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Film opening 3 don't look now analysis

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Art Vandelay
Art Vandelay

The document analyzes the opening sequence of the psychological thriller film "Don't Look Now" directed by Nicolas Roeg in 1973. It summarizes: 1) The sequence starts peacefully by showing an innocent young girl playing in a field, but ends in horror as she tragically dies, contrasting her innocence with the grief of her father's reaction. 2) The editing, music, and sound design help shift the tone from a tranquil beginning to a distressing end. Long shots of the peaceful field are replaced by faster cuts between distorted photos and the distressed father. The pleasant piano music is replaced by intense strings underscoring the family's crisis. 3) These techniques are effective at taking the

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Don’t Look Now (1973) Dir: Nicolas Roeg There is a marked descent in tone from the start to the end of psychological thriller Don’t Look Now’s opening sequence, presented through the sound, editing and action in the scene. In the opening moments we see a small girl, conspicuously dressed in a bright red coat and sporting blonde hair, whilst carrying a small talking doll. Immediately we are given an emotional connection to the character because of her age, and it tells us of her innocence as a character. This makes her death later on in the sequence all the more horrifying for the viewer. Such a distressing moment is very typical for a film such as this, but the contrast between the innocence at the beginning of the scene and the grief portrayed through Donald Sutherland’s performance later on makes it all the more uncomfortable for the viewer. Through the pace and style of the editing, we can see the change in mood for the situation: at the beginning of the scene, there is a long shot of the girl walking across a field with a wheelbarrow and a white horse in the background, a shot akin to nature documentaries which are known for being peaceful and tranquil. Later on in the sequence, however, when the father senses something is wrong, and runs out to save his daughter, the editing is more frenetic, constantly cutting between the distorted photograph and the father, as well as some unclear images. The pacing is also less consistent, with a few parts taking place in slow motion, such as the father rising up out of the water but others being very fast, such as when he is running back to the house and we have the anticipation of the moment when the mother sees the child. In the opening shot, there is a pleasant piece of piano music that plays over the top of the nature documentary-esque shot, which gives the audience an idea of the tranquillity of the location. However, when the father runs out to save the daughter, after several minutes of having no music at all, there is some very intense string music that underpins the interruption of the cosiness in the family’s life. The music’s low pitch also indicates the crushing consequences of the situation, which we as viewers can infer as being quite catastrophic. Not only this, but the diegetic sound within the scene is occasionally utilised in showing the shift in tone for the sequence, if only briefly. When the father first Figure1: The girl dressed inthe red coat Figure2: An example of Donald Sutherland's unsettling performance Figure3: Opening longshot Figure4: Grotesque distorted photo later in the scene
jumps into the water, we hear a very audible gasp of air, something that was not made nearly as obvious earlier in the scene. This can provoke a response from the audience of feeling claustrophobic because of the feeling of close proximity to the character, and heightens the tension and discomfort of the scene. All of these things which mark the change in tone from the start to the end of the sequence are things which I would consider integral to the progression of my opening sequence, going from something calm and collected to something that makes the viewer uncomfortable and that portrays the intensity of the main character’s situation.

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Film opening 3 don't look now analysis

  • 1. Don’t Look Now (1973) Dir: Nicolas Roeg There is a marked descent in tone from the start to the end of psychological thriller Don’t Look Now’s opening sequence, presented through the sound, editing and action in the scene. In the opening moments we see a small girl, conspicuously dressed in a bright red coat and sporting blonde hair, whilst carrying a small talking doll. Immediately we are given an emotional connection to the character because of her age, and it tells us of her innocence as a character. This makes her death later on in the sequence all the more horrifying for the viewer. Such a distressing moment is very typical for a film such as this, but the contrast between the innocence at the beginning of the scene and the grief portrayed through Donald Sutherland’s performance later on makes it all the more uncomfortable for the viewer. Through the pace and style of the editing, we can see the change in mood for the situation: at the beginning of the scene, there is a long shot of the girl walking across a field with a wheelbarrow and a white horse in the background, a shot akin to nature documentaries which are known for being peaceful and tranquil. Later on in the sequence, however, when the father senses something is wrong, and runs out to save his daughter, the editing is more frenetic, constantly cutting between the distorted photograph and the father, as well as some unclear images. The pacing is also less consistent, with a few parts taking place in slow motion, such as the father rising up out of the water but others being very fast, such as when he is running back to the house and we have the anticipation of the moment when the mother sees the child. In the opening shot, there is a pleasant piece of piano music that plays over the top of the nature documentary-esque shot, which gives the audience an idea of the tranquillity of the location. However, when the father runs out to save the daughter, after several minutes of having no music at all, there is some very intense string music that underpins the interruption of the cosiness in the family’s life. The music’s low pitch also indicates the crushing consequences of the situation, which we as viewers can infer as being quite catastrophic. Not only this, but the diegetic sound within the scene is occasionally utilised in showing the shift in tone for the sequence, if only briefly. When the father first Figure1: The girl dressed inthe red coat Figure2: An example of Donald Sutherland's unsettling performance Figure3: Opening longshot Figure4: Grotesque distorted photo later in the scene
  • 2. jumps into the water, we hear a very audible gasp of air, something that was not made nearly as obvious earlier in the scene. This can provoke a response from the audience of feeling claustrophobic because of the feeling of close proximity to the character, and heightens the tension and discomfort of the scene. All of these things which mark the change in tone from the start to the end of the sequence are things which I would consider integral to the progression of my opening sequence, going from something calm and collected to something that makes the viewer uncomfortable and that portrays the intensity of the main character’s situation.