Analysing the Opening Scene of the Gothic Horror "Sleepy Hollow"

Above is the opening scene for the Gothic Horror Film "Sleepy Hollow". The Opening scene that I have analysed ends at the point 3.46 of the clip.

The OPENING CREDITS for Sleepy Hollow come on the screen within misty smoke or fog. The fog has connotations of mystery, the unknown and maybe being afraid because when there is fog it is very hard for anyone to see anything in the far away distance, therefore not seeing and not knowing what is in the fog portrays the horror. This connotation tells the audience that something mysterious within the movie will happen.

The SOUND is now heard and the non-diegetic background music that can be heard in the opening credits follows through all the way to the end of the opening scene. At the beginning whilst the opening credits are playing, you can hear a woman singing long notes in a high pitch; no words are sung. This is setting the atmosphere for the film as the background music sounds mysterious and makes the audience feel like something is about to happen, as the woman singing seems like she is the voice of the dead. At the point of the opening scene where the audience see Peter Van Garrett, the non-diegetic sound of the background music has become more fast tempo and loud which adds tension to the action. The background music tells the audience that something is about to happen; something sinister, a murder.Then we hear a loud, emphasised diegetic sound of a horse neighing and a sharp sword being drawn. The audience hears this sound as it has been edited to be louder than the background music and even louder than the thunder storm that is taking place. This puts an emphasis on what is about to happen and adds a dramatic spin and fear for the audience as they expect a murder to happen.

 

As the Opening Credits begin to end, EDITING AND CAMERA WORK become apparant. The background music of the woman singing ends and a fade in cut is used to show what appears to be dropping red blood. The audience automatically assume that the thick, red liquid is blood because the audience knows that Sleepy Hollow is a horror film, therefore expect to see blood and murder because it is a typical convention that a horror film will always follow. However later on in the opening clip, the audience realises that their initial thought was wrong and realise that what seemed to be blood was actually the red wax melted ready to seal the will of Peter Van Garrett. After the assumption of the red wax being blood, we see dissolving cuts of two affectionate hands, someone signing their will and a witness of the will. Afterwards, we see cuts of someone sealing the letter with the wax, what the audience initially thought was blood. This whole sequence shows the slow and long process of the will but it has been cleverly shot as the audience don't get to see the actual people involved in this storyline, which leaves the audience in a sense of mystery.

Next to focus on is the LIGHTING.The darkness added to the lighting effects in this scene are not only edited to set the atmosphere of the scene but also because of the weather. The weather outside is thunder, lightening and fog. The director of Sleepy Hollow, Tim Burton, has used the convention of pathetic fallacy in this scene. Because the weather is dull and dark, it connotes that the atmosphere and the feel of the action that is happening or going to happen will be sinister.

Near the end of the opening scene, Peter Van Garrett jumps off the carriage he is travelling on to save himself and finds himself running through the over grown grass. The MISE ON SCENE chosen here as the over grown grass is the typical horror setting that any horror film would take place. The over grown grass gives off the atmosphere that this is a place that has been abandoned for a very long time. The over grown grass also puts tension on the audience as they can not see where Peter Van Garrette is running, which means that whatever murder that happens within this over grown grass, no one will know as it is hidden. The audience then feels that the criminal will get away with his sinister crime of the murder of Peter Van Garrette.

This is a very good opening to a horror film as it keeps the audience on edge and in suspense all the way through it. The bits that I liked the most from it and have inspired me about my opening horror clip is the blood red wax dropping at the very beginning because the audience automatically believe it to be blood and gruesome when it is not, which plays with the audience's mind. Also, I like the ending of the opening scene just before Peter Van Garrette's head is sliced off because seconds before he is murdered, the atmosphere seems a little bit calmer. The background music becomes slower and quieter, and we see the relief in Peter Van Garrette's face. This makes the audience also feel a bit relieved for Peter Van Garrette and when the audience least expect it his head is cleaned off. I like the unexpected-ness of the kill and I may use this sudden scare to add a horror effect to my opening horror clip.