Research: Scream Analysis - Miss Begum

How is the opening of 'Scream' conventional to a thriller?

The opening scene of Scream use a variety of micro-elements that I will be analyzing which create meaning in the entire sequence and audience response. The sequence revolves a young girl who is home alone who keeps receiving prank calls from an unknown character which demonstrates the scene as conventional for a thriller opening because the theme of threat and death are demonstrated throughout the entire scene.

Firstly, in the living room we can see the female victim picking up the phone and slow paced editing and on-screen sound of the telephone ringing is used to create the natural and habitual atmosphere of the scene. The slow paced editing suggest that it’s an ordinary day which makes the audience feel relaxed and normal, but the loud and squeaky sound of the phone ringing  makes the audience witness that something dangerous might happen. In addition, we can see that the female character wears a white jumper that connotes her innocence and vulnerable persona. Her blonde hair and pale face connotes that she is holy and pure which means that she is an easy target for the antagonist to kill which makes the audience have a frightened responds to her. Moreover, from the antagonist we only learn about his voice. He uses a childish and smug voice which connotes his psychopath persona as he uses the phone as main iconography to threaten the female victim. At this point, we can suggest that he hides his identity to make his victim feel more scared and psychologically disturbed. This is conventional to a thriller movie as the antagonist hides his identity to make the audience feel anxious and want to find out more about the movie.

 Moreover, we can see that high key lighting and a canted angle is used when the damsel in distress pick up the phone, again in the living room. The use of the high key lighting makes the victim look in two ways, one is exposed and the other is that the scene feel natural and calm, but the use of the canted angle makes the scene foreshadow obstruction as the female victim is
seen distorted which the audience could infer that something negative might occur and make them feel anxious. Furthermore, a cross-cut is used when we see the outside of the house
captured with an establishing shot with low key lighting. This warns the audience that an evil action will take place in that specific setting, which is the house. The house is a symbolical signs of security and safety, but it’s subverted with the use of the low key lighting and the establishing shot of the house which warns the spectators that the location is isolated, signifying that if the victim will shout and beg for help, nobody will hear and rescue her. This is conventional to a thriller opening because the theme of
mystery and isolation is present as we don’t know who the character on the phone is.

In addition, we can see the victim established with a medium shot in the kitchen cooking popcorn and playing with a knife as iconography. This makes the spectators have a feeling of foreshadow that the female victim will use that iconography to protect herself later on, or possibly killed by the specific knife from the antagonist. Furthermore, as we follow the female character going in the living room again, we can see that low key lighting is utilize through the corridor which makes the viewer witness that she is vulnerable and something somber and mysterious may happen. Also, we see her flirting on the phone with the mysterious character, that later we found out that he is the antagonist. While she talks on the phone with him, we can hear the non-diegetic sound which sound eerie and mysterious which creates the meaning of something dangerous will take place. The sound is bizarre and creepy which proposes that danger is approaching. As both characters talk to each other we can see that a reaction shot and zooming in is used on the female victim’s face, this is because the antagonist knows who she is, as he said her name which makes the audience have a fearful response. As the scene proceeds, the victim begins to worry about her safety, so she starts to manage her surrounding by controlling outside hanging up the phone and locking the doors. This constructs the audience to have sense of frustration and threat toward the victim’s life which makes it conventional to a thriller opening as the theme of danger is not exactly shown, but makes the audience have a feeling of suspense. From the reaction shot that took place, we can see that the body language and the facial expression of the victim changes as she goes back to the kitchen. She becomes worried and stressed. This is a huge shift in her behavior as initially she felt self-assured and relaxed as she was flirting with the villain not knowing his intentions, which now juxtaposed her feelings on that moment on how the antagonist knows her, so she questions him with an increasing tone of voice. From the medium close up of the female victim we can see that she keeps to ending the conversation on the phone which suggests that she wants to end this prank which emphasis that as the antagonist knows of her, he will, perhaps eventually, know where she lives and could cause her harm as he is in control of the situation and dominant due the fact that the victim is a female which are stereotypically seen weak and fragile. This generates the audience to have a sense of fear for her life, as she starts shouting on the phone, which makes the scene conventional to an opening thriller as we see the theme and emotion of threating in the sequence.

Furthermore, as the scene develops, we can establish that fast paced editing and non-diegetic sound of a soundtrack is used to reflect to reinforce the threat of the antagonist.  This is visible when we see the damsel in distress run towards every door in the house and lock them to prevent any danger that might happen to her, and the sound increasing volume as the viewer could suggest that the antagonist is getting nearer to the house, which makes the audience feel terrified and stressed for the weak victim’s life. This also builds the scene as it create a sense of suspense, therefore, the body language of the female in distress becomes frantic and worried. She keeps talking on the phone and begins to threat the antagonist that her boyfriend will find him and kill the villain so she will feel secure and finish the prank call. But as the antagonist reveals the name of her boyfriend, a reaction shot take place to show the anguished face of the girlfriend. The use of low-key lighting and the zooming out of the door makes the audience witness that the antagonist may come out of the door which builds a sense of exasperation as the female victim seems further and further away from help. This is conventional to a thriller opening as a sense of fear and insecurity is present in the sequence.

Moreover we can see the victim crying from all these pressures looking like a baby so perhaps the villain will feel sympathy for her and let her boyfriend have more chances to live. A point of view is used when the female character looks outside and finds out that her boyfriend is tied up and captured on the chair. His face is covered with his own blood which suggests that he was kidnapped and tortured, which causes the audience to feel sympathy for him as he could die in a painful way, reducing his chances of survival. As the scene continues, a close up and a slow movement of a zooming in is used in the female characters face to emphasis her emotion of sadness and sympathy towards her boyfriend. As she turns off the light outside, her body language is crouched down signifying that she is hiding and looking for comfort. This is conventional to a thriller movie as the theme of death in demonstrated to make the audience feel thrilled and anxious. The scene ends with the brutal death of the male character tied up in the chair which is conventional to the thriller opening as the conventions of blood is presented which makes the audience feel disgusted yet terrified.

In conclusion, this opening scene is really typical of a thriller as it creates a sense of suspense and excitement toward the viewers, which is common because of the distorted narrative which makes the viewer want to know what will happen to these characters and make them watch the whole film. In my opinion, the opening is effective and really elaborated, as the key elements of the phone, blood and theme of threat are demonstrated through the entire scene. When creating my thrilleropening I will ensure that the micro elements I use are conventional and typical in a thriller genre to create meaning and response from the viewers. For example, the characters that I think I will use are the female victim as they are seen stereotypically weak and vulnerable whereas my antagonist will be unattractive and emotionless as it typical for a thriller opening. After analysing the 'Scream' opening scene I understand how to develop and make a professional opening scene that will create a fearful response.