The Silence of the Lambs Opening Sequence

Mollie Gilbey, Marie Deane, Sean Turner and Sarah Dawson

Editing

• At the beginning of the opening sequence when the cast and crew are being credited, it fades into the next scene.

• This subtly makes the change from the introduction to the action.

• When Clarice is running in forest area there is a series of jump cuts which shows her from different angles

• This allows the audience to see her in different ways. For example, when it cuts to her face the audience can see that she is worn out.

• When there is a change of location from the forest where Clarice is doing the obstacle course to the office where she is meeting the man, there is a cutaway from the old location to the new one. This shows the audience the contrast between the two locations.

• When Clarice is in the office with the man, cross cutting is used to show both characters in the conversation. This allows the audience to see which character is speaking as well as their reactions during the conversation.

Sound

• At the start we can hear a high pitched noise. This implies a mysterious atmosphere. Music like this sets the scene at the opening of the film suggesting to the audience the genre and possible themes of the film.

• When Clarice is running through the forest we hear natural digetic sounds such as birds and rustling of leaves. This confirms the location we see on the screen.

• We can also hear panting and fast past footsteps whilst Clarice is running which adds to and builds tension and makes you think something big is going to happen.

• There is a non digetic background music to represent the change in scene. This shows the difference between the opening credits and the beginning of the story.

• Later on in the clip we can hear a digetic sound of footsteps and lots of background voices. This gives the impression of a busy workplace. Most of the voices we can hear are of a low range, suggesting a male dominated workplace.

• There is silence when the protagonist looks around the office. This allows the audience to take time to look at what is happening in the scene, and gives them a false sense of security.

Camera

• In the opening sequence, a long shot of the woodland is used to establish location.

• We also see a close up of Clarice’s feet and then face, which work with the sound and mise en scene to reinforce the fact she is doing exercise.

• When Clarice is in the office, the camera slowly zooms into her face which shows the audience her change in expression as well as emphasising it.

• Tracking shots are used throughout to follow Clarice around both the woodland and inside areas. This allows the audience to clearly understand where she is at all times.

• A shot reverse shot is used to show conversation and the changing expressions of the two characters in conversation.

Mise en Scene

• At the beginning the protagonist is seen wearing light make up and gym clothes, appropriate for the exercise she is seen doing.

• We can also see that she is part of the FBI as this is written on her jumper.

• This is also shown on the man’s hat who comes to collect Clarice. He has a deep voice and other male attributes such as his styling and walk show his gender immediately.

• The protagonist stays in her gym clothes throughout the opening sequence which could suggest that her job is very busy and things change quickly.

• When the location changes to the building where the protagonist is based, the other workers are wearing smart suits. This shows they work in professional environment and therefore makes Clarice look out of place in her gym clothes.