Whitechapel Deconstruction

Deconstruction of Whitechapel torture sequence (season 4 episode 1)

• Throughout the sequence, many wide shots are used to clearly show the killer's torture methods to the audience.
• A pile of bricks are slowly lowered onto the man.
• Low-key lighting is used to add to the negative tone of the sequence.
• His age (elderly) also has an impact on the audience, as it adds to his vulnerablity and also goes against the social norms of how elderly people should be treated.

• Throughout the sequence, many close up shots of the man's face are shown.
• His facial expressions are a clear display of pain.
• This allows the audience to better understand the pain he is in, and therefore it has more impact.

• Furthermore, high angle shots are used to convey to the audience how vulnerable and helpless he is.
• As the sequence continues, close up shots are continue to be used, as the shots cut from the torture methods and back to the man's facial expressions.
• His facial expressions show more and more suffering further into the sequence.
• Blood on the man's face is also visible, to show that the pain is genuine.

• Further into the sequence, the high angle close up shots are framed to show the pile of bricks as well as his facial expressions.
• By showing both the torture method and the impact it's having in one shot, the audience will be more sympathetic to the situation that the man is in.

I decided to deconstruct this scene in White Chapel to understand how a character's pain can have an impact on the audience throughout a sequence.  The shots and camera angles that they have used will be helpful references when creating our opening sequence, as our killer also uses methods of torture and we need them to have as much of an impact on the audience as possible.