Textual analysis of The Woman In Black opening scene.

Textual analysis of The Woman In Black opening scene.

In the opening scene of The Woman In Black representation is shown in the tea party that the three small girls are having. The tea party is suppose to represent a bright, light and playful mood to start the story off with. This gives off the idea that there is nothing going wrong in the start. The dolls in the tea party from the story are meant to represent human beings enjoying tea. In the clip we see light from the window to the left side of the girls who were having a doll tea party. The light is normally suppose to represent playful, good, lighter and kinder side of the story. This can relate as the window shows the view and leads to the outside world which we can normally see as innocent as there are normally innocent people going about with their daily lives. The light from the widow in this story can also have the representation of heaven. This can be shown as the girls come to their fate once they jump out of the window, they went from the darkness to the light. The innocence of the girls can show the representation of heaven through the light filled window as only the innocent go to heaven.

Further to the right side of the girls having a doll tea party we see the darker side of the room that they're in. The darkness normally represents evil, mystery and fear which we see in the story. At the end of the clip we see a woman dressed in black this woman is suppose to represent the dark, mysterious and immoral part of the clip which we can associate as the villain.

Moreover in the opening clip there is the use of mise-en-scene. This can be shown in the opening clip. There are the use of props such as teacups, small tables and furniture. This gives off the olden day setting of the clip with all of the props having an old design. There is also the use of olden day clothing. This is shown in the clip as we see the girls wearing this type of clothing. The girls have been given this clothing as they are set in the olden times. There is the use of bright and dark lighting in the clip. I have explained the use of these above already where I state the light has been used to show goodness while the darkness has been used to show evil.

In addition to this information there are the use of camera shots these range from close ups, medium shots, medium 2 shots and long shots. The close ups show what is happening this includes the tea cps being used, the dolls being used and one of the girls faces. This may have been done to show the old features of the props as well as to let the audience know in detail one of the characters faces. The medium shot used was to show the girls and the tea party that they were having, that is it. This may have been done to show the girls enjoying their tea party. This may have been done to build suspense as the music gives off a eerie feeling, the audience are only left to suspect that something is about to happen.

Alongside this information there is also a medium two shot which shows two of the girls with a bright expression on their face. This may have been done to show the happiness of the girls while they were enjoying their tea party before they were possessed. There is a long shot. This shows the girls and their tea party items. This also shows the girls faces expression once they look behind them and see something presumably the woman in black. This may have been done to show all of the girls seeing something before they are possessed which leads to them jumping out of the window.













As well as having this information there is the use of editing. This includes the use of jump cuts, a zoom and a zoom backwards. These have been used to determine meaning in a film. The jump cuts have been used for the effect of jumping forward in time. The jump cuts allow for the story to progress which leads to a terrible ending for the girls. As the jump cuts are put in place they allow for the suspension of the story to play its part, allowing for the audience to enjoy the story. There are numerous jump cuts within the clip showing the girls enjoying their tea party as well as showing the girls being possessed and reaching their terrible fate. This may have been done to show the contrasts within the story of good, lighter side against the dark, evil side.

There is the use of a zoom in the clip. This is done in the clip to zoom in on the window. This may have been done to show the fate of the girls after they have looked at something in the darkness (presumably the woman in black). The girls then look to the window where there is a zoom at this point. This will give the audience an idea of the terrible thing that's about to happen which makes a horror story.

Furthermore there is the use of zooming backwards. This has been used in the clip when the three girls are walking towards the window and when we are shown the woman in black at the end. This may have been done to show the dark and evil progression within the movie.

Moreover there are the use of technical and symbolic codes. One of the technical codes used here is the use of a zoom to show the window where the three girls jump to reach their death. The use of the zoom is what I have explained above. The zoom has been used to give the audience knowledge on the fate of the three girls, the girls come to a terrible fate. There is also the use of a zoom backwards. I have also explained this above. The use of a zoom backwards shows the three girls going towards the window as well as the scenery around them and some of the scenery behind them. This may have been done to show where the girls were going leading to their death as well as to show the faces of the girls to let the audience know that they were possessed.

In addition to this information there are the use of symbolic codes. One of the symbolic codes used was the tea party. This is shown in the clip as the three girls have a tea party with their dolls. This is meant to show the innocence of the girls as well as showing the lighter side of the story at the start in order for there to be a build up to the darker side of the story as something terrible is meant to happen. There is the use of dark lighting in the clip. This is shown to the right side of the girls where the woman in black who is not seen until near the end of the clip is standing. This is meant to show the lack of hope for the girls as they come to their ending fate. The room they are in has no one inside it except for them and the woman in black who then posses the three girls to jump out of the window to their death.

Alongside this information there is the knowledge in how meaning is conveyed. This is shown in the tea party. The clip shows the girls having a tea party with their dolls. This shows the innocence of the three young girls. The darkness shows evil is lurking. The darkness is shown to the right side of the three girls in the clip. This shows that there is evil lurking around the corner. The woman at the end is shown as a symbolic code. This is seen near the end of the clip. The woman is dressed in black who we can presume to be the villain. Non-diegetic sound is used as a symbolic code. Creepy music is played throughout the clip. This is used to show future outcomes.

Finally in conclusion evil is shown in the dark areas of the clip. Lighter areas show the goodness of everyday life e.g the window for the view of the outside world. The horror film is based on possession.