Sequence Analysis Work Sheet

NARRATIVE

1. Describe briefly what you see in the selected sequence.

I saw Clarice trying to get the name of the killer from Hannibal while he distracts her by asking about her painful experience as a child. In which he pries from her the secret to why she left her extended families house and got placed in foster care. This is an eerie scene.

2. What is the filmmaker trying to communicate in this segment?

He is trying to communicate the fear that Clarice is feeling while she is still trying to hold on to control and retrieve the information they need to catch the killer. He also portrays the confidence and arrogance that Hannibal feels through the sequence of close up face shots in which Hannibal is seen as wild and in control at the same time. He wants the audience to feel Clarice’s fear and see Hannibal’s dark side.

3. How do the five channels of information in film--visual image, print, speech, music, sound effects---work together to communicate the message? Which channel is dominant in this segment?

They work together to create an almost creepy atmosphere in which the viewer can feel Clarice’s fear and worries as well as Hannibal’s curiosity to her present situation. The dark eerie music and the sound of the lambs allow the viewer to feel more involved in Clarice’s dark position.

4. Try to determine what function and significance this segment has for the film as a whole and your understanding of it (foreshadowing, climax, transition, exposition, etc.)

This scene has elements of foreshadowing and is also a transition in the film. This scene is so climactic it even allows the viewers to understand the title of the movie better. When she runs back to take the case file from him and he touches her I feel like the whole audience could feel that something to do with that case file would have significance in the rest of the movie. When Clarice told her story a shift in the film as a whole was made in which they could now feel for Clarice and better understand her.

5. Divide the segment into individual scenes (indicated, for instance, by shifts of location).

There were no shifts in location.

II. COMPOSITION (circle appropriate one or describe)

1. Frame (open form: frame de-emphasized, "snapshot" quality; closed form: frame composed and self-contained like painting)

Closed Form signifies: With closed form this film pulled its viewers in for a ride and didn’t let go. It caused the viewer to feel scared and empathetic.

2. Space (cluttered/empty): Is space--landscape or interior--used as a "comment" on the character's inner state of mind; does space overwhelm the human beings in its midst? Does it figure as a character-like presence? Does it exude a certain atmosphere? etc.

interior signifies: The space was empty and pushed away from the scene leaving only the actors and the cage that held Hannibal. This space magnifies the situation and allows the viewer to focus soley on the actors performance which signifies the importance of the scene. It exudes that everything and everyone in the room wants to be as far away from Hannibal as possible adding to his scary persona.

3. Sets (studio/location; symbolic use of props [mirrors, cross, window, books, etc.])

signifies: The location is dark and desolate magnifying the desperation that Clarice and the police are in. The use of close up shots is consistent throughout this scene lessening the importance of props and vivid locations.

4. Design (symmetrical or asymmetrical; balanced or unbalanced; stylized or natural; does it belong to a certain period or artistic style?)

Signifies The design of the scene is unbalanced and natural in which the characters experience strong untamed emotion without much outer interference.

5. View of characters (isolated/closed in; center/off-center; background/foreground; partially obscured by objects in foreground/linked to them)

Isolated and in the foreground
Signifies The characters are viewed in this scene in either close up shots or extreme close up shots. They are alone the entire scene until the end. Signifying the isolation as a means of retrieving information needed to help find the killer. The cage itself is obscured even though it is an object in the foreground causing the viewer to pay close attention to Hannibal instead of his surroundings.

6. Movement of character(s) (moving toward/away from camera; from left to right/from right to left; stationary; do they exchange gazes with other characters?)

Moving toward and away from the camera

Signifies
The way Hannibal starts so close up in the shot then eventually moves away to show his more of his body as he starts to move closer to the bars on the cage as he questions Clarice shows how he is toying with her and is significant to how he feels in charge. Clarice moves far quicker and generally in the direction in which she can get closer to Hannibal though she seems slightly afraid shows the desperation of the situation she is in.
III. PHOTOGRAPHY

1. Shot (extreme long shot, long shot, medium shot, close-up, extreme close-up) signifies:
Close up and extreme close up signifies How intense and frightening Hannibal is.

2. Lens (normal, telephoto, wide angle, distorting lens, macro)
Telephoto and long lens signifies: The scene itself is intense enough that the focus is intended to stay on the characters with no need to alter the shot.

3. Focus (who/what is in/out of focus; deep focus; soft focus)

signifies: Both Hannibal’s and Clarice’s faces are in focus however the cage in which Hannibal is in is not in focus as well as the other people in the scene that are in the background.

4. Angles (high angle shot, low angle shot, eye-level shot, oblique angle shot, extreme angle [bird's eye])
The shots switch from low angle when showing Clarice from Hannibal’s position to eye-level and high angle when showing Hannibal from Clarice’s point of view.
5. Movement (panning shot, tracking shot; from above, below, in/out/circular; zoom/in/out, slow/fast; tilt shot, handheld camera, camera on vehicle)

6. Lighting (realistic, high contrast, high key/low key/special lighting effects)
High contrast lighting signifies: The intensity of the scene portrays how dramatic and important the scene is. It shows how dark (Hannibal) and light ( Clarice) battle for control of the situation.

