Analysis of Silence of the Lamb

How are the character introduced?

The opening sequence starts with a women running through the misty woods, however later on whilst she is running the audience realise she is running an assault course through the use of props such as the climbing frame. Furthermore a man who works for the F.B.I. tells her Mr. Crawford wants to see her. The fact that the camera is constantly on this character symbolises she is the dominant character. Moreover, her characteristic are represented whilst she is running this assault course for example, the audience can tell she is brave, committed, and determined and the audience are aware she is working for the F.B.I.  Moreover, the way she talks to the boss tells the audience that she is respected even though she does not benefit the stereotypical patriarchal society.  

What does the location tell the audience?

The location of the opening scene takes place in the woods, this clearly symbolises isolation and gives a creepy, and fearful vibe to the audience. The fact that this women is running through the assault course alone tells the audience that she is brave and is not a 'stereotypical' female.  

When the women enters indoors a masculine blue theme appears however, as she enters the office the colour theme suddenly changes to brown, the reason for this is to give a serious tone to the shot. Therefore, the audience at this point are extremely engaged as they know something important and interesting is going to happen.

Are there any enigma codes?

At the opening scene when the character is running the first enigma code the audience start to think is 'why is she running?'. However, when the male character comes and tells her Crawford wants to speak to her immediately the audience start to raise questions as to why Crawford wants to speak to this women and who he is. Moreover, when the dominant character is in the office the audience also want to know who Hannibal is. These questions have been answered in the opening scene and if not have been answered throughout the film.

What camera shots were used?

A medium shot is used when the female character is running, the reason for this is so the audience can identify the location and feel the creepy, dull atmosphere whilst representing the dominant character. The fact that the camera is a low angle emphasis her power. Moreover, the image below represents a low angle long shot which is used to emphasise that this female character is living in a man's world. The lack of use with bold colours create a creepy and dull effect for the audience. 

How does sound add effect?

The music and speech is one of the dominant focuses for the opening scene. The music is orchestral which creates a tensed atmosphere through the use of looping base line. Furthermore, the opening scene contain heave diagetic sound such as running through leaves. This positions the audience in the characters view as they can hear the sounds of the atmosphere the character is going through therefore, grabs the audience attention. The music fades out when the F.B.I. character comes to talk to her however, as soon as she enters indoors the music starts, this creates a serious atmosphere for the audience.  

How are the credits represented?

The credits are very simple, for example they are white and they come and go without any flashy editing, the reason for this is to emphasis the seriousness of the atmosphere.