The Silence of the Lambs opening analysis

The film 'The Silence of the Lambs' is integrated in the genre of thriller. The audience then automatically that the film is going to be serious and possibly dark. Meaning and effects of the genre is created by certain aspects such as mise-en-scene, editing, sound and camerawork to create questions the audience think and also what the audience understands of the character so far. In the opening sequence of 'The Silence of the Lambs' the director has conveyed two different automatic assumptions of the female character, one could be that she is in distress, and the other towards the end that we can understand that she is not weak, however a strong main female protagonist.

One way that effects are created in 'The Silence of the Lambs' is through mise-en-scene. The first way mise-en-scene is used is through the use of location. Instantly, the first shot is presented to us with the location of the woods or forest. This could show how the area is quite exposed and lonely, possibly making the audience tense as it is conventional for problematic things to happen in woods in film. The shot of the branches of the tree is quite un comforting for the audience and also spooky. Another use of mise-en-scene is the use of costuming, the first male that is introduced wears an FBI cap. This could represent how the male has some sort of authority in the film, as he talks to the female, this also shows how they have some sort of connection and she plays an important role. The titles of the film are bold and black, with a white outline, this allows the audience to view them clearly, it could also show that the film is going to be quite serious, as the colour black has connotations of mystery and evil.

One second way that creates different effects for the audience is 'The Silence of the Lambs' is the use of editing. One use of editing that is used is an eye line match, this is used when there is a shot of the female characters face looking in the direction of a board, then a closeup of the board with many images on them. This is used to show how the female character is intrigued and wants to become involved in the crime that is shown in the photos. As well as this there is a long take at the beginning of the clip. This builds suspense up for the audience as we have to look at the shot and inspect the scenery and setting in the shot, whilst the audience is also expecting something to happen. It also makes the audience question what she is looking at, and what makes her so intrigued and why she is looking at the photos.

The third way this is done is through the use of sound. An example of when sound is used is at the beginning, the soundtrack uses violins and the tempo is very slow. This could create a sense that the film is serious and it also builds suspense, it also creates tension and builds up, which could lead the audience into thinking something bad is going to happen.

The last way that effects are created is through the use of he next shot is one of running out of the woodland, past the signs. This shot is a tilt shot, this resembles the effort that she was previously putting into her training, which enforces her strength and power. She runs past other police officers, also training, and into what must be the police compound. By now the music has slowed to a more calm tune, which is empathetic to how she is now surrounded by other people and in a safer environment. Whilst in the compound, she is still running through the corridors, almost as if she is trying to make up for the training that she was previously cut short of. Once again this enforces how seriously she takes her job, whilst this is all happening, the titles still roll and appear on the screen.