Analysing atmosphere in A Series of Unfortunate Events

Will Ritson - A Series of Unfortunate Events

In the introduction, the atmosphere is very happy. This is created through the jolly, upbeat music and the high pitched giggles and laughs. The characters in the sequence are all wearing bright coloured clothing, and the main colours are blues and green, these come across as less imposing than colours such as red. The scene is also very stereotypical of a film for young children as the mise-en-scene is comprised of flowers and "cute" animals. This adds to the sense of surprise when the atmosphere of the scene suddenly changes.

From this point onwards, the atmosphere is very uneasy and dark. The change from a happy to dark atmosphere is very sudden and confuses the viewer. It is also very contrasting against what has just been shown. The eerie, and minor music suggests this, along with the low key lighting. In addition to this, the characters do not talk throughout the sequence, and the three children are introduced from behind.