4. The Sixth Sense Analysis (Shyamalan, 1999, US)

The editing within the clip from The Sixth Sense makes us question many things as an audience. The editing is very slow for the majority of the clip otherwise it would confuse us as to whether the woman is being watched or not. However, when the woman hears the noise and gains sense of this herself, the editing speeds up and becomes faster paced. Also, at the beginning, we see the slow fading in and out of the titles. This is very time consuming and gives us time to wonder about the characters that we are about to see within the clip.



The diegetic and non-diegetic sound are both important within this clip. Firstly, the diegetic sound is important because when we hear the door opening (immediately after the light turns on), it startles us. This has been done purposely because as the door is what we call ‘hidden information’ (we cannot see it) and it adds to the mystery within the clip. Also, the hyperbolic sound of the battery in the light turning on is intriguing because it illustrates how quiet and isolated the cellar actually is.

Non-diegetic sound is also crucial in this clip. We know this right at the beginning when the background music starts, this music is high pitched, has a high volume and has a slow place. We can hear every single instrument in the piece of music and it reminds me of an old haunted house. This makes the audience feel uneasy and allows us to think about many unanswered questions.

The setting of this clip is a Wine Cellar. It is abandoned, dirty, low key lighting is used and we assume from the emptiness that it is very cold. The low key lighting connotates the mental state of the woman perhaps, as although she is dressed up in a nice outfit, her facial expressions do not particularly convey any form of happiness to the audience. Also, the light bulb right at the beginning of the clip holds great importance because the fact that it takes a long time for the light to come on tells us that the cellar is not regularly visited, the way the light bulb is completely bare suggests that it is not in a friendly or comfortable environment e.g. a Living Room. The woman’s outfit also adds to her vulnerability because she is a stereotypically presented woman within this film. Her high heels would hinder her escape and her dress is a thin and unpractical material that would allow her to become cold easily.

Finally, the cinematography in this clip conveys various meanings. Firstly, the consistent long shots and close ups gives the audience a more personal insight into the woman’s character seeing as she is very ambiguous in this clip. Also, the fact that the camera has been placed behind the shelf that she is looking at, suggests to the audience that she is being watched (which further emphasises her vulnerability). Furthermore,the close up of one object, which is in this case the old light bulb, gives it meaning and importance which could be crucial within the storyline within the clip.