TWGSB Media Group 5: AN: Analysis of an Opening Sequence: Halloween (Carpenter, 1978)

The film Halloween is a part of the slasher sub-genre which is clearly demonstrated in the opening sequence by the killer's use of a large knife which he uses to then kill his stock female victim who is seen naked before her murder. This convention follows a predictable formula for a slasher horror murder establishing the film in the first 5 minutes.
Whilst the build up and carry out of the murder follows traditional expectations of the genre, the initial reveal of the killer's identity however defies convention by both revealing his identity in the opening scene, but also the reveal that the killer is also a child who is related to the victim challenges the audience's expectations immediately and makes the audience question the killer's motives.
the opening follows the the characteristics of the genre in the build up to the kill which utelises the setting of a big large dark house, the recognisable weapon, and the defenseless female victim all following stock aspects of the genre.

A majority of the opening sequence is shot in an extended POV shot from the view of the killer as he enters the house locates a weapon before finally murdering his victim and running out of the house. The shot acts to build tension as well as a sense of powerlessness as it follows the killer's every move and helps detail what is going through the killer's mind through what he observes and does, such as picking up the knife or watching the victim and her boyfriend.
When the killer murders his victim he looks away and looks at the knife, this conveys a feeling of distaste towards the killing whilst the mask the character wears restricts the view of the audience causing a claustrophobic sense of unease as their view of the action is heavily restricted.

the opening sequence uses very little editing as it consists of one continuous POV shot from the killer's perspective. This technique causes discomfort in the audience as it is uncut whilst the reliance on timing over editing gives the sequence fluidity.

In the sequence a key prop which is used is the clown mask which is first seen when the victim and her boyfriend are making out on the sofa and is then later used by the killer to mask his identity, this contrasts with it's earlier playful use to convey the feeling of guilt on the audience as the audience empathises with the young couple in the scene with the mask's sudden change in use further discomforting the viewer.
The sequence takes place at night and as such takes advantage of low key lighting, this is used to make the house feel cold and oppressive setting up the location's purpose and sight of the first murder.
Time is taken to show off the killer's choice of weapon which in the case of Halloween is an impractically large knife, the size of the knife and the way the character holds it are designed to implement a raw sense of fear in the audience as the intentions of the character they have been following becomes clear.
The strewn out clothing and subtle adjusting down of the jumper as the boyfriend walks downstairs hints as to what the pair were up to and reveal some of the reasoning behind the killer's actions.

The sequence starts quiet with the only sounds being the giggling and flirting of the teenage couple as the killer walks up to and around the side of the house. The lack of non-diagetic sound in this part focuses the audiences attention on the couple and conveys the killer's intentions.
When non-diagetic sound is introduced to the scene, it is introduced through a high pitched screech as the killer checks the window before leading to a quieter but continuous high pitch sound over the rest of the scene. This high pitch sound anchors the audience's reaction to the situation triggering a basic fear response creating a rise in tension.
When the victim is murdered the killer turns away; this forces the audience to rely on the extra diagetic sound to understand what is currently happening. At this point all that can be heard is the stabbing and the screaming of the victim. This leads to a feeling of nausea as the fact the murder cannot be seen suggests greater brutality than is shown.

the film goes for a more traditional approach to the implementation of titles by having on long sequence where the opening titles are written on the screen and not into the action. the sequence does however hold a very long slowly zooming in image of a jack o lantern to the film's main theme adding to the unease and building suspense.

The opening storyline follows the killer as he enters the house to murder his older sister who is sleeping with her boyfriend. The situation uses the stock characters of the young sexually promiscuous teenage couple, as well as a large forboding house, and a large iconic weapon.
The use of the extended POV shot allows the action and sequences to flow between one another in an expected order.
The main themality of the narrative is the unspoken reasoning behind the killer's murder which is hinted towards being focused around sex and sexual activity.
Tension is created through the introduction of the high pitched non-diagetic sound, and is maintained through the slow movement through the house slow reveal of seperate elements such as the weapon, the couple's activity, and so on.

The main social group represented in the sequence are teenagers who are shown as being sexually active and uncaring and playful through the young couple making out on the sofa and then moving upstairs where it is hinted they have sex through strewn out clothing.
The opening instills the values of a dislike towards casual sex and a disregard of family and parents through the killer's distasteful murder of his sister with the only presentable reasoning being her actions with her boyfriend.

The film is primarily targeted towards a teenage male audience shown through the sequences use of brutal murder and female nudity.
The opening allows for a range of possible readings, the preferred reading of it is that the killer is related to the victim of the murder and that was murdered for her sexual promiscuity. Alternative readings could be that the killer is deranged or possessed and killed his victim without reason, or that the killing could be out of jealousy of the victim and her boyfriend.
I personally see the opening scene as being a murderous psychopath upholding his own personal beliefs on what's right and wrong through the murder of his sexually active sister. My reading can be seen as being shaped by the fact i am a male teenager and that i see no problem with the activities of the young couple that i feel no empathy for the killer's actions.

The film being an independent low budget production has very little in the way of big name actors with the main standout name in the cast being Jamie Lee Curtis who obeys the "final girl" archetype prevalent in slasher films.
The studio which made the film is a small independent studio called "Compass International Pictures" which is reflected in the films budget being $325,000
The opening is done without any pro-filmic or post production effects and consists of a long POV shot and a crane shot around a house; the film also relies on audience imagination for the core impact of the murder to be felt. These aspects indicate both a low budget but also good production skill as they are able to make the opening very visceral and engaging with very little in the way of effects being used.

TWGSB Media Group 5