Woman In Black Analysis

Woman in Black analysis

The opening begins with the film company, e one (entertainment one) then the film production Hammer. 

The film opens with the use of a mid-two shot of two tea cups and a teapot being poured. 

Then cuts to a small child’s hand holding one of the teacups at a dolls mouth, there is also the use of depth of 
focus in the scene to help focus on the child’s hand, doll and teacup. The gestures that occur in the scene are sped up  creating the idea that they are manipulating the dolls like they would if it was human. This is then done again but using a different doll. This suggests manipulation and control which often occurs in these sort of films.

The camera then zooms out to reveal three little girls wearing old fashioned dresses of pinks, peaches and white with bows in their hair. This could be suggesting the idea that the three little girls are like the three witches from Macbeth manipulating people, the three little girls are doing the same to their dolls. .They are surrounded by old fashioned dolls and toys, as well as doll limbs laying around. It could be suggested that the dolls supposedly represent a stereotypical thriller aspect. as dolls are often associated with being creepy or daunting.

The lighting is quite dark and the room colours are very dull, with a lullaby piano piece over the top creating an eerie affect. An establishing shot is used to reveal the whole room, including a bed which suggests to the audience that it is a children’s nursery.

At one point the girls all stand up in sync like they’re under some sort of trance and a zoom in used on their feet to reveal the girls smashing the dolls heads as they step over them. 
Suggesting the idea that violence is occurring. A long shot is used from behind the girls to show them standing on the window ledge, pulling the window open, then cutting to a close up of the window handle being pulled down and open. The same long shot is then used showing the three girls jump out of the window. Screams can then be heard and the music changes to an eerie whistling sound and a women screaming ‘my baby’. The window is then zoomed out and cuts to a close up of a battered, old fashioned doll, a doll is stereotypical in a horror film as they are associated with being creepy and coming to life. The camera begins to zoom out as though someone is walking backwards out of the room and the scene begins to fade to white to reveal the opening credits, Alliance Films, Hammer, The UK film council and Cross Creek Pictures. The credits are all done over the top of a foggy, cloudy moving images of rings being put on to hands.

Then a set of eyes appear in the white fog, fade and the title, The Woman and Black, appears, disappears and then a montage of the moving images in the white musk continues. This is until it focuses to reveal a man’s face, the main character. After the main character is revealed we see him holding up a blade to his neck as he shaves, this suggests danger or perhaps vulnerability.