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1. Textualanalysis:
TheWomanIn
Black
JamesWatkins-2012

2. CAMERAWORK
• Thecameraworkinvolvediscloseupsofthedollsandteapots,whichhelpsshowthenarrativeofthefilm
asitisbasedaroundchildrenandalsoshowstheequilibriumofthefilm.
• Anestablishingshotofthebedroomwasusedtoshowthelocationofwhichthefilmistakingplacein.
• Longshotsofthelittlegirlswereshownsothattheaudiencecanseeallthecharactersofwhichthe
currentsceneisabout.
• Ashotshowingthechildrenjumpingoutofthewindowincludingthecornerofthewomaninblacks
headshowinginthesideoftheshotisshownattheendwhichshowsthethemeofthefilmasitisabout
herpossessingchildren,alsoreflectingonthefilmsgenre.
• Apointofviewshotisshownfromwhatthechildrencanseebeforetheywalkuptothewindowtojump
outofit.

3. EDITING
• Theeditingofthisopeningsceneiscontinuouslyinasloweddowneffecttoemphasiseadramaticeffect
andcreateadramaticsuspensethatsomethingisgoingtohappenandthereissomethingthatisbeing
builtup.Slowmotionisaconventionwhichisoftenusedinhorrorfilmsasitcreatessuspense.
• Therearenotitlesusedinthisopeningscene.
• Therehasbeennondiegeticmusiceditedtothebackgroundtocreateaneerieeffectandtomakethe
audiencefeelscaredofwhatisgoingtohappenasthemusicthathasbeenputinbuildssuspense.

4. MISE-EN-SCENE
• Thelocationusedinthisopeningsequenceisthehouseofwhichthewomandiedin,andiswheretheprotagonistis
tovisitlateronasthishelpsshowtheequilibriumofthefilm.
• Theiconographyusedisdolls,teapotsandmanyotherchildtoys,whichhelpestablishthethemeofthefilm.
• CostumeswornaregirlyVictoriandresseswhichhelpshowthatitisbasedinadifferentera.Theyarealsochildlike
clothingandthereisnotanyusualmoderndayclothingshown.
• Lightingusedisdull,greyandgloomytorepresentthegenreasithasconnotationsofdeath.
• Actingcodesincludedarethingssuchasthechildrenstandingonthetoys,showingthattheyhavenocontrolover
whattheyaredoingwhichalsohelpsshowthefilmsequilibriumasthatisaconsistentthingthathappens
throughoutthefilm.
• Positioningshowniswherethewomaninblackisstoodinthecorneroftheroomyetsheisnotfullyshownyetthe
childrenareshowntobelookinginherdirectionandthecornerofherfaceisshownstoodoverthembytheendof
theopeningsequence.Otherpositioningisthatthethreegirlsaresatonthefloorplayingtogether.

5. USEOFSOUND
• Thesoundusedinthebackgroundofthisclipisallnondiegeticandisacreepy,eeriesoundingpieceofmusic
whichisusedagainthroughoutthefilm,everytimethewomaninblackispossessingachild.
• Thereisnovoiceoverordialogueusedasthereisnospeakingandjustaconstantuseofmusic.Thisisn’t
untiltheendofthesequencewhenyouhearthemotherscreamingafterthechildrenhavejumpedoutofthe
window.Thisistorepresentthattheyhavebeenkilled,andsoundslikescreamingisamain conventionof
horrorfilms.
• Therearealsoloudsoundsattheendofthemusicafterthechildrenaredeadwhichgivesitadramaticeffect
asitshowswhatthewomaninblackiscapableofdoing.

6. REPRESENTATIONOFCHARACTERS
• Therepresentationofcharactersshownonlyuseschildrenthatarenottobeseenagainthroughoutthefilm
astheywerekilled.Thedirectorhasdonethistogivethefilmanobviousequilibriumandshowwhatisto
happentomanyotherchildrenthroughoutthefilm.
• Theprotagonistisnotshowninthisopeningsequence,howeverthelocationwhichhevisitsandwhatthe
houseisbaseduponiswherethesceneissetin.
• Theantagonist,thewomaninblack,isonlyshownslightlysotheaudiencecanhaveaninsightofher.Sheis
showntobewearingdarkclothingandasshegoesbythenamethewomaninblack,sheisclearlyconnoted
torepresentdeathbythecolourblack.Howeverassheisnotfullyshowninthisscene,ithasbeendoneso
thattheaudiencecanonlyhavetheirimaginationtoknowwhatshecouldpossiblelooklikewhenfully
shown,whichmakesitmoreterrifying,showingthegenreofthefilm.

7. CONCLUSION
• Thewomaninblackwasagoodfilmtochosetoanalyseasithasmanyoftheconventionsusedinahorror
films.Italsoshowedagooduseofsoundssuchaseeriemusic,loudbangsandscreams.Theopeningsequence
alsoshowedwhatthefilmisgoingtobeabout,withoutgivingtoomuchawaybutallowedittobe
understandingfortheaudience.Thisisbecauseitwasacontinuitysequence,andeachshotfollowedupfrom
thelasttocreateanarrativeandleaduptoaclimax.IthelpedwithwhatIwanttouseforwhenIcreatemy
ownopeningsequenceastherearemanythingsIcantakeinspirationfrom,suchasthedarkcolours,the
music,thepropsandthecharacterrepresentation. Howevertheopeningsequencedoesnotincludetitles,
whichwould’vehelped,howevertheopeningsequencewasstillusefulandgavemeenoughideasformyown
filmwithoutthem.