using French theorists to analyse les revenants

 the opening as a whole suspends us in Medias-res, in the middle of the action, or cold openin

Using French theorists to analyse the opening sequence


The opening sequence is completely predicated on foreshadowing the events and themes of the TV show. In particular, the arresting image of a butterfly bursting out of a display cabinet encodes the themes of supernatural mystery, and the dead coming back to life, and the fragility of life. Additionally, the MES of the butterfly’s fragile wings functions as a symbolic code for fragility, and overcoming one’s problems, which are core themes of the show 


Camille’s depression is both constructed and reinfroced through the anchorage of the close up shot of her staring miserably out of the coach window. This forms a binary opposition between her and the lively students who surround her, and even goes to reinforce the themes of depression, fragility and death 


A binary opposition is constructed between a young couple kissing passionettely in overgrown grass, and a set of two crude grave markings that suggest a dead couple. This unsettling binary oppostion proairetically refers to many events in the show, and makes clear the relationship between sex and death 


The shot of children playing reflected in a pool not only emphasises the themes of life and death, but also introduces the symbolic motif of reflections. Here reflections symbolise the supernatural, and also the duality of life and death, the potential paths of life left untravelled, and other deeply philosophical aspects 



he mid shot of Camille clumsily climbing over a barrier situates her in an unexpected and highly liminal setting. Far from a stereotypical location we would expect to find the teenage girl ex. school her isolation constructs a hyppereal representation of a motorway at night which positions the audience in a deeply confusing and interrogative mode of dress. Camille is positioned as and with the audience, she is. confused and has no knowledge of the narrative. Arguably, Camille’s resurrection is a highly postmodern narrative occurrence, as it draws attention to the fact that nothing is real and nothing matters, Instead we are left to be confused and to just go along with the narratve.


through the complex and contardictioryb series of images in the opening sequence, the audience are left to make sense of what is real and what is not real. instead, a highly fractured confusing and postmodern narrative is presented where audiences must instead make their own conclusion


additionally, themes of madness, psychosis are presented through a series of confusing and postmodern images, the fantastical shot of a delicate and dead butterfly bursting forth from behind the hard glass constructs a contradictory ad infuriating visual motif. with symbolic themes of madness, control, destiny and lack of free will. Additionally, the physical impossibility of a butterfly breaking glass with it’s soft wings symbolically and prairetically reinforces the various impossible themes that manifest itsaelf in this show. 




what makes les revenants stereotypically French: 

the atmosphere and the visuals are quiet, muted colour scheme

abstract themes based around symbolism and semiotics

there's a lot of smoking 

its dark depressing and moody 







key scene: Camille comes home:



1. French theory




2. genre




3. represenation of teenage girl







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