Textual Analysis of Spellbound

I am going to take a look and textually analyse a 1945 film called Spellbound (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvAC3420t5A). It was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and features a dream sequence that will be very useful to me and my group whilst we create ours.

The dream sequence starts with a close up of a man, taking a sip from a glass of water. This then cuts to a P.O.V shot with the camera looking in to the glass. This therefore indicates to the spectator that this is the character who will be having the dream.

The next part of this scene, I feel, is very useful. This is because it uses certain techniques to distort the reality of the film. The Blurring of the camera whilst looking through the cup acts as an almost mystical transition, indicating to the audience that something is not right. The fact eyes are being faded in and out whilst the camera zooms, could indicate to the spectator; a form of psychosis. It is also quite intimidating, this is due to the eyes not having any other facial features. This shows a lack of compassion to the spectator and may put them at unease.

The lighting is another key feature in this dream sequence. The lighting in this clip is very dark and low, this enables it to cast large shadows and leave key areas of the scene blacked out. This stops the audience from focusing on anything in particular, which again is very disorientating. The low light and dark places could also indicate a sense of fear and sinister vibes in the dream. This gives it an almost nightmare quality.

Another thing to notice in the dream is the fact there are a lot of people, the problem with these people however is that you can not see their faces or any facial features. This along with the scissors cutting across a large eye can indicate and signify danger to the audience.

At around 00:46 in the clip, the camera tracks slowly over a table and cards. These props are out of proportion to the man sat at the far end (again with blurry facial features). This can give a sense of unimportance to the audience and indicate that this man is insignificant to the dream world. The fact the man approaching the character is wearing a mask (again covering facial features) gives the clip an even more uneasy feel.

Overall then I feel this clip is very useful in giving my group ideas for our dream sequence. The slow camera movement and slow transitions can serve as a disorientating technique, whilst incorporating the whole of the scene. This has also given us ideas on how lighting can dramatically affect the feel and emotion of a film.