The Grudge 3 Opening Analysis

Sound

Mise-en-scene

Editing

Camera work

Our class was given the task to split into individual groups and analyse the opening of a horror film of our choice. One of the groups consisting of Hannah Edwards, Zak Rogers and Van Abner decided to do their analysis on The Grudge 3, and shared their findings with the class.
The opening of the film starts with the usual credits, noting the title of the film along with the director. These credits are presented in an eerie style, with drops of blood forming the words, which links with the genre of horror and sets the tone of the film very early on. From part of the title being written in an Asian language, we can automatically tell what the setting/origin of the film is. Non-diegetic sound is used in the title sequence, with spooky sound effects adding to the sense of uneasiness in the film. The next section of the opening focuses on naming the important cast and crew members involved in the production, and they are presented to us with the addition of strands of dark hair strewn all across the screen. This is symbolic as it represents a character shown later on in the film, and has become a sort of trademark for the ‘Grudge’ series. The background is also red, which could symbolise the theme of death or blood.

The first shot in the opening scene is a low angle shot of a typical Japanese-style house. This establishes the whereabouts of the scene, but also the angle of the shot makes the house look imposing and sinister. The film starts with a flashback, highlighted through the use of black and white, where we see an outraged man attack his wife (due to him finding out she is having an affair). The scene alternates between the struggle going on inside the house and the same credits seen earlier on, noting other important crew members. This adds tension as in the moments where the shot cuts away; we are left wondering what is happening inside the house. After some time the man eventually overpowers his wife, and as she is shown crawling on the floor a low angle shot is used to emphasize the man’s power and dangerousness. The man is then seen killing the woman, along with his son and the family cat. This disturbs the audience as it emphasizes the man’s rage, as he doesn’t even flinch whilst murdering his family. The use of an extreme close-up shot of the dead woman’s eye suggests something ominous; as we later find out she actually becomes possessed by an unknown force.

The scene then cuts back to the original house, which still looks just as menacing. However, we can tell that some time has passed as it appears to look rundown and old. We are then reintroduced to the wife in the flashback, and we can tell her possession has taken full force as she is seen awakening and crawling in an inhuman way. The scene ends with the famous shot of the woman crawling down the stairs, and from there she attacks and kills an unsuspecting boy who enters the house, hinting that the woman will play a villainous role in the story.