Though the story is set in 1945, the house has no electricity because it was previously cut off by the Germans in the war and as they have got used to the quiet, grace insists on absolute silence so the family do not use electricity.
Graces husband Charles played by Christopher Ekkleston has been missing for years as a soldier in the war.
The director of the film ‘the others’ uses the theme of sound throughout to create suspense. One type of sound used is that of the use of silence. Silence is a theme that is frequently used throughout the film.
We can tell that silence will be a recurring theme throughout the film when the three servants get introduced to the children. Grace tells the servants that ‘silence is something we value very highly in this house’ implying that she likes silence and the quiet, so by this we know that it will be a recurrent theme throughout the film.
Silence is a clever device, by lulling your mind into a false sense of security it gets your brain used to the quiet but then a loud sound is played or a large image portrayed and this will cause you to jump. Also prolonged periods of silence makes the audience feel uncomfortable as strange and unexpected noises can be heard more easily as to create a tense effect.
Another way that the director creates suspense is that of when the children are chanting as they meet the servants for the first time.
The children are chanting a verse of words, using a soft and quiet voice and this makes us feel uneasy. Also when the children are chanting we hear them before we see them and this creates questions in our minds such as what are they chanting and why. But then the repetition of the chant is frightening because it is stereotypically linked to curses and other things associated with the supernatural world.
Another way that Amènabar creates suspense during the film ‘the others’ is through the use of camera angles. Many different camera angles are used throughout the film and one of these is the use of the Dutch angle. The Dutch angle is that of the camera being tilted on its side at a 90º angle and being very close to the character. the Dutch angle is used in the opening scene as grace is sleeping and about to wake up after a nightmare. Just as she wakes, the camera uprights itself and this makes the audience feel uneasy and queasy. Also this conveys the distress and confusion that is felt by the character. Showing that the camera is focusing a close up on their facial expressions to create an exaggeration on their mood and feelings.
Another
