RESEARCH - Analysis Of Horror Opening Scene - Part 3 (Sound)

Sound plays a very important part in this scene, it can be there to set the atmosphere, and just from items in the scene. In the opening credits we first hear screams as the title comes on the screen, this is to set the tone for the movie that it is a horror, it is non-diegetic as the characters on screen cannot hear it. The second piece of sound in this scene, is the sound of the telephone ringing. This is diegetic as the subject on screen can hear it, this plays a very important part in the movie, and the opening as when the phone rings we know it is the killer. He has targeted his next victim. Next we hear the sound of the crickets outside, as the camera looks from outside the house. This is to show that she is all alone, and that it is empty outside, so if she needs help no one is there. You can also hear the sound of the rope of the swing, this is maybe to hint at the swing playing a later part in the film; which it does as she is hung by it. After this is the sound of the flame of the oven, and the pop corn cooking, the pop corn is focused on throughout the scene as it later causes further disaster. The sound is diegetic as the subject can hear it. She then removes a knife from its place, this makes a sharp sound, this has happened as maybe a knife has a further part to play in this scene? We hear her next locking the doors. This is so we think that she is safe, but not long after we know shes not. After the killer says "I wanna know who i'm looking at", we instantly know shes in danger. We hear the sound of a dog barking outside. Maybe to indicate that the dog has seen the killer outside and has barked at him. After the danger kicks in we hear non-diegetic music, this music is setting the atmosphere. The sharp violins and the pounding sounds automatically make us feel like shes in danger. The sound of the door bell rings this is to scare us into thinking the killer is there. When the door is answered and there is nobody there we know the killer is toying with his victim. The next sound we hear is the sound of her boyfriend being stabbed, this is so we know he has been killed. The director has done this as it is more effective and suspensful then actually seeing him get killed. During the chase we can't see the killer but we can hear his steps, this is effective because its what she hears because she can't see him so we know how scared she feels. The stabbing sound effect is repeated as we see her get stabbed this is to indiacte to the audience that she has been stabbed. The audience thinks theres hope, but then the fire alarm goes off, this keeps adding to the suspense. The mothers final scream, and the atmospheric music ends the scene, as it then signifies to the audience that she is dead.