The Grudge opening analysis - Daryls Presentation

The horror film 'The Grudge' displayed a wide range of points to do with the 4 elements; Mise-en-scene, camera angles/movements, sound and editing.

When watching the opening to the film, some aspecs that were noticed were how at the beginning there was a match on action shot that showed the main female character performing the same action yet the scenery behind her jumping from one setting to another.

Also, another point that was noticed was how as the main female character began walking down a narrow corridor, we as an audience felt on par with her as the camera was focused straight on her, so we felt the vunerable state that she was feeling. As she moved closer towards the camera at the end of the corridor, the lighting faded and became a lot darker which left the audience feeling intimidated as she was walking closer to the camera in which we were viewing her from.

Also, the fact that the light got darker as she dres closer to the end of the corridor could relate to the fact of her feeling lost and venturing into the unknown, as when she began walking across the corridor she knew where she was heading yet, now that there is darkness at the other end and she can't see what awaiting her at the end, it gives the character a sense of panic and builds a lot of tension as we are unsure of what is to come as she reaches the end. Also, the part where the candle flame began flickering could be showing how the characters were feeling, this being shaken up and vunerable, which also puts the audience in the same frame of mind as the characters which makes them feel scared.


The scene where the two women; both the older woman and the young woman were sitting together on the sofa showed how differently the two women had been affected by 'The Grudge'. Both the woman were wearing different shades of blue clothing; the older woman wearing a deeper shade of navy/blue, which could possibly be due the fact that she had already been affected by the grudge and how far she had been affected whereas the younger woman was wearing a purer light blue shade which could possibly be stating that she hadn't been affected by the grudge yet so therefore still shows a sign of purity in that sense where the old woman didn't because she had already been affected.

 The furniture surrounding the two women were shades of darker colours such as browns and blacks which could link back to the fact of it having already been affected, and as the furniture was the darkest shade used, showing that it is the most affected part by the grudge.

The over all lighting of the film at the beginning had a light blueish tint, and seeing that blue is usually asocsiated with cold, this could be how the two women could be feeling when they were in the presense of the grudge, and that the whole atmosphere surrounding them was cold and the feeling of being alone.