1) The opening scene uses a mirror and shots filmed through a mirror to represent the baby's fragile bone structure and foreshadow that something is abnormal about the baby.
2) When the protagonist goes through a train tunnel, the transition to artificial light foreshadows that something unnatural will occur.
3) The successful black doctor wears a suit that signifies his professional status and reinforces the initial information given about the baby's condition.
2. MISE EN SCENE
The use of the mirror in the beginning is a hint at what the baby is
like. The mirror is made of glass and the babies bone structure is
also like glass- he is really fragile and breaks easily. This idea is
reinforced when the doctor says “his arms and legs are broken”
whilst we are looking into a mirror. Because of this, if you are really
smart, you can start to suspect what is wrong with the baby, as
babies are not normally born with their limbs broken. The effect is
that the smarter people in the audience will pick up on these clues
and start to realise what is going on. This is the first time a clue is
given but normally another clue will be introduced late, for the
average person, and another clue (usually blatantly saying the
twist) will be given towards the end for the people who have bad
observational skills in the audience.
3. MISE EN SCENE
When the protagonist is on the train he suddenly goes through
a tunnel. This means that all the natural light is replaced with
artificial light. Because of this the audience is taken by surprise
and the implication, due to the sudden darkness, is that
something bad will happen. Because of the artificial light it is
foreshadowed that something unnatural will happen. This is a
clue to the audience that there is something unnatural and
different about him.
When the doctor is introduced he is wearing a suit. This
immediately tells us that he is likely to be a successful doctor as
he is wearing smart, expensive clothes. To add to this, as the
film was set in 1961 there would still be racial tension. This
reinforces the idea that the man is a successful doctor as he is
black yet still able to dress smart and have power. Because of
all of this we trust his judgement and know that he can not
have made a mistake when he tells us that the baby has broken
all it’s limbs.
4. CAMERA
There is a very effective use of shot reverse shot in the opening to the film. You see the doctor entering the room
to talk to the women who has the baby. Then the camera pans down and you see the women talk. It is then that
you realise you are looking into a mirror. You can see the women normally but then when the camera pans back
up for the doctor to speak you are seeing him through a mirror. This is very clever as it makes the scene smooth,
there Is no cuts, making you more likely to pick up on the clues dropped by props and speech, as talked about on
the previous slide, because you are not distracted with fancy editing.
The camera is positioned so that the police are on the right
hand side of the rule of thirds. This makes them stand out.
To add to this because they are in the door the frame acts as
a natural border highlighting their presence. Because we
notice them we realise early on that there may be something
wrong with the situation which therefore causes tension to rise
in the audience and in the scene.
5. CAMERA
As the doctor says that the baby has broken it’s arms and legs there is a close up of the mother crying. This
allows us an audience to see the raw emotions of distress and worry causing us to feel anxious and
concerned for the characters. To add to this it highlights the mirror in the background which again links to
the idea that the baby’s bone structure is like glass.
6. SOUND
The constant crying of the baby is like no other crying that usually comes from a 1 hour old baby. This is
made even clearer when the woman says “should he be crying like this?” therefore making the audience
suspicious something is wrong. Because of the nature of the babies cry (loud and high pitched). We
assume the baby has hurt itself which then links to the comment later “your baby has broken both its
limbs”; this makes us suspicious that there is something wrong with the child as that is not normal.
The sudden noise created when the train goes through the tunnel makes the audience jump as it sounds
like the train derailing. This is ironic as later on the train does crash but the audience think its just a natural
sound due to the previous scare. Because of this it is not obvious that the train has crashed.
7. SOUND
The lack of soundtrack and non-diegetic sounds in the opening scene means that we can here what is
being said more clearly. Because of this we are less likely to miss important information. To add to this it
allows us to here the constant cries of the baby which reinforces the idea that something might be wrong
with it.
8. EDITING
Throughout the opening scene there is very little editing (it is a one shot wonder). This is because the
director wants the audience to pick up on the hints that are placed about the characters, for example the
mirror. If there was lots of editing we would be distracted by that and therefore not pick up the hints.
Instead they use lots of fancy camera work so that we can notice the hints easier.
The sound of the train going through the tunnel has been onicly boosted in order to make us jump. Due to
the tense scene prior to the train journey we are still tense and this jump scare relieves that tension
allowing us to feel calm and less nervous. Because of this we do not expect the train crash.
