Tormented is a 2009, British, horror film by BBC Films in association with Pathé and Forward Films. Tormented was directed by Jon Wright, and was distributed by Warner Bros. Tormented is considered a low budget film at £700,000 and received mostly positive reviews. The opening sequence of Tormented, is quick similar to the opening sequence of our film, as it starts with the aftermath of murder opposed to the beginning, however while our film starts in somewhat the middle of the film, Tormented starts at the end.
The starts of the film is a shot of a police car, this first frame signals to the audience that something bad has happened and that the situation is trying to be controlled. The camera then moves into a long shot, slightly tracking a pair of paramedics, also confirming something bad has happened, both of these are foreshadowing of injury or death. The music is deep and intense, and there is no overlaying of sound or speech, this makes the scene more dramatic, and as the vocals start, we see a girl being brought down the stairs. The audience assumes the events are happening in a school, as there are people dressed in uniform. School is linked with children and adolescents, signalling to the audience that these are the main characters within the film. The lighting in the first scene is dull and clouded, indicating to the audience that bad events have transpired in the school.
There is then a cut to a close up of the girl being escorted down the steps. The girl is also in a uniform and is being escorted by a police women, this makes her character seem unsteady, her face is also very pale and ghost-like, this shows the audience that she is at the hearts of the events, ad she is the first face we see. The sharp cuts of her walking down the stair fragment her position in the frame. This could be representing her mental state, as she could be very disorientated, from her shallow face, the audience can tell that she has been crying, and she so far looks like a victim. We put into the police car, the camera is still focused on her face, and as the car door closes, another girl steps into frame, in the reflection from the car window. This signals to the audience that there could be a relationship between the two girls, but the closing of the door, could symbolise the ending of that friendship, and that the girl in the car could be a villain.
As the music and vocals continue, there is a cut to black, and a caption showing ‘5 days earlier’, this then shows the audience that they have gone into the future, and makes them curious as to how they will get there as they progress through the story. The caption then fades, as does the music, and there is a cut to back to the girl. In the past her character is less pale, indicating that she is happier, and the fact that the music stops also uplifts the mood. However we then see that she is speaking in a church, at a funeral. Most of the people in the pews are wearing all black or suits; the girl however is in school uniform. Black in this context signifies mourning and loss, the fact that the girl is wearing a uniform, shows that she is not in mourning, and that her speaking is more a formality than a desire.
At the word “friend” a small boy with glasses stands up and swears. Although he is also in uniform, showing that he perhaps also isn’t in mourning, he shows that he has connections with the diseased, revealing to the audience that “Darren didn’t have any friends, that’s why he killed himself.” This revelation could spark sympathy for the dead boy and his friends. However the boy stating that all in at the funeral murdered him, makes him seem strange and a bit crazy. A man in a tracksuit throws out the boy with ease. This shows his weakness and makes him look more pathetic. This confrontation between them, the older man telling the boy to “show some respect”, could signal to the audience that there are further disagreements to come within the film. The boy also scrambles to his feet, showing his small frame, his glasses also symbolise that he is non-athletic, and lacks strength.
As the doors close, there is a cut to a long shot of the boy throwing stones at the church. This signifies to the audience a lack of faith, and his anger towards those inside. As a church is a place of worship, it can be said that the boy is already contradicting the man, as he is not showing respect for the building, and those that dwell within. The music then starts again, making the shot seem more disturbing and depressing. The camera then tilts up toward the top of the church, perhaps going toward the higher power, or instead a prettier way to end the shot.
The is a cut to a family and a women, probably Darren’s mother, putting a small bear on the grave. There is a cut to an extreme close up of the bear, with a baby blue jumper, with “forget me not” stitched in. The fact that the bear gets a close up, forebodes that we will see the bear again, and that it has importance within the narrative. There is then an over the shoulder shot of the girl, showing that she is being watched, and by a shot-reverse over the shoulder shot, we learn that it is the small boy with glasses that is watching her. These exchanged looking makes the boy seem intimidating, but also shows that there will be further clashes between the pair. It is the girl that then ends the exchange by turning and walking away, her exit is greeted with rock music, contradicting the previous style of music. This change at the end of the opening sequence also signals a change in the mood of the film, or perhaps that the girl herself is going to change.
Lucy Johnston
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