Textual Analysis (1)

For my first textual analysis I am looking at a scene from ‘The Sixth Sense’. I am looking at this scene because it has a similar layout and effect which I want in my own sequence. This scene involves the three main characters all placed in Cole’s apartment living room. The staging of the character make it look like Malcolm and Lynn Sear are having a conversation. I will look at the stylistics such as Mise-en-Scene, Cinematography, Editing and Sound.

Mise-En-Scene

When the scene starts we have a straight on shot of Malcolm and Lynn staged as though they are having a conversation. They are positioned opposite each other with Lynn looking slightly to the left of Malcolm. Her left arm is raised which makes it look like she is thinking. This emphasises the idea of them talking to each other.

Cinematography

The camera is positioned straight on with the door in the background which Cole comes through. This shot lasts for 3 seconds before Cole enters the room. This makes it look like the conversation has just finished between them and Lynn is thinking about what to do. As Lynn stands up the camera tilts to show her leaving her chair and greeting Cole. The next shot is then a two shot with Lynn and Cole talking. The camera stays one distance away and doesn’t involve any close ups. This acts as a sort of eye line match as we are seeing them talk from Malcolm’s perspective. The only close up we see is of Malcolm. This could be seen as a way of making Malcolm be different and stand out. The close up makes him look more isolated in the frame. The lenghtly shots used in this scene are an aspect of Shyamalan's work and what he is known for.

Editing

The editing in this clip is shot reverse shots with the use of cuts. As M Night Shyamalan is well known for his long shots we don’t see an edit until Lynn gets up and greets Cole. This is a cut to a close up of Malcolm and him watching Cole be greeted. This is to show his reactions to the conversation they are having and makes it look like he is listening for any signs of odd behaviour from Cole.

Sound

The sound in this scene is all diegetic as there is no music used in the background and it is based on the dialogue. This makes it more of a personal scene as you are seeing the relationship between mother and son.

I like this scene because it reinforces the idea that Malcolm is alive in the film to the audience and just makes it look like they are having a normal conversation. This scene inspires my ideas because i want the audience to believe that my character is alive until the very end of the scene.