene. 

To begin with there is the sound. Sound plays a very important part in creating the perfect atmosphere for the scene and grabbing the audience’s attention. The sequence begins with very long drawn out sounds which begins to create that scary feeling where you are un aware of what's about to come.  Furthermore the scene begins to feel quite intense and dramatic with the constant sound of loud beats which are building up and up to a climax. This is very effective because at the beginning of a scene you believe it will be quite relaxed and nothing dramatic will happen however this is exciting because it goes straight into a serious part and drops you into the action.  The music is dramatic at the start but when we suddenly see the title appear the music becomes even more intense and spooky. Without even looking at the screen you are hit by loud sharp beats which make you jump and scare you. Following this, the titles appear and the sounds begin to fade in and out creating that mysterious feel to it.  High pitched violin sounds are also used to contrast in with the loud beats and that feeling of the unknown hits the audience. This is all happening at the beginning of the sequence before the setting or characters are seen.  Once we see the first shot of the setting there are a lot of ambient sounds that we then hear. We hear a sequence of footsteps which expresses that she is running away. These sounds are quick and sharp and make the audience feel worried about what's to follow. The sharpness of the door slamming indicates she may be trapped and will never be able to escape. This increases the intensity and the atmosphere then becomes extremely eerie. Additionally sound effects are used such as gushes of wind to add to the mood. This is effective because realistically you wouldn't be able to hear the wind but the fact that you can makes you feel as if it could be haunted and that someone is close to her especially when the scuff on the floor is heard when she picks up the bottle. All these sounds add to the way we feel about the scene.

The first shot we see pictures a plain black screen with titles. The blackness of the screen could perhaps highlight the darkness of the film. As well as this it allows us to create our own meaning. When thinking of darkness we think of scary situations where we have been in pitch black and unsure of what's surrounding us.  It could suggest there is someone there beneath the darkness of the screen watching her and that she could hurt herself. At first when you look at the scene you believe it is just black with blue titles but when thinking more deeply you realise everything has its own individual meaning. The titles are small and in the font serif. This is more formal as well as more serious.  Also the blue titles could suggest calmness which therefore contrasts with the darkness of the scene however it could also be associated with the paranormal. 

The next shot we see is the first shot of a setting or object. This is an extreme close up of a light bulb however it slowly appears on the scene.  It is a long duration shot where the light is gradually building up to display what it is. This is interesting because it makes the audience question what it is. Additionally as it is slowly turning on the music disappears which is trying to perhaps reassure us that everything is okay perhaps it is even trying to trick us. This is very low key lighting with just the glimmer of light from the light bulb visible.

We get a clear view of the setting to follow this shot. The setting is an old wine cellar which therefore could be full of dust webs and is definitely a place that isn’t visited very often maybe a place the not many people know about. It is not a welcoming place and is a place where you don’t want to be alone which therefore allows the audience to feel sympathy with the lady. It all seems very old fashioned even the light bulb which creates that feeling that nobody knows what or who is down there. This is a wide shot displaying the whole cellar but it has been captured in a unique way by the camera being placed behind the bars on the rack. By placing the camera here it creates that feeling that we shouldn’t be seeing what we are seeing. Furthermore it makes the audience feel worried for the lady and the fact that the camera is hidden may even make the audience feel guilty as if they are doing something wrong by watching. The wooden posts we see could even be associated with a prison and conveying the message that she is trapped and will never be able to leave. The lighting is again very low key creating that spookiness and mysterious atmosphere.

We also see a wide shot of the wine rack but a close up her face. This is tracking towards her when it suddenly stops and we notice a change in her. She becomes very tight and anxious and you can clearly see from her facial expression that she is slightly confused but also petrified. She is seen shivering and appears very worried. This is interesting because it makes us realise that she has suddenly felt something in the atmosphere and heard a sound. We clearly see in this shot all the old dusty wine bottles and notice how they haven’t been touched for years and years but we also see what she is wearing. She has a purple dress on which reveals her legs and part of her chest and is also wearing heels. This therefore makes her appear very vulnerable because she wouldn’t be able to run fast in heels so it conveys the disadvantages she has. The editing suddenly becomes very quick and the pace speeds up. This could be representative of a heart beat where at the beginning of the scene the editing is quite slow and relaxed where nothing is really happening apart from the titles being seen but directly some action begins to take place the heart beat is increases and is getting more anxious of what’s to come. Therefore it is relating to the scene as well as real life. It allows the audience to feel that connection with the lady and sympathise with her because most people have been in that situation where they are unsure what to do and feel as though their heart is beater faster and faster where they are so worried. The lighting begins to increase in this scene so that we can clearly grasp the facial expressions of the lady. A light is brightly lit in the background perhaps suggesting that someone is behind her and watching her.

There is a mixture of scenes to follow this but one that really stands out is when the shot uses the rule of thirds. This displays her, then her shadow and then the “thing” that she can see but what we can’t see this which makes us want to watch on to discover what it is. This is extremely effective because it also displays a stage process perhaps trying to highlight how one thing is about to lead to another. It also links back to that feeling of her being trapped where the shadows are columns which could be representing bars in a prison.  The lighting is low key but the lighting plays an essential part in this shot. It allows the shadow to be clearly seen and really captures the way she is looking into the distance at something. Her body language has suddenly become very tight and she is very hesitant to move.