In the opening scene of The Sixth Sense, the director establishes that the main characters Malcolm and his wife are wealthy through their smart clothing and large home. Camera work zooms in on the wife's face to emphasize her expression of unease. The long 43-second take between Malcolm and his wife shows they have a serious relationship. Unsettling music and the wife's searching looks hint that something is amiss. The scene reveals Malcolm is a child psychologist who was unsuccessful in helping a patient named Vincent Grey, who later shot Malcolm.

1. The Sixth Sense
analysis

2. Mise En Scene

In this opening sequence the
two main characters are in
smart clothes and are in a big
house. This shows the audience
that this couple is probably
wealthy.

In this opening sequence the
two characters are drinking
wine and looking at Malcom’s
achievement award. This
shows that Malcom has a
successful career.

3. Camera Work

Near the start of the scene
the camera tracks the
woman looking up and down
the selection of wines. This
shows that she is wealthy.

After this the camera zooms
in on the woman's face to
emphasize her expression.

4. Editing

In this scene when the woman walks into the living room where Malcom is, there is a long
take of the two people which lasts for 43 seconds. This shows the audience that the people
in this scene are in a serious relationship.

When the woman looks around the editors used match on action to accentuate the
woman looking around. The woman looking around suggests to the audience that
something or someone is in the room with her.

5. Sound
The music in this scene faded in, used drones and had a
tense quality to it because of the tense intervals. This sets
the base for this film as a horror film.
 In this scene they use hyperbolic shivering to show that it is
cold.
 When Malcom and his wife are together in their living room
there is some calm non-diegetic Jazz playing in the
background. This suggests to the audience that something
bad is about to happen because good things and happy
music in horror or thriller movies usually mean that
something bad is about to happen.


6. Questions asked
 Why
was the house so cold?
 What did Malcom do to the person
who had broken into the house?
 What happens to Malcom after he
was shot?

7. What we learned
 In
this scene we learned that:
 Malcom
is a professional child
psychologist
 Malcom
has a wife
 Malcom
did not successfully help Vincent
Grey
 Vincent
Grey shot Malcom