The Sixth Sense Opening Sequence
The beginning of the film starts with the opening credits over a black screen. There is eerie music playing in the background, sharp, high pitched violin strokes. This connotes that this is a spooky film and that it is scary. The font colour is blue giving a sense of coldness as the words fade in and out, adding to the sense of creepiness. As the credits end, the background illuminates as a light bulb slowly brightens to reveal a basement like setting, connoting that something sinister will happen in this scene. The camera then cuts to a figure walking down the stairs, still in darkness. The fact that this particular scene is set in darkness connotes that there’s a spooky atmosphere which adds to the disturbing ambience. The camera is then placed behind the wine cabinet to show a woman taking a wine bottle. Cutting back to a long shot, she shivers, looking around again adding to the creepy feeling. You can tell that it’s a fancy occasion because of what she’s wearing. She’s wearing a purple dress and has her hair up in a bun. She then runs back up the stairs leaving the audience alone, making the viewer feel scared, in the basement before cutting to a shot of thank you cards on the shelf.
You can then hear diagetic sound of the door creaking before the camera slowly tilts up to reveal the main character who is Bruce Willis who is carrying a bottle of beer which connotes that they’re celebrating something important because he is also dressed to impress. The camera then pans to show a two shot of both him and his wife who is throwing a jumper to him and they then both exchange some dialogue. She starts by saying, “It’s getting chilly in here”, before he then says, “That is some fine frame”, before sitting himself down onto the sofa. She then sits down beside him which shows that she is loyal to her husband and would do anything for him. The camera then cuts to show the frame that Bruce Willis was talking about. The frame is brown with a sort of certificate inside. The frame is sitting in an armchair which shows that it means a lot and that it’s quite superior and really important towards his career. His wife then starts to read the words off his award plaque which shows that she’s devoted to him as a traditional housewife. After she’s finished reading his plaque, they share an intimate moment before heading upstairs to their bedroom. This shows that they have a happy and loving relationship.
As they get in the bedroom, which is quite fancy seeing as they are from an upper class because of the plaque and all the wine in the cellar, they start to undress while playing which shows that they are still playful and children at heart. Bruce and his wife then stop to look at shattered glass all over the floor and the broken window which connotes that there was a forced entry and that somebody is still in their house. They both look at each other shocked and in horror because someone has entered their house. His wife then signals for him to come over to her side saying “Look, look”. The camera then cuts down so the audience can see the shattered glass and broken phone. The camera then tilts up to the window with only the sound of the phones beeping in the background. There is only diagetic sound throughout the film to increase tension and build suspense. A shadow then appears out of the blue into the bathroom and his wife then screams because she’s scared. The fact that it’s dark also makes it more terrifying because she could be intimidated by the dark and seeks help from her husband. As soon as he hears the scream from his wife, Bruce Willis turns around and goes to investigate the creepy shadow. This connotes that he’s very protecting of his wife and he wouldn’t let anything or anyone hurt her. He also feels that it’s his job as man of the house to look after her and protect her from any harm. As he steps towards his bathroom, he’s in close up and the music is now quite creepy and frightening in the background, the quickly cuts to the bathroom door to increase suspension and tension in the audience. The camera starts moving towards the bathroom door as if the audience were looking through Bruce Willis’s eyes.
As the camera gets nearer and nearer, the music increases slightly which makes the audience feel agitated and jumpy. The camera then does a shot reverse shot between the bathroom and Bruce Willis. As the camera then goes back to the bathroom door, it gets nearer until it turns the corner and you can see clothes on the floor and a man standing in just his underwear. This connotes that he’s probably got mental issues and wants something from Bruce Willis. Bruce Willis then says to his wife, “Hannah, don’t move. Don’t make a sound” before the camera goes into a mid close up of the man who’s standing in the bathroom. With Bruce Willis and the man still both in close up, they both exchange some dialogue and Bruce Willis is now trembling instead of acting sturdy. The man then makes his way out of the bathroom and into the bedroom with Bruce Willis’s wife taking in a breath as she sees this semi-naked man emerge from her bathroom. The man is now crying and the three of them engage in dialogue with the music playing in the background.
The music is orchestral music, mainly piano and strings. The music is getting stronger with every sentence exchanged and the camera is doing a shot reverse shot of Bruce Willis and the man who are both in close up. The music has now stopped and Bruce Willis is left talking while the man who is not fully in the bedroom is crying. This shows a contrast between the two men. Bruce Willis is the more fatherly figure trying to stop this young man from breaking into floods of tears and the man who is more child-like and is in need of help. The man then goes back into the bathroom with an angry look set about his face and pulls out a gun which he uses to shoot Bruce Willis before turning the gun on himself which the audience doesn’t see. The scene then ends with Bruce Willis lying in his bed, with his wife crying beside him. This connotes that even though he’s helpless she will always be there for him as a devoted wife should be.
I found this sequence quite suspenseful and intimidating due to the intense diagetic sound used throughout and the dark lighting used in the basement and bedroom. There is a contrast between the settings used as it goes from dark – light- dark. The only light used in the bedroom is the lighting from the bathroom and the only lighting in the basement is from the bulb.
Marcia Preciosa
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