Period Drama- The Others.

Narrative Structure.

The fist genre I chose to look at is Period drama, I chose this genre because the film that is a period drama is “The others by Alejandro Amenábar” I chose this one because it is a film that I’ve watched and remembered well, so it will be useful when talking about the narrative structure and technical aspects in depth. I watched the opening scene (part 1) to the others.

“The others” is a period drama film which was produced in 2001. The part of the film I watched was part 1, which is the opening scene. The opening scene isn’t very long but it gives you a good insight into how the rest of the film will be shown and the way it is structured. The opening scene I watched is linear because it is shown in order. The film is ordered chronologically and starts off showing Grace Stewart who plays Nicole Kidman; waking up from a nightmare screaming in Jersey 1945, as Grace Stewart gets up it, it cuts to showing three people walking up to Grace’s house talking and laughing. The three people get to the house and the woman knocks on the door. We hear Grace unlocking the door and then we see her opening it asking who the three people are, letting them in and wanting them to introduce themselves. After the women, man and child have introduced themselves Grace takes them on a tour showing them all of her house and telling them strict information that they must follow at all times whilst they are there. Grace then tells the man that he is ready to go off and do the gardening sending him outside to start the gardening, whilst she get’s the women and daughter to meet her two children Anne and Nicholas, but before they meet Graces children she has to wake them up. Whist the women and daughter are meeting the children, Grace asks the daughter (Lydia) to go downstairs and close the curtains in the kitchen, as it is time for the children to have their breakfast. Grace asks for all the shutters and curtains to be closed because her children are photosensitive so they must only see a small dimmed light. The camera then jumps to the women giving the children breakfast in the kitchen, and shortly after Grace walks in telling her kids off for shouting at each other and asks to speak to the women in private and again gives her strict information at the same time.

The techniques used to tell the story is that it follows Grace telling 3 people about her house and how she wants them to be, being extremely strict with instructions. At the start of the film when there is a close up and zooming out shot of Grace waking up from a nightmare screaming this gives us a feeling that she is having a flash back/nightmare of her husband who is away in the French war. This film the others is an anti-realist film that has an opening ending because it is the opening scene so we are not seeing all of the film which leaves us on a cliff hanger, making its audience question about what will happen next. 

Technical Aspects.
The technical aspect used in the opening scene of the others are, the camera work. This is noticeable a lot during this scene there are techniques used such as; Panning shots following the characters walking around, close ups are used on facial expressions, dramatic moments when the characters are talking seriously like when Grace is talking to the women in private (13.28) as Grace shuts the curtains again and then gets the light so she can see her way around. There are close up shots used a lot like when Grace is waking up from a nightmare/ flashback we see an extreme close up of her face. (2:13). Long shots are also used especially at the start of the scene when the three people are walking up to Graces house as it quickly jumps to a close up of them and zooms in following them up to the front door. When the three people are stood at the front door and Grace opens it speaking to them there is over shoulder shots being used as the camera switches back and forth as each of the women and Grace speak. There are only a few mid-shots used such as when the three people are introducing themselves as Grace asks who they are, and if they can work. Panning shots are used frequently when Grace is walking asking the people to follow her and when the women and daughter are stood there waiting for Grace to wake her children up to meet them (8:21). At the end of the scenes when the shots are changing it fades in and out it creates an eerie sense of feeling. Some shots starts of very dark so we can only see silhouettes, and then it gradually gets lighter. There are also low and high angle shots used throughout the opening scene especially at the start when Grace opens the door to see the three people stood there (3:16) and (3:32) these show high shots being used.

 Throughout the opening the scene the lighting changes dramatically as it starts of very doom, gloomy and very foggy,  switches to being bright and normal lightening the it goes back to being very dark giving the house a very spine-chilling and spooky effect. Throughout the opening scene there is also a high and recurrent use of dull candle lighting, this give a psychological effect making it incredibly creepy; keeping the audiences interest levels up. This opening scene engages its audience as it uses no horror thriller as well as leaving them covered in total obscurity throughout the film. As the credits fade out the calm soothing music fades out and it going completely silent at the start prepares the audience to expect something to happen. The shot of the house and the people walking up to it when it’s extremely foggy like a blanket covering the sky gives the audience a clue as to where the film is set, feeding the audience enough information to be engrossed in what’s happening creates anticipation at the same time making them want to carry on watching.

These cinematic techniques used create an effective meaning to its audience as well as making them want to watch on with the cliff hanger opening scene (part 1) This also  again creates suspense and excitement at the same time for the audience as once they start watching it, it draws them in with the suspense used.

When watching the opening scene I could see any noticeable editing used but you could tell there was noticeable scripting used with the way the characters pause for a couple of seconds before speaking; this is a continuity thing throughout the film. As I stated before the creepiness and suspense with the cinematic effects are noticeable to building a story as it is shown in chronological order.
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