The Woman in Black Scene 2 - Analysis

Firstly, I will analyse how the film sets up significant plot points through a mixture of visual and auditory techniques. The dialogue is the main driving factor as the character Mr. Bentley discusses what the other character, Arthur Kipps, has to do, which is to collect and read through documents to find a client’s final will. This is backed up by asserting shots of the preliminary last will, as well as the mise on scène which shows us a professional and academic office making us believe that this is indeed a law firm.

The scene also gives us exposition into the company and the personalities of the characters through the performances of the actors.  Mr. Bentley is shown as driving the conversation as he talks at Kipps in an instructive manner without even waiting for a response. He also pauses intentionally to add emphasis to what he is saying, whilst punctuating certain words such as “… this is not a charity…” All of these portray Bentley as an authoritative figure compared to Kipps who barely adds anything to the conversation. This contrasts with the cinematography however, as we see a lot more of Kibbs on screen than Bentley, which shows that the narrative values the reaction of Kibbs because he's the main character.

Another notable convention of the cinematography is the use of forward tracking shot's into a character when they are the only thing in the frame. This is a frequently used technique in a lot of horror films and is conventionally used to build up tension or dread. The framing in the scene is also interesting as there are only 3 close ups used in a sea of mid shots. The first two, showing a cigar case followed by Mr. Bentley chopping the top off of a cigar, are used, with the dialogue, as a metaphor where the cigar case is the law firm, Kibbs is the cigar and the cutter is showing what will happen to him if he doesn’t complete his duty. This small sequence uses the dialogue as a framework for the picture to be cut around.

Finally, one of the more interesting shots in the scene is a high angle shot that physically shows Mr. Bentley getting up from his chair and walking to the window, also showing the geographical distance between him and Kibbs. The connotations of this shot imply Bentley as being in a commanding position, whereas Kibbs looks small and trapped which continues with the theme of authority. Also the positioning of the shot itself is unrealistic and fails to matches anyone's eye line, which makes it voyeuristic whilst running with the paranormal theme of the film.

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Film Reference: James Watkins’ The Woman in Black (2012)