Open with wide (and then close-up) shots of little girl in forest - a touch of 'little red riding hood'. Foreshadows something bad happening
Very very smooth movement throughout
Closes with the shot of a key turning in a door - symbolic
Mise-en-Scene
Dust blowing through forest in opening shot is quite creepy
Girl's hair is plaited in a very childish way, showing her innocence and purity
Girl is picking mushrooms - foreshadowing his death by poisonous mushroom later in the film
Very soft lighting and largely warm but dim shots throughout show comfort of the house
Editing
Begin with very slow editing
Cut to black and fade back in after finding man foreshadows how he will change their lives
After the peripeteia the editing speed becomes much faster, helped by the start of the inter titles
Ends in the traditional trailer style of title and then release date
Sound
Soundtrack begins with little girl's voice, singing. This is very eerie when matched with the dust blowing through the forest. Enhanced footsteps and diegetic sound make the audience think something is about to happen.
Speech is very soft and kind until the peripeteia - they are welcoming
After the peripeteia the music becomes very dramatic and there is less and less dialogue
Almost every shot is very carefully framed. Lots of centre framed shots to portray DiCaprio as the main character.
Lots of camera movement. Lots of stabilised handheld camera.
Editing
Slow in act 1 despite lots of drama and effects - shows that in this world, that sort of thing is fairly normal.
Remains slow at the start of act 2 but speeds up rapidly and stays rapid for act 3 - this conforms to trailer conventions.
Mise-En-Scene
Anamorphic 2.35:1 aspect ratio creates a very cinematic feel
Contrasting colours - outside is brown but lots of inside shots (especially after act 1) are very blue. Inside shots with other people in are also yellow/brown.
Intertitles begin in act 2, essentially replacing the V/O as the narrative device.
A heavy emphasis on special effects throughout - this shows that the target audience of the film is not necessarily focussed so much on a good storyline but more a good cinema experience.
Ends with CGI city becoming title - reflects opening CGI city WB logo.
Sound
V/O narrates the trailer, but is dialogue as V/O. This helps to show the audience the story because it is otherwise not clear what it is
The music begins with a series of loud booms (apparently known as "The Inception 'BRAAAAM'). This is the first film to do this and has since been used dozens of times by similar films.
The music consists of low drones topped with dramatic, heavily rhythmic music. Violins build towards act 2.
Big boom ends act 1. 'I have to steal it' ends V/O.
