Week 4: Movie Scenes

"The Sixth Sense"

from Director M. Night Shyamalan

I chose to comment on the movie "The Sixth Sense"'s different shots and angles used. This movie is a horror/thriller, so the use of camera angles affects the audience's level of thrill and surprise. I commented on this movie because I had been interested in watching it, and decided to use this assignment as an excuse to watch it. This film has a large variety of different shots and scenes. If these scenes were shot any other ways, the same emotions would not have been provoked.

This shot is a high angle shot. It is important to this scene because the audience is able to observe Malcome's reaction after being shot in the abdomen. You can also see his surroundings and his wife rushing in from outside the frame to try to assist him. This is the shot in which the audience observes him beginning to die and you can see him struggle to breathe. 

This shot is a follow shot. This shot was important to the movie because at first, it follows Cole as he is walking slowly, but as Cole starts walking faster, and then running, the camera following along increases the speed at which it is moving as well. The viewer feels as if they are also running and the shot also makes them wonder why Cole is running or who he is running from. 

This shot is a reaction shot. Cole's mother, Lynn, is studying the pictures of Cole on the wall as she is cleaning. She notices something interesting and confusing in each picture, which you are unable to see until the camera switches to that shot. This is important because the audience can recognize that she is beginning to be suspicious.

This shot is a point-of-view (POV) shot. This is from Lynn's point of view as she reads writing on Cole's desk. There is a voice over of Dr. Malcome talking during this shot, giving background information of what the writing is. This also shows that Lynn is beginning to think that something is going on with Cole. 

This shot is a low angle shot. This shot shows how to flashlight casts a shadow onto Cole's face, creating a feeling of mystery and uneasiness. Some of his main facial features are erased due to the oversaturation from the light, giving Cole's face a scarier, creepier look. The classic scary/spooky look is a flashlight shining on a face, so I think the film uses this shot to fit that stereotype.

A camera angle used a lot in horror or thriller films is a close-up shot. Usually, this shot is used right before the shot of something surprising and shocking that is unable to be seen. In this scene, Cole's hand is shown on the door handle before he opens the door to an unknown room. It feels as if you are opening the door with Cole, immersing the audience in the scene. Also, the shot shows how slowly Cole opens the door, building up the audience's anticipation to see what it is in the room.