Comparisons between 'The Others' and 'The Sixth Sense'

Firstly I am going to compare the opening credits in ‘The Others’ and ‘The Sixth Sense’. The credits in any movie are very important because they are the deciding factor to whether you will want to carry on watching the film or not. If they do not catch your attention and generate anticipation, it is likely that you will not enjoy the movie.

From the opening credits, with their white-on-black minimalism and the stealthy, suggestive music, it's clear that ‘The Sixth Sense’ is going to have you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. The black of the background symbolises darkness and the feeling of unawareness and the contrasting glowing white writing stands out against it. As the scrolling credits fade into the background followed by shadows; it sets an eerie atmosphere, which prepares you for the rest of the movie. The haunting music gets more intense as the credits roll on, which builds tension towards the opening scene, as it starts with complementary near silence to add impact.

The opening credits in ‘The Others’ also create a similar ghostly setting as in ‘The Sixth Sense’ although I feel that the credits in ‘The Others’ are more chilling and quite shocking. They start relatively harmless, however we are still tense and edgy because we know there is irony behind this and that the story will not turn out to be so innocent. This is proved as the credits roll on and the images become more disturbing and terrifying. The gentle voice over is also ironic because it leaves the audience wondering why such a kind voice, talking about such a saintly subject, is introducing a contradictory thriller. The credits vaguely tell the story of ‘The Others’ although this is quite effective as it makes you want to carry on watching the movie because the ending is not clear. Also, some of the images are rather intriguing and unsettling and leave you wanting to know the meaning behind them. You realise that the story in the credits is reality when the final image in the storybook of a large haunting mansion surrounded by mist turns into a full colour, real-life version. The clever use of light and dark is also present in the opening credits of ‘The Others’ and is especially significant since the two young children in the movie are photosensitive and cannot be subjected to any sort of bright light. The credits are as though their mother is reading a story addressed to them by candlelight. This is effective because as the ball of soft light moves from page to page, into and out of the darkness, the audience are unaware what the flame of the candle is going to uncover next. 

Another technique used to mount tension is the use of the camera, unusual angles and close ups. The most successful example of this was in ‘The Others’ when you first see Grace. After a short silence and blackout you are forced to jump when you see Grace lay on her bed screaming. The camera is quite close up so you can catch the emotion and genuine hysteria and distress on her face. The camera is also at a slant but slowly pans up to a horizontal position. This shows that when Grace first wakes, everything is out of sync and as she slowly realises that it is just a dream, the camera angle become straighter. This is effective because it makes you to feel as confused and dazed as Grace feels when she first wakes up from the nightmare and as the camera angle gets straighter we feel more in control like Grace does.

A successful use of the camera in ‘The Sixth Sense’ is at the very beginning when Anna goes down into the cellar to get a bottle of wine. The first shot is being filmed from behind the wine rack, which gives you the sense that someone is secretly watching Anna. Again, it is a close up so you can see the fear on her face. Another shot in this sequence is when the camera is on the floor next to the stairs and Anna is on the other side of the room. This is very effective because it makes Anna look very small and vulnerable and she longs a very long way from the stairs to get out. It is as if someone is hiding near the stairs waiting to pounce on Anna as she tries to leave the cellar. The camera was also in this position when she went into the cellar so it was as though somebody was already waiting there. The wary look on her face also adds to the anticipation because it is as though she can feel a presence in the room just as you think there is one there too. It makes you feel scared because you, like Anna, think there is something there but cannot see it.  

Grace in ‘The Others’ is portrayed as a hard-hearted, cold and stiff woman who has a strict idea of life. She is very organised and likes to know what is going on at all times. She is strong willed and is quite intimidating. This is all shown with the use of the camera because when the camera is on Grace it is always pointed upwards as if she is really tall. When the camera is showing Grace looking at someone else it is pointing down.

Overall I think the movie that I preferred the most was ‘The Others’ because it was very unpredictable and it captivated my attention because there was always a new twist or turn to be discovered. I was forced to watch very carefully because I did not want to miss anything. The film was very mysterious and I think the ending lived up to the rest of the movie. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through.