Analysis Homework

The clip I have chosen to analyse is What Lies Beneath. The clip of the supernatural thriller What Lies Beneath uses lighting,sound,camera angles and setting to create a suspenseful mood.

From the beginning of the clip there is very little lighting used which gives the impression that what is taking place is in the evening/night. The minimal amount of lighting also suggests that something "dark" is about to happen. The brighter light used in the bathroom gives the audience a clearer view of what is going on in the scene. However the landing of the stairs is dark which makes it seem as though no one is actually in the bathroom as the other light is coming from downstairs-where the actress is coming from.

The actress' reaction to the steam and light coming from the bathroom is captured using a medium shot which then pans to a point of view shot to give the audience a better idea of why she has paused. The close up of the bottom of the door accompanied by the steam along with the actress' feet creates a mood of suspense. The shots switch from the audience's view to the actress' view of action frequently, this shows the action along with the actress' reaction which gives the audience a better understanding of what is going on. At some points the audience can only make their judgement on what is going on based on the actress' expressions and movement. As the actress moves closer towards the bath a mixture of over the shoulder shots, medium shots and close ups are used to create suspense. The low angle shot used when the actress is preparing to pull the plug of the bathtub conveys a sense that she is being watched by something beneath her.

To begin with the music played in the clip is quiet and fades out after the actress enters the bathroom. Throughout the rest of the sequence there is a minimal amount of music used until the actress views the reflection of someone else in the bath, at this point the sound of the music seems louder, higher pitched and intense.