The Silence of the LambsTextual Analysis

Scene One:In the very first scene an establishing shot is used, this helps the audience understand where the current event is taking place.This scene is set in a foggy forest, the fog makes it feel slightly eerie, this builds tension in the audience. Bad weather is very common in thriller films, this is probably because it distorts vision and makes people feel uncomfortable. Also, as there are no special effects used on this scene it makes the film appear even more realistic and relatable to the viewers. This is neither common, or un-common in thriller films, it all depends on the sub-genre. Furthermore, in this opening scene there is text stating what the exact location of the shot is, this enhances the audiences knowledge of where the film is set. Again, this feature is neither common or un-common in a thriller film.Finally, in this very first shot there is tense music playing, building suspense. Tense, dramatic music is always used in thrillers, it builds suspense and makes the audience feel un-easy.

Title:The opening title is presented similarly to many other thriller films, there is a soft background and the title is bold, it stands out. However, unlike other thrillers the music in this does not build up to the appearance of the title, building tension and putting the audience on seats edge.The way in which the title is presented on screen establishes the genre of the film, this is common in thrillers. There is an eerie, mysterious, spooky backdrop and a strong, bold, powerful title.

First Character:The first character we are introduced to in the opening of the film confuses the audience and intrigues them, we don’t understand what she is doing and we want to know who she is, a long shot is used to present this character so that we can see what activity she is doing and as the scene goes on it zooms into her face and we then see her facial expressions, we get an idea of how she is feeling. It is typical for a thriller film not to completely give the main characters away within the first third of the film.The character we see appears to be wearing gym clothes so we can assume she is doing some kind of sport or training. This gives us a slight hint towards the identity of this character, maybe she’s in the army or a police officer in training.

Tension Builder:Tension builds up when the character we have first been introduced to begins to run and into the fog, the music builds up and diegetic sound is used (the actress breathing heavily) which creates suspense. Thrillers often use a mix of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. At this point of the opening scene the audience are still left confused and in suspense to what the story may be.

THE OPENING SCENE:https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=eb5bmX9P1zs