A closer look at "The Sixth Sense"

Follow shot from accident spot to car. *HER. Enigma: What happened? What is everybody looking at? Did anyone get hurt? The camera movement makes the viewer feel as if he/she was walking in between the cars. We hear police sirens and see policemen speaking with one of the victims involved in the accident. **ACT. Traffic is stopped in both directions, and subject that appears to be walking away from accident scene almost “bumps” into damaged car. We listen as a victim tells an officer that he is o.k. ***SYM. We hear an ambulance’s siren in the background, which means that something serious just occurred. ****REF. Distinct police siren tells us the action is occurring in the United States. Also, we notice houses in the background, characteristic of a suburban neighborhood.


Dialogue between mom and boy while in car. *HER. Enigma 2: What is troubling the boy? Is he mad at his mom for missing his school play? Mom is talking to the boy but receives no response. All he does is stare down. He lifts his gaze and after a few seconds says: “I’m ready to communicate with you now”, which feeds our curiosity. Promise of an answer: shot-reverse-shot sequences of dialogue. Fraud: The boy knows about the lady that died in the accident. Equivocation: He sees the ghost of the dead lady and so do we. Suspended answer: Boy ignores his mom by not contributing to the conversation and then with short answers and long pauses. Partial answer: Boy starts telling his mom about him seeing and communicating with the dead. Disclosure: His mom finally believes him about the ghosts and accepts the reality. **SYM. Camera gets closer on boy’s face, as we go deeper into his secrets. The close-up creates an emotional intimacy with the audience and distinguishes the boy as a main character. Meanwhile, the medium close-up of the mom (camera is farther away) represents the emotional distance between the boy and his mom. The hug at the end of the scene resolves this issue. ***REF. The mom disbeliefs in what the boy is saying. We notice the human tendency of questioning the unknown and the need for proof that characterize human beings. ****SEM. The dead grandma plays an important part in the conversation between the boy and his mom. It brings them together emotionally.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLyYYHqVTsE