The document provides a detailed textual analysis of the short horror film "The Jigsaw". It summarizes the plot, which involves a man buying an ominous jigsaw at an antique shop against the owner's warning. When he completes the puzzle at home, he realizes it was a bad decision. Key shots and editing techniques are examined, such as low-angle shots used to make certain characters seem threatening. The analysis also notes how the film effectively builds tension through its use of music, lighting, locations and an unexpected twist ending.

1. Textual Analysis:
The Jigsaw (Short horror film)
By Noshin Jahan

2. About
• Award-winning short horror film about a
man who walks into an antique shop and sees
a jigsaw that he wants to buy. The owner of
the shop says it’s not a good idea but the old
man proceeds to buy the jigsaw box. When he
comes home he prepares himself to start the
jigsaw, hours later the man finds out it was a
bad idea buying the jigsaw.

3. Beginning
• Opening sound intensifying ominous music like off-key
violin. Opera music/instruments is most commonly found in
horror films as it sounds intense and it resonates much well
with the audience, most horror films use off-key violin the
sound sounds bizarre and strange.
• Ambient sound of a street market gives the audience context
of where the man is and it sets the tone/mood. The close ups,
hand held and panning shot altogether gives the impression
that the man is in a bizarre place and he is looking for a place
to go.
• The location/setting seems as if it is in a deserted place, the
audience may question where he is.

4. Beginning
• The shop the man enters seems it is an antique shop. Antique shops are
synonymous with horror films, as they are second-hand items from most
likely deceased people which could have some sort of ‘attachment’ for
example, the horror film ‘From Beyond the Grave’ the story is based on a
item from an antique shop. The shop seems old, dirty this is successfully
presented through low-key lighting which makes it scary and a place
where nobody would want to enter.
• The only sounds that can be heard is the shop bell crab shot followed by
silence and sound. The scuffling, and silence gives the audience the
impression that no one enters the shop and it connotes danger.
• Low angle shot of shop man this means superior. Low angle shot is
important as it shows that this man is clearly not some the audience
should trust, this shot is juxtaposed with a high angle shot of the old man
later on in the film.
• Mise-en-scene: location is an old antique shop dirty, low key lighting: this
is all important to the plot as it suggests the jigsaw is an old object is of an
old and mysterious origin.

5. Powerful shots/subliminal messages
Low angle shot makes the man seem
mysterious. It also gives him a sense of
superiority. The audience is able to
understand through this subliminal
message that he is the antagonist.
In contrast, the low angle shot is
juxtaposed later on in the film with high
angle/ariel shot of the old man. This
message is powerful as the audience are
able to connect the two scenes, the
audience are able to tell that the old man
is inferior and is vulnerable to danger.
The man is fixing a clock here in this scene,
the audience are made to think he is fixing
the clock,
The clock is later referenced in the end of
the short film, when the protagonist
realises that he took all day putting the
jigsaw together, he thinks he’s
hallucinating. Enigma codes are used in
this film to forbode what is going to
happen at the end

6. Middle
• In the middle of the sort film various dissolves are used as editing to show
the journey to the old man’s house. Dissolve also shows the different times
of the day. Soon the sky becomes dark.
• Zoom in to car makes it seem as if the audience is intruding in the journey.
• Sound: prominent makes the atmosphere chilling terrifying
• Dissolves used to show him driving for a long time and that it’s now dark.
• During the car scene the build-up is important when
• Mise-en-scene: dark/night time/secluded location= typical of a horror film,
it sets a suspenseful tone.
• The camera zoom in on the jigsaw suggests it is more sinister than it appears
to be.
• Dissolve to a bird shot view of car driving
• Extreme close up of his feet getting out of car = bizarre
• High angle of man this shows vulnerability
• The middle is arguably the most anti-climatic part of the film, though there
isn’t much, the mood and atmosphere is set up.

7. Middle
The second picture, shows a close up shot of the back of the man, it gives the illusion
as if he is being watched by someone, or someone is sitting in the back seat waiting to
jump at him. The expression on the man’s face seems as if he is being cautious and
acts as if he is out of place.

8. Middle
The ariel/high angle shot makes the man seem inferior and vulnerable, it is a
bizarre shot to have, as it seems as if he is under some sort of surveillance. The
low-key lighting sets abysmal the mood.

9. End
• Ariel view of jigsaw when man splays it out on his table
• Man putting jigsaw together
• Audience hear phonograph record playing old music
• Close up of the clock showing 9 O’clock= reference to the
clock the antagonist was ‘fixing’ the clock
• Crab shot showing the camera from someone else's
perspective it looks as if someone is looking inside the
house
• Intense ominous fast paced non diegetic music
• Sudden halt in music
• High angle of man shows he is inferior, vulnerable
• The camera

10. End
The camera rotates clockwise (reference to the clock) showing the reveal of the
jigsaw, the audience clearly anticipated this moment of the revelation of the
jigsaw, the ominous non-diegetic music adds to the tension.

11. End
This scene is very unexpected and keeps the audience on the edge of their
seats, because we don’t expect this to be the ending. The ending is made
slightly ambiguous, because the screen turns black and a sound bridge of a
glass shattering can be heard which suggests that the antagonist has
broken in and perhaps killed the man. The lightning in the background
highlight the man’s face who is about to shatter the window.

12. Successful?
Overall, the film was a short 9 minute film and lived up to
the expectations of a short horror film. It entertained as the
plot was scary. The plot wasn’t very difficult to follow and
the surprise at the end was unexpected and terrifying. It
definitely fits into the ‘horror’ genre as it followed the
genre codes and conventions, there were bizarre camera
angles and compositions that mirrored the confusing
atmosphere. The narrative was restrictive, and it did a
great job at the end of surprising the audience with the
unexpected twist, it was shocking. The video is available on
YouTube, which is very easy to access and watch, the film
overall received comments praising the unexpected plot
twist at the end which shocked many people.