RB: Analysis of What Lies Beneath

What Lies Beneath (Zemeckis, 2000)

Film Language

• In What Lies Beneath, mise-en-scene reflects themes of death which are relevant to the rest of the plot. An example of this is when the character is in the bath in the opening of the film; she bursts out the surface gasping for air. As she was under the surface before, it connotes drowning which provides an insight for the audience of what may happen later in the film. As well as props being used as connotations for death, non-verbal language is also used, for example, when the husband puts his arm around the wife’s neck, it looks as though he could be about to strangle her.

• At several points in the opening of the film, the camera placement puts the audience in the position of woman in the film. This is done by the camera showing her reflection in the mirror and an over-the-shoulder shot when to show what she sees out of the window. This also gives the impression that the character is being watched. The main couple watch their neighbours, who are shown from a high angle shot, arguing and fighting. As they are shown and can be heard from a distance, it remains in the audience’s mind as they watch the main characters.

 

• From this opening sequence, the characters' non-verbal language tells the audience about their characters. This is used to show the contrast in the relationship between the two couples, for example the main couple are shown affectionately with their arms around each other, but the other couple are shown shouting at one another.

• However, when the husband of the first couple puts his arm around his wife, his arm appears sinister when it is first seen, and this makes him seem like an antagonist. This point is reinforced by the character’s costume as the wives in both couples are wearing white and the husbands are wearing black or a darker colour which could show a contrast between good and evil as the lighter colours the women are wearing connote innocence and make them seem nicer people than their husbands. As well as the non-verbal language, dialogue is also used to tell the audience about the characters. An example of this is when the main couple are watching the other couple talking. They say things about them like ‘When did they move in?’ and ‘What’s their name?’ This creates a mystery around the couple as the audience become aware that they don’t know much about them.
• Other visual techniques used in this opening also add to the audience’s expectations for what might happen in the film and what themes may continue throughout the film. For example, during the opening credits, the camera moves through water with the title moving in a similar way to reflect this. After the titles, the face of a corpse is seen in the water which quickly changes to the face of the protagonist. The director has chosen to use this editing technique to show the audience what could happen later in the film.

 

Narrative

• The narrative in the opening of the film simply follows the main character as she gets ready in the morning. The one difference is at the start when a body is shown in water which then cuts to the character in the bath. This seems to have been a dream this character is having although it is not clear.
• Throughout much of the narrative, the audience is positioned with the protagonist. This is done through camera shots in the mirror and out of the window she is looking and she is given prevalence in the narrative above the other characters.
• In the opening, the characters are split between the two couples. Although they don’t meet, the arguing couple placed behind a window places the audience with the main characters and the two couples seem cut off from one another. As well as this, the positioning of the main couple (with their arms around each other) make them seem more identifiable than the couple arguing outside.
• As well as the few connotations of death in the opening of the film, themes in the narrative also suggest the simple, happy lifestyle of the main characters. This allows the audience to assume that this will change in the rest of the film. The connotations of death and the dangerous experiences, such as the main character almost electrocuting herself also give clues to what else might happen in the narrative later in the film.
• Tension is created by the use of very quiet music which builds up throughout the title sequence with the dark colours and slow camera movement. This makes the audience aware of the sudden loud noise after the titles. Only diagetic sound is used for the rest of the opening so the silence in the scenes with no dialogue maintain the suspense and make the audience believe that it is building up to something.