Which film technique does M. Night Shyamalan use to create tension in 'The Sixth Sense'?

Another part of the film where the eyes are used for narration is the scene with Vincent Grey. There is a close up of Malcolm's face as he is trying to recall his ex-patient. With this shot the audience can see how much Malcolm is trying to remember, this could also show the audience how important Malcolm thinks it is to remember.

Camera angles are used in order to give the audience the feeling that someone or something is present. In the beginning, when Anna was at the wine rack, the camera is behind it and it gives you the feeling that someone is there - Vincent? Another factor that made this scene really effective in building up tension is the close up on Anna's face. With this close up you could see all the fear in Anna's eyes and her conscience telling her that someone is there.

A different part of the film where that same 'point of view' technique is used is when Lynn walks back into the kitchen and finds all the cupboards and draws open. You see the scene from her perspective.

Another part of the film when it happens is when Cole wakes up and goes to the toilet, when he is walking down to the kitchen the corridor is seen from his perspective and when the camera turns to see the ghost it is yet again from his point of view.

A fourth 'point of view' shot in this film is in the scene after Cole has performed his play. As he turns to see the hanging ghosts, the camera acts as his eyes, so what we see is what Cole sees.

Shyamalan uses lighting in the beginning to create tension. When Vincent was in the bathroom he was in bright lighting and it showed that he had more power than Malcolm and Anna as they were in the dark. It also made the audience feel that Vincent was innocent this is because the lighting gave the bathroom a 'heavenly' atmosphere. Shyamalan also commented that in this scene, Vincent is 'stripped of everything' and that 'he didn't want to hide anymore'.

We do not see Vincent shot himself and are left to conjure up the image for ourselves. It could give the audience the impression that Vincent is ready to end the pain he had experienced his whole life.

Shyamalan also uses lighting to create shadows; this creates tension because it yet again gives the impression that someone is present. When Anna is by the window and Vincent's shadow walks past, this grasps the audience's attention. Another example of lighting creating tension is in Cole's tent when the statues are all creating shadows. This is effective as it may make the audience feel that behind one of these statues is the evil one.

Diegetic sound is sound that fits in with the scene i.e. dialogue. Non-diegetic sound is sound such as music which is played outside of the scene. Both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds and music play an important part in the film because music seems to represent the characters and their emotions. So whenever there is music or sound it is relevant to the scene and to the emotion in that scene.

Music has been used in the film to create tension for example when Cole is in the classroom and he is shouting, the music gets louder and louder till the teacher shouts 'Shut Up.... You Freak'! Another example is in the beginning when Anna is in the basement. She is breathing loudly and it creates tension because the audience want to know what is happening and why she is scared.

An additional factor which Shyamalan uses in order to create tension is that at the end the audience find out that Malcolm was dead all along. However once looking back at the film they will see that all the clues and rules were there but cleverly disguised so they do not take it in! In the hospital scene when Cole is telling Malcolm his secret, he is practically telling the audience what Malcolm is -'they walk around like regular people, they don't see each other, only see what they want to see, they don't know they are dead'!

A rule that Shyamalan puts into the film is that when there is an angry ghost around it gets cold, however it isn't ever cold when Malcolm is around as he is in denial and does not know he is dead, so therefore there is no reason for him to be angry. Costumes are part of the mise-en-scene, Malcolm's attire might have given everything away but he wears clothes that he can interact with that evening for example if it is cold he will wear a jumper. However if you look closely he is wearing the same shirt he got shot in throughout the film! What's more, ghosts can have an influence on the physical world, by this it means that Malcolm can do something that can make an impact on the human world. For example when Anna and her friend are in the shop Malcolm is able to smash the shop window because he is angry at what he sees.

In the film the colour red plays an important part in creating tension, this is because, red represents the human world being tainted by the other world, meaning the dead people. However the colour red is used in Cole's tent which gives the audience a feeling of protection and it has the effect that it is womb-like. The church door is also painted red, which would give the audience the feeling of protection; however Malcolm manages to enter the church. This could go about confusing the audience. However the audience do not know he is dead, even though the clues have been cleverly placed throughout the film.

There are features in the film which give the audience an understanding of the characters. For example at the end the audience may realise that Cole has matured over the film, so that he is able to confront his mum and tell her his 'secret'. Also that he started to realise that his 'power' is not a curse but a gift as he is able to help people die in peace. When Cole is telling Malcolm how to be able to talk to his wife there is a form of role reversal, so Cole becomes the doctor while Malcolm is the patient.

M. Night Shyamalan has been very successful in the making of the 'The Sixth Sense'; he has used many different camera angles and shots to create tension as well as fear in most of the scenes. With the use of his 'personalised' touch of the camera he has been able to pull the audience into the scene. In 'The Sixth Sense' Shyamalan has been able to show the audience that there is more to this world than meets the eye. Interestingly, the director in the film communicates with the audience through the use of sound, colour, lighting and the various types of camera angles used. Confidence, Strength and the interaction between two characters have been shown through the relationship that Malcolm and Cole have. The audience is able to see the growth in Cole's understanding through his growing relationship with his mother. At the beginning Cole and Lynn have a weak relationship, however at the end of the film he is able to open up to her and tell her his secret. This is because Cole has come to terms with his 'gift'. Shyamalan has shown his strength throughout this film to create 'one of the best films of 1999'.