Media AS Phoebe Gibson

The Girl on the Train opening analysis

The movie begins with a low angle shot of the sun shining through trees that are whizzing past at a fast speed; accompanied by the sound of a train whistle and tracks rattling. This ambient sound gives the immediate impression that this is the view from a train window. The view of the tree is then blocked from view as another train passes and the music ‘Riding the Train’ composed by Danny Elfman plays. These first shots communicate that the setting of ‘on the train’ is significant to the storyline. The blur of the trees moving past almost create a disoriented imaged, similar to the blur that the alcoholic protagonist often experiences.

Our first shot of her is a close-up through the train window as she draws an ‘X’ shape in the condensation of the window, and looks through it. The ‘X’ could represent a warning to the audience to not come near her, as she is a liability. This would suggest that she is aware of her negative presence and sees her self as a burden hinting at the idea that she isn’t a very happy person. This action is done in sync with a voice over of a woman’s voice on the line “My husband used to tell me I have an overactive imagination” This creates a narrative enigma and suggests that her overactive imagination has something to do with the plot. She then whispers, “I can’t help it” This may suggest that she is ashamed of this quality or that it could be a secret - maybe the reason why she is so unhappy?

We then see the name ‘Rachel’ in white font against a black background fade in then out on the line “These are things I want to know”. This may hint at the idea that the over voice is Rachel and prepares the audience to find out some information about this character, implying that she is significant in the storyline. The contrast of the white font on the black screen instantly takes the audience’s focus suggesting that its important information.

A series of shots including: long shot, side profile medium shot and close up of Rachel riding the train while looking out the window are shown. The long shot zooms slowly in possibly creating the impression that the audience are being drawn in to this character as we gradually find out more about her. The close up shows her facial expression to be intrigued or confused. This enhances the idea of her fascination with the houses she passes and implies that the audience are as close to her as she’d like to be to the people she sees when on the train.

We see the girl Rachel often notices leaning over the balcony of a large white house (“number fifteen Beckett road”) in an extreme long shot. The house is very large and white implying that this couple she fascinates over has a lot of money. The colour white may represent the idea of a dream house perhaps suggesting why Rachel obsesses over it and the people living there. It may be the symbol of the life she dreams about. The long shot of the girl on the balcony may represent the distance between Rachel’s current life and the life she wants, highlighting the fact that her current life is one she is unhappy in.

The colours of the costumes that Rachel and the girl on the balcony wear are very different. Rachel wears dark blues, which may symbolise sadness and her unhappy life. However, the girl on the balcony wears light pinks and creams and clothes that float. The brightness of the colours that she wears juxtapose the

Media AS Phoebe Gibson

colours Rachel wears creating a larger distance between the two characters and the life’s they live.

The camera pans away from the shot of the girl and a wide shot pans across several other houses. This creates the illusion of the train moving away from the dream house and the girl, communicating how Rachel’s life is getting more and more distant from the life she wants. However, during the pan of houses, as the train move on, the wide shot cuts to a close up of one particular blue house. This closer look at this blue house may imply it has some significance to the plot. The idea that this house is dark blue juxtaposes from the ‘dream house’ in a similar way that Rachel and the girl’s clothes do, and creates a negative image. The shot after is a return to the close up of Rachel although this time she is turning to look away from the blue house with a sad facial expression. This also contrasts with the expression she has from the ‘dream house’ emphasising the negative connotations with the blue house. This may set up a narrative enigma and could make the audience to question Rachel’s past.

The close up of Rachel’s face - as she notices a man has been watching her on the train – seems stressed and slightly cautious. This communicates an element of paranoia, which is often associated with psychological thrillers. However the way she ignores it and returns to looking out the window may indicate that she attempts to shut things out implying that she is a fairly lonely character. It may also suggest that this happens often and she has learned to ignore other people’s reactions of her.

The beginning of the opening of this movie and the end of the opening are set in different times of the day. During the start its very light making it seem like the daytime. However, in the end of the opening, it is very dark and is clearly at night. This would may suggest that Rachel rides the train all day or most parts of the day. The idea of her riding the train up and down may highlight the idea that her life is very negative and the times she rides the train is very significant for her.