In todays lesson we watched and analysed the opening sequence of "Don't Look Now" directed by Nicolas Roeg. We used the techniques of camera, editing, sound and mise en scene to establish how this scene was portrayed. This is a great piece of film to analysis as it does a brilliant job of introducing the main characters, setting the location and the overall mood of the film.
Immediately the camera draws you in, it focuses on the rain hitting the water and then zooms foreshadowing what was to come later on. The words "Don't Look Now" is a sudden warning to the audience and the electric blue could matches the current weather of rain/stormy/ lightening. It then cross cuts to a place unknown but suggestively is a different time and different country ) possibly Spain or Italy?) due to the weather and the pattern on the window/wood. The background noise is diegetic as it is church sounds suggesting we are in a place of religion. This part of the scene really doesn't have much relevance to the rest of it but may link to further on in the film.
Then there is a black screen and the shot fades into a new location and establishes the countryside. There is music playing that is very tranquil and its suggests child innocence and the piano chords are very childlike. The establishing shot is of a little girl in a red coat and a white horse running uphill. The girl in the red coat gives a sense of fairy-tale like as she looks like Red Riding Hood and she contrasts compared to everything else in the shot. The white horse running from left to right is also very folktale as it is very similar looking to a unicorn - a symbol of innocence and purity. Another thing I noticed was that the girl moves further and further out of the shot suggesting distance and isolation. It also gives a sense of danger as she moves further away as she is becoming more and more fragile.
It then cuts to the next shot, the sound of a bike being ridden slowly comes into the frame and we see a small boy ride in between the trees from side to side. We then go back to the girl were she has stopped pushing her wheelbarrow in order to explore the pond and woods, as she plays with the action man she finds a ball (which leads to be the main signifier of her danger and eventually her accidental drowning). There is a sense of danger as she very isolated and it seems quite unstable were she is playing. The camera has a shaky effective which gives the sense of unease and vulnerability. It then cuts from the boy and the girl and then it shows a wide shot of the girl with the house in the background. This indicates the location- an isolated house in the British countryside, possibly early winter, mid afternoon. The sound of a crow croaking suggests uncertainty and usually the bird crow is related to the goddess of death and a negative meaning. This could be a warning to the audience and the girl that there is some sort of mystery and risk. The piano playing also slows down and goes lower suggesting a darker tone is coming closer and closer. The reflection of her coat also is a very smart way to portray a certain message of foreshadowing and it's very effective.
It then cuts to fire - immediately suggests the occurring theme of death. The piano soundtrack stops and the location changes to the supposed parents sitting in their living room. There is a sense of distance as the adults seem to be cold towards each other- both focused on their own thing. The furniture and costumes are quite old fashioned suggesting 70s style. They both seem busy and as the father is looking through the frames there is an interesting shot of the mothers head and the frame on the slide this implies they are/will be linked in the film. The shot of the frame is very significant as it is very important and it will end up being a provoker for the father as he eventually senses something wrong. As an audience we also link the girl in the red coat to the frame with a hooded red object suggesting some sort of mystery and also helps us to understand the genre as a mystery/horror and we can see the church as the setting in the frame also linking to the earlier church sounds. Another connection is when the mother mentions the little girl 'Christine' as it also brings the notion of symbolisation as the ever growing feeling of being unsettled builds. This is also heightened when the father looks closer at the frame and we see the red hooded 'object/person' and we hear the traditional spooky music.
It then goes back to Christine where she is being filmed but it is reflecting her from the water - this technique is used to foreshadow her imminent death. Next we see the boy riding his bike and then back to Christine where as she jumps into the mud the boy rides over glass this is effective as it heightens the tension and makes the audience feel one edge. It then goes to the parents who are talking about Christine's question. There is then a match cut between the very similar Christine and mother who both put their hand up towards their mouth this is symbolic as the next shot is of the burning cigarette and old food linking to the idea of death and decay. There is then a very quick shot of the father- it's very simple but effective because as an audience we start to think a little deeper and question perhaps he is some sort of psychic and there is something not right.
It then cuts to the boy trying to sort out his bike, interestingly enough the camera blurs the boy out and focuses on the girl making the audience notice that the girl is very isolated and possibly endanger. We then hear her doll say 'Action Man patrol, fall in' this also brings anticipation to some sort of incident relating to the water and foreshadows what is to come. There is then another match cut of Christine throwing the ball in the water to the father throwing the cigarettes to the mother and then the glass tipping onto the table and splashing on the frame. Then it goes back to the boy with his bike but girl is not in sight and the boy is focused whilst the background is blurred suggesting Christine herself has had an accident and is 'fading away' as such. The red leaking over the frame is significant as it represents the girl that is drowning at this current point unknown to all members of cast and audience. The cross cut between the boy running and close up of the father is useful in helping the audience understanding as it highlights the fact that the father already knew something was wrong suggesting there is some sort of mystery/ supernatural feeling being brought to the surface. Also the relationship between the mother and father is also shown as they seem to be very unconnected and especially the mother seems to be oblivious. When she looks at the frame and then throws it to one side is also symbolic as it could almost represent their daughter Christine as 'dead' and is now lost. Also linking to this the liquid becoming more red can be taken as a sign to show that her death is becoming final and as the liquid draws to the glass it could symbolize Christine becoming closer to God / her own death.
We then hear very dramatic music as the liquid starts to engulf the whole frame which can also be representing the girl in the water. Then as the music heightens we see multiple different shots of the father holding the girl in the water. The way in which it is filmed is very interesting as it's shot in slow motion, the whole screen has a very dark screen and it almost seems a different location or time- it almost looks like a vague spotlight on the pair in the muggy water. This gives the audience the effect of loss and death and makes the audience feel the man's grief even more as we see close up of his face and especially his hands in which he is trying to cradle his child. As he leaves the water it goes back to the frame where music plays a slight magical harmony- using the harps, this suggests some sort of closeness to God and the sense that Christine has 'left Earth and entered Heaven'. As he is resuscitating the audience become even more involved as the camera is being hand held which forces the audience to connect with his loss and the sense of feeling unease.
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