Scene Analysis

 Scene Analysis

The Woman In Black train scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-YXvvt4UaU

Sequence 1:

 0:00-0:16

This sequence begins with a medium shot that shows the woman and young boy getting off the train which establishes instantly the location in which this is set. It then becomes a wide shot which indicates the environment around them which is very dark and the train station is clearly desolate which fits in well with the genre conventions of a horror movie. It then switches to the entrance of the main character (played by Daniel Radcliffe) and as his entrance is displayed in another medium shot, he is positioned slightly to the left of centre which is following the law of thirds. The screen then changes to a close up of the son and we as an audience can see the pure excitement this young boy is feeling to finally see his father again. We then see the two characters running towards one another and finally a close up of them embracing, showing and focusing on the father's face, highlighting that he is the more important character between the two and the character that the audience should be focusing on. We can also see from this, the expression on his face which indicate love and gratefulness. 

Sequence 2:

1:02-1:17

To begin with, this sequence shows a medium shot of the young boy, who is looking up towards his father with a cheerful smile on his face which slowly begins to fade which we can see in a bit more detail as it changes to a medium close up, focusing on his face. He then slowly looks towards the opposite direction of his father, clearly distracted and the shot changes again to a wider shot that is still in a medium distance range. We are seeing the boy from behind but now see what he is looking at within his surroundings: a train heading towards them. He then lets go of the woman's hand and starts to walk towards the approaching train. At this point, the audience would have been lured into a sense of false security since it is nearing the end of the film and the character Daniel is playing is supposedly reaching his happy ending. There is finally then a close up of the boy's feet as he steps toward the train closer and closer which is again following the law of thirds as the camera is following his steps.

Sequence 3:

1:40-1:43

This sequence starts as a full wide shot then quickly changes multiple times in a snappy manner to match the fear and terror that this part of the scene entails. This traumatic and terrifying scene, full of desperation and emotional panic is perfectly represented through the impulsive movement of the father and the shout that is heard as the three characters at the station realise what is happening. The last we see of the boy and father is where the boy is grabbed and they leap towards the side of the tracks, before the spontaneous music dies down and a close up of the woman, with her sudden realisation and petrification, clear as day. At this point, we feel like we are in the same situation as this woman is and even though it is a brief shot, we know exactly how shocked and helpless she must be feeling.

Sequence 4:

2:16-2:44

At the start of this scene, it opens with an extreme close up shot of Daniel's eyes, with much darker lighting and as he realises he is conscious, his eyes begin to soften and he opens his eyes, clearly in a state of shock. This then transitions into a wide shot, showing the surrounding area in a new lighting however it is clearly the same place they just were. He then appears to be scanning the area and as his eyes begin to sweep the area, the camera shot turns around to show his perspective for the audience's benefit. The area where the woman and man once were from the scene earlier is now unoccupied and there isn't a sound, person or train to be seen or heard. These wide shots are taken for the realisation of the situation. Then, there is another medium close up shot of Daniel, looking lost and confused, making him appear vulnerable with the movement of the camera being slightly frantic just like he is. The shot then changes back to the surroundings revealing complete darkness within the train station and even more of a desolate sight and the music begins to build up creating another newfound sense of tension. Finally, the camera transitions back to a close up of Daniel which zooms in with an eye level shot.

Sequence 5:

3:40-3:52

Finally, the final sequence within this scene is where the family head off down the track together, clearly all dead but together once again, so are still happy. They use a wide shot once again to establish the three of them, departing into the mist. This creates positive symbolism of what the afterlife would be like to the audience, that you will be with whoever meant the most in your life and that the worst scenarios can still have a positive outcome, in a twisted sort of way. They appear to be walking away in slow motion and the lighting is dark and chilling which also contrasts between the fact that in some ways this was a happy ending, however in reality, they did end up dying. It then zooms in one final time to a medium shot, as they finally disappear into the mist, leaving us wondering where exactly they went and if this really was the end.