How the mood and tone is created in 'Deja Vu'

In the opening scene of 'Deja Vu', we witness happiness in the characters who are about to board their boat cruise. We see crew members run out of their buses in excitement, jumping and cheering. We see families anxious to get away from their daily lives and we see children animated and eager for what could be their first boat cruise. The tone is created by all these shots of people who are energised and ready to go out on their cruise. The mood however paints a different picture. Yes, as you watch this part of the film, you will see people who exude happiness, but the music in the background makes us feel some sort of suspense. The gloomy music does not fit in with the people's feelings. The viewers get the feeling that something tragic is about to happen.

Once everyone is aboard the boat, the tone remains the same. We witness crew members, families and children filled with joy. There is a band on the boat playing classical music setting a tone of excitement. The scene then cuts to a crew member guarding the cars on deck. Out of now where, one of the car's radio switches on. As this is rather suspicious, we feel a suspense build up. The suspense continues to build as we see a parallel action between those who are having a good time on the boat and the crew member examining the car. All is then revealed as the crew member looks to the back of the car and notices a bomb. Before he can do anything, the car along with the boat explodes sending everyone aboard in the air. We see various shots of the explosion mainly panning ending with a long shot.

The tone and mood have now dramatically changed as we move into the climax of the film. We have gone from happy and suspenseful to sympathetic. The emotional music makes us feel even more sympathy for those who are aboard the boat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsjR5FGNGiY