Many techniques can be used throughout movies to create suspense and tension such as; The music, the lighting and vectors. Dialogue can also play a part in creating suspense and tension. This is shown in the movie "Witness" directed by Peter Wier.
The Movie "Witness" directed by Peter Wier is about a young Amish boy who plays witness to a murder and hides from the killers with the aid of police officer John Book (Harrison Ford). .
The first scene that the viewer is positioned to feel suspense and tension is the murder scene at the beginning of the movie. During this scene the music tempo picks up and gets faster. When McPhee, the killer, is searching the cubicles we can hear Samuel, the witness, breathe. This makes the audiences feel the suspense and tension about the scene. During the murder the camera focuses on Samuels eyes using a close up shot, showing the fear he has at the time. The camera shot also shows the cubicle door in the foreground, infront of Samuel. The door is used as a vector which shows the barrier between Good and Evil, Light and Darkness. The light is shining directly on Samuels face to show his innocence. There is little dialogue in this scene which also plays a major part in creating the tension. The tension in this scene is relieved at the end of the scene when McPhee kicks open the door and the audience sees that Samuel is no longer in the cubicle. At this point in time the music stops.
Another scene in the movie "Witness" that creates suspense and Tension is the Dancing Scene with John and Rachael (Samuels mother). The audience is positioned to realize that there is sexual tension growing between the two because of the way they look at each other. The tension is created in this scene due to the fact that the love they have is forbidden. Peter Weir uses many techniques to make the romance more intense, thus creating more tension. The music that is being played in the background is "What a wonderful world".
