Crimson Peak
The film begins with low-key lighting which is used to set a dark and uneasy atmosphere. This could be used to foreshadow something bad that is about to happen, and to create some tension which is a technique used to intensify the climax. Along with the low-key lighting, the scene begins with a close up of the actresses, which highlights her concerned face as she wakes up and gets out of bed. From this close up there is a zoom out which shows the viewers what the scene looks like, which is a dark room with drapes blocking the light from the room.the character picks up a candle which illuminates slightly, mainly highlighting her face so that her features are more pronounced. But this scene is still using low-key lighting and the candle is a part of mise en scene in horror films. The outfit that she is wearing is another form of mine en scene and shows us that the movie was set a while back, as are a lot of other horror films. there are digetic sounds used such as creaking of the floor boards as she walks and doors creaking which is initially what woke her up. all thought this scene, before the climax, we hear sounds of wind whistling through the windows and more creaks which are synonymous to the horror genre.
Throughout the scene, the camera tracks her from behind as if she is being followed which builds up the tension since she is unaware of this, this creates a sense of impending danger to come. As she is about to walk away, the camera pans down to the left where this figure appears out of the ground, which could have connotations to death, or something of the underworld as the piece of mine en scene is skeletal and bloodstained, and we are positioned as looking down at it due to the camera angle. the digetic sounds used as this 'monster', which is also a key feature in the horror genre, approaches which include the shrieks, the loud bangs on the floor board and others increase and seem to get even more intense as the tension rises. this is also where the non digetic sounds come into action. the sound track includes haunting music synonymous to horror, like shrieking violins, and wobbly synths which create an unnerving atmosphere as tension rises so the views begin to anticipate something bad is going to happen. That anticipation created in this scene by the sounds does tell you that something is going to happen, along with other digetic sounds and mise en scene, in this case the dog is used for both mise en scene and for the digetic purposes. We constantly hear the dog barking or running off which is also a common technique in the horror genre as animals are said to be able to sense a presence better than humans. So by using the dog, the director is foreshadowing what is going to happen which links back to all the other techniques used to create anticipation.
This scene does fit the usual conventions of a horror movie seeing as it already fits the usual horror structure, we start with her checking her surroundings, it builds up to the monster appearing, and ends with an anticlimactic scene. The film also has an element of fear which is what all horror movies essential need to captivate the viewers, since they want that thrill of being scared and shocked. From this scene, we can pick up on another element of vulnerability, seeing as it is just a teenage girl, in a big dark house with the mere protection of a small dog, just as frightened as she is. Due to this point, we can also comment on the lack of narrative which is because she is alone, but in relation to horror, which is a genre of extremes, there are either very loud movies, or very quiet movies. In this case, the quietness is used to their advantage as it accentuates the spooky atmosphere, the sounds we hear and the tension.
This film clip made me feel uneasy due to multiple reasons, the camera shots used like the tracking, the close up etc. all made the scene feel quite personal, as if you were walking through this big dark house with this girl and her dog. And the candle light prop, in combination with the close ups really defined her facial features and expressions which were always one of a concerned person, which transfers onto us as the views making us feel what she was feeling. Ultimately, this made the scene even more frightening.
Throughout the scene, the camera tracks her from behind as if she is being followed which builds up the tension since she is unaware of this, this creates a sense of impending danger to come. As she is about to walk away, the camera pans down to the left where this figure appears out of the ground, which could have connotations to death, or something of the underworld as the piece of mine en scene is skeletal and bloodstained, and we are positioned as looking down at it due to the camera angle. the digetic sounds used as this 'monster', which is also a key feature in the horror genre, approaches which include the shrieks, the loud bangs on the floor board and others increase and seem to get even more intense as the tension rises. this is also where the non digetic sounds come into action. the sound track includes haunting music synonymous to horror, like shrieking violins, and wobbly synths which create an unnerving atmosphere as tension rises so the views begin to anticipate something bad is going to happen. That anticipation created in this scene by the sounds does tell you that something is going to happen, along with other digetic sounds and mise en scene, in this case the dog is used for both mise en scene and for the digetic purposes. We constantly hear the dog barking or running off which is also a common technique in the horror genre as animals are said to be able to sense a presence better than humans. So by using the dog, the director is foreshadowing what is going to happen which links back to all the other techniques used to create anticipation.
This scene does fit the usual conventions of a horror movie seeing as it already fits the usual horror structure, we start with her checking her surroundings, it builds up to the monster appearing, and ends with an anticlimactic scene. The film also has an element of fear which is what all horror movies essential need to captivate the viewers, since they want that thrill of being scared and shocked. From this scene, we can pick up on another element of vulnerability, seeing as it is just a teenage girl, in a big dark house with the mere protection of a small dog, just as frightened as she is. Due to this point, we can also comment on the lack of narrative which is because she is alone, but in relation to horror, which is a genre of extremes, there are either very loud movies, or very quiet movies. In this case, the quietness is used to their advantage as it accentuates the spooky atmosphere, the sounds we hear and the tension.
This film clip made me feel uneasy due to multiple reasons, the camera shots used like the tracking, the close up etc. all made the scene feel quite personal, as if you were walking through this big dark house with this girl and her dog. And the candle light prop, in combination with the close ups really defined her facial features and expressions which were always one of a concerned person, which transfers onto us as the views making us feel what she was feeling. Ultimately, this made the scene even more frightening.
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