Opening of 'Sherlock' ( the series) - Dani

From the start of the opening, pathetic fallacy is used to reflect and emphasise the the mood of the scene. The diegetic sound is also increased in volume to enhance the effect of this pathetic fallacy for example; the thunder and rain outside. This sad mood is also reinforced in the close up of his face, allowing us to clearly see his facial expression. 


We then cut to a an extreme long shot where we can then deduce that it is some kind of meeting, perhaps official or important. The modern setting and the manicured room for example; stylish, good quality chairs and the lack of other furniture in the room suggests an interview. 

The woman in the meeting is often seen from a slightly low angle which suggests her power, dominance and importance in the conversation. Both of the characters moods are shown through the use of body language as well as facial expression. She appears to be comfortable with the conversation, this is shown by her slouching in the chair, and legs crossed. Her arms are propped on the arms of the chair, this causes the fact that she is in charge of the agenda clear as she is confident with the situation. Her body language clearly shows her relaxation with the conversation compared to him who is sitting with his legs and arms very tightly crossed. He is sitting defensively and clearly feels uneasy and uncomfortable with the conversation, evident by the way he places his hands to his mouth, biting his nails slightly, a common sign of anxiety, this is clear to see from the medium long shot.


The facial expression in this scene, reinforces that he is clearly upset or distressed about something towards the end and until the end we don't find out what it is, creating suspense for the audience. His dialogue and the way in which he talks also enhances his upset, shown by his pauses and stutters when talking and towards the end he is speaking through faint sobs, as he tries to prevent himself from crying. The camera has zoomed in at this point into a close up to emphasis his emotion and feeling further. 


The non-diegetic sound in the clip begins very faintly at 00.30 seconds and gradually becomes louder towards the end. The piano gets louder, as does the deeper instrument also. The high piano key becomes more frequently played as the build up to the declarative at the end draws nearer. The sound is parallel to the mood and atmosphere onscreen, reinforcing the mood of the opening of this episode.


The start to this thriller shows a man's anxiety with what we find out at the end. At the end of the scene, the male character says that his friend Sherlock is dead, this instantly creates suspense for the audience as we know that he is the main character in the series. An enigma is created as the audience will question what happened to Sherlock.