Analysis Of 'The Happening' Opening Scene

The Happening is a hybrid genre film that combines sci-fi,horror and thriller into one film. The film begins with a conventional view of people in Central Park New York City going about their daily routines (jogging, walking dogs, business men, etc.) and there are alot of low angle long shots to give us an establishing view of this "normal" scene. The music playing in the background is quite sombre and gives a slightly eerie feel to the scene. Then the wind picks up (which is exaggerated for dramtic effect) and the camera pans in on two women talking about a book that involves killers, this gives connotations of horror to what seems a normal scene. The scene carries on with the lighter blond haired woman repeating what she is saying and the people around them stop moving we can infer that something bad is going on, then their are screams and the darker blond haired woman notices that people futher away from them are clawing at themselves, the film then cuts to a long shot of people sitting on the grass clawing at their skin. The dilouge in this scene is sparce and repetitive. The camera then moves to an extreme close up of the lighter haired woman pulling the large pin out of her hair and we can deduce that she is going to stab herself in the neck with it which she does. The camera then moves to a rection shot of the darker haired woman who begins to be affected by the toxin in the air.