Deconstruction of 'The Possession' Opening Scene as a Possession Horror

The Possession (2012) is a horror movie belonging to the sub-genre possession, hence the name. The movie is supposedly based on a true story regarding the 'dybbuk box' (a wine cabinet which is said to be haunted by a dybbuk: a restless, malicious spirit), where a young girl is found to be possessed and along with her family who are aware of it, take a life threatening and thrilling journey.

Summary:

The opening scene of the movie is fairly short which consequently adds to its effectiveness. It starts with a pan of the photos hung on a wall in a living room, making it seem like a perfectly normal and ordinary room. Stood in the middle of the room is an old lady who appears to be staring at an empty box above the fireplace. After looking at it she goes to touch it but is frightened by the tick of a clock. She then puts on some music and looks at her reflection in the mirror. However after gently stroking her hair she finds a lot of it falls out, possibly blaming the box due to a sudden glare towards the fireplace. Returning with a hammer she goes to smash the box, but is prevented when she starts shaking (clearly possessed). A man is then seen ringing the door bell only to hear screams coming from inside, he is then seen entering the house. Meanwhile, the lady is violently attacked by whatever possessing her, finishing with her frozen on the floor, possibly dead but it isn't confirmed although it's highly likely.

Movement:

The camera movement used within the scene varies from shot to shot. A pan is used at the beginning of the scene to present the living room wall of photos finishing with a shot of the woman facing the fireplace. The camera lens then zooms in on both the woman's face and then the box. Zooming in and out is used a lot throughout this scene to create the sense the subject is getting bigger thus making it seem a lot scarier. For example, zooming in to the box on the fireplace makes it look as though it's increasing in size and potentially becoming more dangerous as well. Nevertheless still shots are also used when the audience's attention should ideally be focused on the old woman's movement. During the last shot as the 'son' enters the door, the camera lens zooms out showing a bigger view of the house.

Framing:

In addition, lots of different camera shots (frames) are used to create a certain atmosphere and feeling depending on the action taking place. No extreme wide shots are used due to the scene's surroundings being a living room and the idea that the woman is very private and that the attack is not a public show. Also using this kind of shot in a possession movie would have its disadvantages, one being that the subject is barely visible so the 'possession' would not be shown in as much detail. Close ups ( not extreme) are used on the woman to show her facial expressions, being that she's both confused frightened and eventually possessed. The use of close ups are effective as they highlight every aspect and feature of the woman's face, with huge detail. Nevertheless the majority of the scene consists of a constant switch between mid shots and wide shots showing the woman's constant change in character along with her body movement, to add fear.

Angles:

 The majority of the opening scene uses eye level as the camera angle. The camera is positioned as though it is a human actually observing a scene. It creates more of a tense and dark atmosphere, making it even more scary.