Analysis of 'Silence Of The Lambs'

This film opens with a shot of scenery in a dull and dismal atmosphere with only the colours black & white, with an eerie non-diegetic soundtrack in the background setting the scene(for the duration of 29-40 seconds).

As the credits are being listed frame by frame the camera frame moves lower and lower gradually and the speed slows down even more when the film name is revealed. As the credit appears again the frame is originally zoomed out as a female character heaves herself up a hill with the aid of a rope, as she approaches the top the camera moves away from her. As she reaches the top there's a mid angle shot of her breathing heavily of exhaustion. 

Consecutively she runs out the frame on to the woodlands, the next shot is a tracking shot following the actress, however the tracking pace does not equal the speed of the actress as she is slowly moving away fro the camera resulting in a long shot; the frame is on screen till she fades away into the mist.

The following shot is a close up of her face as she runs(match-on-action), although the eerie music is still present the volume is high and low at different points, and now the soundtrack also consists of simply the treading of her trainers, birds in the distance and her breathing. The scenery around the actress is dull and uninviting; this may suggest the isolation of the setting and highlight a negative image.

Soon she reaches a climbing flame and then she climbs over the climbing frame which then suggests that it's part of a training of some sort; a tracking shot is taken moving around the character climbing up the frame, this may be to create the idea that she is the main character, and too emphasize on her struggle.Later we learn that she in fact carrying out a training as a male character that has the appearance of a trainer approaches her and tells her to see someone in their office which results in her running the way she came from.

The next scene happens to still be the woodlands but  she passes a tree that has 'pain' 'hurt' 'agony' 'love-it' nailed on the wall, creating a harsh and strict atmosphere.

After she reaches a building that appears to be where a training institution is located. Once she is inside the building she is greeted by a fellow trainee, and another further on which enlightens us on her characteristics that she is a sociable character that has friends.

On her way to see the person whom called her she gets into a lift with men wearing red t-shirts, which singles her out as she is the only female and wearing a completely different colour. Two men are also looking down at her one either side perhaps indicating she doesn't fit in or suggesting a patriarchal that all men are higher than women.

She is then in an office waiting for someone, while she looks around the shot tracks around with her, suddenly we see a close up shot of her face, this shot is used to show the reaction she makes to something she has seen.

The next shot immediately shows the audience what had caught her eye it turns out to be disturbing pictures and clippings of newspapers on his wall, while we see this a mysterious soundtrack is also played in the background to create tension.

When the shot is back on her face, it's taken from the side also showing the man she came to see not in focus, but quite obviously watching her.