7. Color (black & white/color) (warm/cold/strong/washed-out colors; symbolic use of colors; colors linked to certain characters; progression of the use of colors)

signifies: The darker colors in the scene set the ambiance of the scene and allow the viewer to feel the depth of its significance.

8. Special Effects (freeze frame/slow/fast/reverse, motion/filters/odd point-of-view;computer-generated images, etc.)

signifies:

There were no special effects that I made note of. Unless the sound of the sheep in the background is considered special effects.

9. Types of shot (establishing shot/point-of-view shot/reaction shot/insert shot/flashback shot)

signifies: The use of frequent point of view shots when shifting from Clarice to Hannibal is significant in allowing the viewer to feel like they are in the shot themselves feeling what the characters feel and seeing what the characters see.

IV. EDITING

1. Position of segment (what comes before, what after the segment?

signifies:

2. Transition techniques (cut/dissolve/fade (in/out)/wipe/jump cut/iris (in/out) signifies: The transition cuts straight from face to face to show reactions.
3. Editing (cutting for continuity/classical cutting/thematic montage/cross-cutting) signifies: This was a scene in which it did not cut to another place and time there for cutting was not used.

4. Length of individual shots (extremely long or particularly short; does the director hold on a certain face or landscape after the action has been played out, etc.)

signifies: The shots were slightly longer to play out the expressions of the actors after an event or pivotal point in the movie took place.

5. Rhythm/Pace (flowing/jerky/disjointed/more panning shots than cuts/acceleration of cuts/fast-paced/slow-paced/unusually long takes)
Fast paced long takes

V. SOUND

1. Music (what kind: popular, classical, familiar; on- or off-screen source; links to a certain character; commentary on the action; irritation, etc.)

signifies: instrumental to emphasize the prominence and disturbing atmosphere of the scene

2. Sound Effects (artificial or natural; on- or off-screen source; does the sound belong to the action; is there subjective sound, etc.)

signifies: The use of off screen lamb noises coupled with instrumental music brought the Clarice’s fear into clarity.

3. Dialogue/Silence (stilted or artificial language; different characters use different kinds of language; slang; allusions to other texts; do certain characters speak through their silences, etc.)

signifies: Clarice used more slang words with her southern accented voice and would try and interrupt or avoid Hannibal to try to get him to stay on track and reveal the killer.

4. Voice-over/Narration (who is speaking and from where; are they part of the action or outside of it; what do they know and what is their relationship to the action; are they reliable, omniscient, unreliable, etc.)

signifies:
There was no voice over or narration going on.

VI. AUDIENCE ADDRESS

1. Does the film acknowledge the spectator or do events transpire as if no one were present? Do characters look into the camera or pretend it is not there, for instance?

signifies:

Events transpire as if no one is present till the end when Clarice is dragged away by people who were assumed to be in the scene though never shown till then. The characters do glance at the others however they stay focused on each other as though the other characters are of no importance to them.

2. How does the film position the spectator vis-a-vis the onscreen events? Are we made to favor certain characters, to respond in certain ways to certain events (say, through music that "tells" us how to respond or distances us from the action)?

signifies: We are made to favor Clarice and hope that she finds the killer. We as viewers are also made to see Hannibal as a monster. Through the length of the shot when Hannibal touches Clarice we can see he is clearly psycho and we feel disgusted at him.

3. Does the film appeal to certain expectations, i.e., generic conventions? (We expect a man dressed in black shrouded in a shadow to be sinister, for instance.) Does the film subvert these conventions or conform to them? What kind of conventions are they?

signifies: The film does play certain conventions in the way they shroud Hannibal with darkness not only with lighting but also with darkly colored clothing and settings. From this we see him as sinister and the movie conforms to this convention.

4. Does the film address contemporary social issues? Does it intend to convince its audience? Does it dare to divide its audience and present an unpopular or controversial view?

signifies:
In a way the film addresses females in the work place and feminism in general when they show how Clarice is treated as an outsider in her field due to her stature and sex. Although, the film does try to convince the audience that she is being treated unfairly as a woman in a man’s field. It also dares to take on the issue of sexuality when the killer seems to be a transgender/ cross dresser. Though it does not provide a view on the subject itself.

VII. ADDITIONAL OBSERVATIONS

1. Acting (stylized/natural/idiosyncratic)

signifies: The acting was somewhat idiosyncratic in the murders themselves since they played such individualistic character that were very peculiar and quirky.

2. Costumes (symbolic use of clothes) signifies: There was a lot of use of dark colors and bland outfits to signify the overall deep mood of the movie.

3. Social and cultural codes (contemporary/historical/American/foreign/strong or weak sense of time and place)

signifies:

The movie was American and had a strong sense of time and place that allowed for the viewer to follow along with the storyline as if it really happened.

4. Recurrent stylistic (visual or oral) devices that are typical for protagonist? signifies 5. Use of genre expectations (comedy, melodrama, western, documentary, etc.) signifies: The film was a drama/ horror film from start to finish. The lighting , back ground music, costumes and scenic landscapes provided the viewer with a great transparency as to the films genre.