Analyse how the opening sequence of 'Halloween' captures the attention of the audience.

        ‘Halloween’ brings together the influence of plot and suspense from earlier films such as ‘Psycho’ with the audience demands for visual horror which the emerging special effects make-up could bring to the screen.

         Music is an essential part of atmospheric horror as it builds up tension and suspense also sudden loud noises can shock the audience. ’Halloween’ has an unique piano theme tune which is used often in the opening sequence, throughout the film and even in the sequels. Music plays an important role in enforcing intentions and actions upon the audience. The theme tune is used straight away in the credits when there is a pumpkin which is symbolic to the holiday of Halloween. The credits are in red representing danger and blood. The camera uses a slow, methodical use of the zoom into the pumpkin’s left eye then suddenly the light from the pumpkin goes out almost like it was killed. Therefore at the very beginning of ’Halloween’ already the audience has a feeling of

eeriness though they haven’t seen any action or gore.

        The delaying of who the killer is builds the sequence to a climax when the audience finds out who it is. The director keeps the killer a secret to build suspense for the audience, he does this by using a subjective point of view of the killer throughout the entire opening sequence. This is done by a hand-held camera technique which may have been influenced by German expressionism’s   slow, methodical almost hypnotising movement and plot.

         When the audience sees Michael looking at his sister’s bedroom, the light goes off and a shrill note is heard this is when his intentions are clear and that he is going to kill his sister. As the killer is walking up the stairs there is a low angle subjective shot and a clock chiming symbolises time running out for the victim. The audience hears a humming from Michael’s sister symbolising innocence, she is naked and a female also showing innocence, vulnerability and weakness. The ending of the sequence builds to a climax which is when Michael’s father finds him with a knife the shot type changes from the subjective view for a first time to add shock to the fact the killer is a young boy.

        ‘Halloween’ although an old film and no graphic violence seen is still an extremely effective film. This is due to the atmosphere created with suspense and tension by John Carpenter. It attracts the audience’s attention therefore creating a excellent film which influenced great modern films like ’Scream’ and ’Friday the 13th’.