‘Immersed’ starts
with a shot of dark, rippling water and a constant droning sound effect in the
background to create a tense mood. A swimmer disturbs the unbearable anxiety
already building up in the atmosphere. The woman breaks through the water and
becomes the central focus in the shot. She is seen to be doing lengths in the
pool and there are various different shots being used to illustrate this
activity. Some shots are close ups of the body and others are taken at a low
viewpoint but still seem to be looking down on the swimmer as if from someone
else’s viewpoint which creates an uneasy atmosphere and viewers get the feeling
the woman is being watched.
The humming back track has returned into the background,
which recalls the earlier feeling of anxiety whilst there are underwater shots
being used which create a feeling of isolation, as the girl is not aware of what
is going on above the water. The handheld camera underwater shots contrast to
the still shots above water as it seems like you have the same viewpoint as the
swimmer, following her in her activity, and experiencing how isolated and
oblivious she is to her surroundings which creates a definite tense mood.
The next shot is an aerial shot of a counting
stopwatch on the poolside, taking a close up on the stopwatch adds an element
of time which suggests that something is about to happen so the atmosphere is
suspenseful.
As the swimmer draws in breathe she gasps in the air
dramatically, which gives you a shock, as you are already feeling uneasy in the
eerie atmosphere created by the invasive shots and the haunting music.
A wide shot is then taken of the whole pool room which
emphasises how the swimmer is cut off from the outside world in a small room
and only has one exit through one door. The next shot is at a low viewpoint
from the poolside and shows the swimmer getting closer to us and the
continuous, monstrous splashes of water she is generating which are preventing
her from gaining any knowledge of what is happening in the outer world.
The next shot is quite an abrupt close up, which shows
the swimmer grab for the stopwatch hastily and check her time, which is the
only time she stops from her vigorous activity to take notice of the happenings
in her surroundings. The shot then returns to the poolside low viewpoint which
show the woman in her continuous routine, however this time there is the effect
of slow motion used and this shot increases the intensity dramatically as the
thriller starts to build up a climax of suspense. The high angled, aerial shot
used gives the effect of a witness looking down.
A medium shot of the door handle is captured and a
stranger walks into the poolroom, unnoticed by the swimmer. When returning to
the girl there is the added sound effect of slow and despairing breathing which
really brings the viewer into the mind of the girl, completely oblivious to the
events going on.
The stranger is seen to be coming closer as there is a
continuous medium shot of the suspect, not allowing the viewer to see any kind
of identity, just the sight of the person’s body, which gives viewers the
feeling of suspicion. The stranger’s clothes are dark which immediately depict the
person as an evil, unnerving character. The shot of the stranger approaching is
in very dim light, which symbolises threat and danger entering the environment.
Whereas the following shot taken by an underwater camera incorporates complete
natural daylight which contrasts to the last shot and symbolises the innocence
of the unknowing girl. These two shots paired together are quite chaotic as the
lighting contrasts intensely, they slightly disorientate the audience and panic
arises as the second shot is hastily filmed creating an effect of the swimmer
struggling.
Next is a tracking shot of the strangers legs, showing
minimal body which adds a sense of danger and alarms the audience, making you
feel uneasy as you do not know who the character is. Eventually the camera pans
round to the swimmer who has finished her length and becomes face to face with
the stranger, possessing a look of complete horror and emitting a genuine gasp.
The thriller comes to an abrupt end with the climax of the last shot and
finishes with the bold writing of ‘IMMERSED’ illustrated with ghostly shadows
underneath the font to create an ultimate evocative effect.
