Two Minute Analysis (3) Silent Hill

The clip begins with the promo which fades out into a black screen. The titles then fade in, which begin to introduce the film. They hold for approximately 4 seconds, and fade back out again. During the title sequence there is parallel audio playing. The audio is of a woman screaming the name “Sharon” however the volume is very quiet. The clip cuts to a low angled mid shot of a woman who screams “Sharon” again. However this time the volume level has been increased dramatically. This shot can arguably be classified as a scare moment, as the camera cuts from the titles immediately to the mid shot combined with the high level of volume – wakes the audience up extremely early in the film. This is extremely effective as from the first 40 seconds, we can already establish the genre of the film, which is obviously horror. In addition the low angle of the shot generates the impression that she is shouting at the top of her voice, out into the darkness. Before the clip cuts to the next shot, the character exists the shot first This reveals to the audience that she has moved from her previous position at high speed, as essentially she has left the shot before the camera can cut to the next shot. This is a powerful method as it shows that she is moving fast, and is concerned for Sharon’s whereabouts. The clip cuts to a long shot/ establishing shot that reveals a wooded area. The woman is still screaming Sharon and is running through the forest. This location suggests that it may be difficult for her to seek help with searching for Sharon. There are multiple cuts to long shots of the woman running through the dark forest in her search for Sharon, and finally is cut to a long shot of the woman walking under a bridge. There is synchronous diegetic sound of beats, perhaps a damaged sign which is being blown about in the wind. This has direct impact on the direction of the films plot. The sound is of continuous beats, which could symbolise the sound of a ticking clock, in resemblance to how much time there is for the woman to find Sharon, before its too late. The clip then cuts to an extreme high angle long shot of a young girl who is walking slowly towards the edge of a huge mountain. The camera takes a huge arc around to the side where the woman is. The clip then cuts to a mid shot of the woman where she shouts “Sharon” one more time. This indicates that the young girl is Sharon, the person whom the woman was in desperate search for. During the arc, there is synchronous sound of the nearby waterfall which is combined with voices that are moaning. This is an extremely powerful combination as it suggests that maybe she is possessed by someone or something, and raises a lot of questions from the audience. From the first two minutes of the film, there is very powerful audio which suggests potential for the film to hold a 15 or 18 Certificate, in addition due to the early scare at the beginning of the film, it is more likely that this films target audience is teens or young adults. By Aaron Riley