Neha Shahzad

Analysis of an opening sequence

The Crimson Peak (2015) (Horror/ Thriller)
In the opening sequence of this film, many codes and
conventions of the horror genre can be identified. Before the
actual film begins, the distributer titles appear on the screen in
a blood red colour. There is also the non-diegetic sound of a
child singing which is enigmatic. This helps create the tense
atmosphere as an eerie ambience is created before the film
actually begins.
The non-diegetic sound of an older Edith establishes the fact
that she is the protagonist and therefore allows the audiences
attention to be focused on her. The use of overdramatic score
music combined with the transition also helps to reinforce the
timeframe for which the film is set.
Once the non-diegetic music reaches a peak, it begins to fade
out as the next scene begins. The young Edith is lying in bed at
night struggling to sleep. The combination of low-key lighting
and dark colours in the bedroom furniture creates a sense of
the unknown. As the audience are already anticipating danger,
a wide shot of Edith lying in bed shows shadows on the wall,
combined with the diegetic sound of a ticking clock also
creates an uneasy feeling suggesting that the environment
that Edith is in is not stable and something could attack her at
any given time.
Throughout this sequence, a quiet piece on non-diegetic music
is playing to reach a climax and then falls down at various
points during the sequence. A wide shot revealing a shadow in
the corridor which appears to be the ghost is combined with
the same score music and diegetic sound of the ghost
breathing. This confirms something may be lurking in the
shadows. The ghosts black robes and veil also allows the
transition from the audience noticing a shadow to be a lot less
obvious hence creating more anticipation and tension.
This then cuts to a medium shot of Edith lying on her bed,
scares. The non-diegetic score music grows quieter and implies
that the ghost is gone. However, the ghost suddenly places her
hand on Edith. This is accompanied by a sharp, high pitched
non-diegetic sound effect to heighten the reaction from the
audience. A birds eye view angle is used whilst diegetic

Neha Shahzad

dialogue from the ghost saying Beware the Crimson Peak is

whispered to Edith.