Main Street

The next scene begins with an exterior shot of an empty street. White picket fencing marks the boundaries of properties on both sides of the road, and the houses that can be seen behind leafy trees are of white clapboard. A branch of pink blossom hangs over the upper left portion of the frame. Brody emerges from a building on the far side of the street, delivering a line of continuity dialogue as he opens the gate. As he begins to march purposefully down the street a cyclist in a blue shirt passes him in the opposite direction. The long shadow he casts in front of him is a reminder that it's still early morning. The camera executes a reverse track to the corner of the street and swivels to follow Brody as he passes a green fire hydrant. Just before the cut to a different angle, Brody breaks his stride with a little skip. As he walks, a sequence of sound effects (a dog barking, birds singing, and the distant sound of a high school band) help to suggest the idyllic nature of the community. The geometric precision of the white fencing and the gleaming white facades are in stark contrast to the twisted broken fencing on the beach. Here at least there is an appearance of harmony and orderliness - even the fire hydrant has been painted in the same colours as the shutters of the houses that line the street.

As Brody passes one of these houses a man in a charcoal suit emerges. Although we do not yet know that this is the medical examiner with whom Brody has just spoken, his sombre clothing - more in keeping with an undertaker than anything - sets him apart from the bright summer imagery that infuses the scene. In contrast, the next character to step out onto the street in Brody's wake is Harry Meadows, the editor of Amity's local newspaper. His powder blue linen suit is at least more in keeping with the season. Intent on his purpose, Brody notices neither of the two men, but their convenient appearance just as he walks by suggests the way in which the Amity grapevine works. As he marches down the slope towards the town's main intersection, Brody is accosted by another elderly resident, one of several seemingly interchangeable old codgers who harry the chief at different moments in the film. On this occasion the complaint is about the karate school kids, but Brody deflects it once again.

In contrast to the almost deserted streets through which Brody has just walked, the town centre is bustling with activity. Cyclists and pedestrians (including a woman in a yellow trouser suit) mill about under a large banner proclaiming the forthcoming Fourth of July celebrations. The sound of a whistle accompanies Brody as he crosses the street, like an echo of the one that summoned him to the grisly discovery on the beach.