Peeping Tom opening scene

The opening scene of the 1960 thriller movie Peeping Tom shows a woman leading a man into an apartment through the dark streets. When in the small apartment, she starts to undress but the woman is then suddenly overcome by fear and she screams with terror. I will be focusing on camera, sound, mise-enscene and editing establish how the atmosphere is created in the opening scene. Firstly, the camera shots used create suspense in the opening scene because of the shots it uses. In the very beginning the scene denotes an extreme close up of a mans eye opening, the camera shot connotes that this person is constantly observing and watching. The use of the camera shot correlates to the name of the film and the shot instantly gives the audience the impression that the film will carry an intense tone. This builds tension because the shot gives great detail of the persons expression which looks very intimidating and threatening.

This is the shot that opens the beginning of the film.

The camera also gives us a clear view of the setting of the scene; the long shot after the extreme close of the mans eye creates an even more suspense. The shot denotes a dark, concrete street with rubbish scattered along the pavement, under the eerie night sky. We also see the woman standing alone facing a shop window in her provocative clothing. This connotes that the woman can be in a venerable situation because the setting creates an intimidating atmosphere. The tension escalates in the scene because the long shot gives us a broad perspective of the current setting, which connotes fear.

This is the long shot used in the opening scene.

Another interesting method the camera uses is a point of view shot, so we can see the shot from the direction of the man who is holding a camera inside his jacket. For the majority of the opening scene it is shot from a point of view; this connotes that the director wants the audience to feel a part of the scene and see the scene through the eyes of one of the characters. This builds tension and emotion because we feel a sense of insecurity. The still image below shows how the audience sees the scene through the point of view shot.

The mise-en-scene is also key to building up the atmosphere in the opening scene. The setting is the main feature that contributes to the dark atmosphere, the first part of the scene denotes a dark London Street with rubbish bins placed on the pavements. This connotes an unpleasant, murky impression and the audience feels that the setting provokes danger. Furthermore, the use of costumes also adds to the atmosphere. The long coat that covers the main character provides him with a shield to cover his identity. This connotes that the man has a sinister purpose because he wants to keep his identity hidden. This adds to the frightful atmosphere because the character gives off a surreptitious image and we speculate his motives. In addition, the female character is presented as an immoral individual because her clothes represent her occupation. The scene denotes the woman wearing a bright red skirt accompanied with high heels and a fur jacket. This connotes that she is prostitute. This builds tension because we become aware that she will be the victim due to the way her costume makes her stand out. Also the fact she is in isolated and hostile environment.

The sound is also an important aspect that builds an atmosphere in the opening scene, the non-diagetic sound at the start gives off a creepy and apprehensive feeling. The high pitched string sound is the main sound that represents a chilling emotion. This builds an atmosphere because the sound compliments the intimidation of the male character, who gives off a sinister impression. Another sound that is used is the diagetic sound of the womans footsteps. This contributes to the tension of the scene because there is a sense of anticipation and there is a crescendo in the fearful atmosphere. When in the house the sound of the clock ticking complements the hostile atmosphere and connotes a build up to fatal moment. Also the majority of the scene is filmed in near silence and subtle quietness, the still sound supplies a build of tension in the scene. The editing in the opening scene is at a medium pace, which adds to the anticipation because the audience experiences the scene at the same pace as the characters. This choice of pace creates tension and the director intends no jump cuts so the audience can experience the scene in real time. In the scene there is no match on action which suggests that the director wants us to experience the scene as if we were following it in time. To evaluate the scene I have chosen to focus on one aspect of media language which is camera and how I think it creates an atmosphere. The unique use of point of view contributes to overall surreal emotion of the scene, also the use of different camera shots really emphasis the apprehensive atmosphere.