Just to note: This essay was my first ever university essay. It was written to meet specific criteria and a 1000 word limit, there's obviously a lot more you could analyse. It also focuses only on the opening sequence of the film (about the first 10 minutes). This essay was graded a B.
From the opening sequence we are told a great deal of information about the characters through the use of mise-en-scène. We are also given clues and information which set up the narrative expectation for the remainder of the film.
The light bulb in the very first shot could be seen as symbolic. A light bulb turning on can symbolise an idea or sudden understanding of something, there are several examples of this throughout the film. When Cole Sear realises the ghosts don’t want to hurt him, they just want his help, when he reveals to his secret to his mother, when Dr Malcolm Crowe realises Cole Sear and Vincent Grey could both see dead people and of course the big reveal when Dr Malcolm Crowe realises he is dead. I believe it is hinting to the audience that sometimes you have to look at things in a different light, to see what has been there all along.
Throughout the film, the colour red is used as a warning, a pattern which is established in the opening scene and even from the very first shot. The filament of the light bulb turns red before it turns on properly, Anna Crowe’s lipstick is red, there is a red napkin on the table, the door handle that leads to the basement (which is shown several times later in the film as Dr Malcolm Crowe tries to open it). Most importantly, the wine is red. We only see Dr Malcolm Crowe drinking the wine, which suggests something is going to happen to him. It can be said that the award frame is a reddish coloured wood also, when the couple are reflected in the award, they are framed in red, which leads us to believe they are the target of whatever bad thing is coming. This pattern continues throughout the rest of the film. Whenever something ghostly or otherworldly happens, red is seen (the red jumper Cole Sear wears at the party, the red balloon, the red tent etc).
The first scene is set in a dark, cold, bleak looking basement, which is only being lit by a small light bulb and is very shadowy. This gives an almost spooky atmosphere and hints at the genre of the film, it also builds suspense. In contrast, the next scene is set in a cosy living room with soft lighting from candles and a log fire, almost romantic, intimate atmosphere, which I believe brings the audience at ease for the moment.
It is clear that the temperature is very cold. We get clues in the first scene when Anna Crowe gets the wine from the basement. Because of the lack of light in the basement, it looks cold. There is also evidence of this cold when Anna Crowe stops and shivers, she also puts on a cardigan, as does Dr Malcolm Crowe.
It is indicated that the couple have been at an event or celebration. We get this from their figure expression and movement. Dr Malcolm Crowe is clearly drunk by the way he stumbles about. We also get this from the costume and make-up. Dr Malcolm Crowe is wearing a suit, Anna Crowe is dressed glamorously in a colourful dress, her hair and makeup is also well presented. Of course when the framed award is shown this confirms that they have been at the award ceremony.
We can see that they are a wealthy couple through the setting. In the first scene there is a large wine rack with an abundant supply of wine, the next scene in the large living room with fine furnishings and an ornate fireplace as well as a grandfather clock and chandelier in the equally big hallway. It can also be assumed that Dr. Malcolm Crowe comes from a well educated background as he puts on a sweater with Liberty Rowing Club logo, also a photograph of a rowing team in the bedroom. Rowing is a traditional sport in prestigious universities such as Harvard and Yale (similarly Oxford and Cambridge in the UK).
We know that Dr. Malcolm Crowe is a psychologist and that he is good at his job. We get this information from props. The handmade thank you cards and most importantly the award which we learn is for professional excellence. Because of this emphasis on his career, we are led to believe that it plays a big part in the narrative.
The award is a very important prop. It gives us many details about the characters. It tells us Dr. Malcolm Crowe’s name, his profession and where the story is based (Philadelphia). It also hints at the relationship between Dr. Malcolm Crowe and his wife. In the shot where the couple are reflected in the frame, we see that she is lower down than he. Moments before, we see her sit on the floor next to him who is sitting on the couch. I believe this symbolises her love for him. She puts him before herself, and it suggests she’s sacrificed something in the past for him. The dialogue backs this up when Anna Crowe talks about how he’s put everything second, including her, to help his patients and how she believes he has a gift that helps children. She clearly loves and believes in him.
It can be seen that Vincent Grey, unlike the couple, is not a psychologically rounded character. Firstly, he has broken in to the house and taken off everything but his underwear, secondly his figure expression and movement tell us that he is unstable, he seems scared and defensive, for the majority of the time at least one arm is bent up protecting him. We can also see he has anger issues and violent tendencies by the way he suddenly explodes and bangs on the bathroom door. Another important prop that reinforces this idea is the gun, which is an important prop in itself as it is used to kill two of the three characters we’ve been introduced to.
It is clear that Vincent Grey and Cole Sear share psychological similarities, Dr Malcolm Crowe’s note book is used to tell us this. The symptoms are circled for both characters are the same, divorced parents, acute anxiety, socially isolated and possible mood disorder. Because this are shown to us, we can make the assumption that Cole Sear is to play a major role in the narrative and that Dr Malcolm Crowe is going to try and help Cole Sear in the story ahead, to try and redeem himself.
Bibliography
BORDWELL, D and THOMPSON, K (2004) Film art: an introduction international edition. 7th ed., United Kingdom: McGraw-Hill.
LACEY, N. Teaching mise-en-scène [c. 18th October 2009]. <http://www.mediaed.org.uk/posted_documents/Teaching_mise_en_scene.htm>
LEHMAN, P and LUHR, W (2003) Thinking about movies: watching, questioning, enjoying. 2nd ed., United Kingdom: Blackwell Pub.
PHILLIPS, P (2000) Understanding film texts: meaning and experience. London: British Film Institute
The Sixth Sense. (1999) DVD. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan. USA. Hollywood Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment. Available as commercially published DVD.
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