How to create suspense

The scene that I choose to analyse is from the film "Shutter Island" starred by Leonardo Dicaprio. The scene is really successful to create suspense. As the plot has already been given to the audience the viewers know what the problem is and they expect to seeing the main character solving the problem very soon therefore all the attention is focus on his actions and the tension at that moment is on the top point. The technical elements in this scene are focus in to create a mysterious atmosphere to increase the tension. The scene starts in the minute 64 of the film and lasts about 4 minutes.

There were a storm in a mental hospital on a isolated island and the main character is going into the most dangerous pavilion of the hospital trying to get some answers where some of the patients have escaped.

The camera work is giving the Dicaprio's point of view giving to the audience the total knowledge of the place, as there is no background music the environmental music is giving all the sense of reality  and the low key lighting is developing the tension.

As the scene continues the camera cut from Dicaprio's point of view to a long shot. This shot shows how isolated the place is and there is the risk that the light goes off. The audience is waiting for something to happen, as they already know that the characters are looking for a patient the viewers are expecting for this patient to appear. The sound continue playing an important role as the enviromental music is the only sound that we can hear.

The lighting is playing with the audience going on and off increasing the suspense that the scene is developing to present the patient. Finally the patient appears with a fast movement that surprises the audience but as there is only environmental music his appearance is subtle.

The scene continues with Dicaprio trying to catch the patient to get some answers. The lighting now is stable its a low key lighting, the environmental music continues being the only sound we can hear and the camera switch between close ups to tracking and medium close up. The editing during the scene is continues with a slow pace until the chase sequence starts.

The elements that I believe converted this scene in a success to create suspense are the lighting and the sound. The lighting is taking the audience into the final moment playing with them increasing the tension and the environmental music gives that realistic atmosphere that the viewer needs to feel the moment.