The Woman In Black was produced in 2012 in Essex, England. This British location makes the film directly relatable to our own movie which we aim to be cultural and appeal to a direct British audience. However, although recently produced, the actual themes behind the movie are historical and old fashioned having focus within the Victorian era. Mise on scene is the largest representation of this, showing from the start with the china cups that insinuate the pre dated era of when hand painted pottery was still used. This creates a subverting contrast with our own movie which hopes to be more modern and relatable. The opening scene with the china tea party is also a clear symbolic representation that the film is based in England because this is a typical English trait.
The movies chilling childish opening scene commences with a close up of a tea pot which enters into the right side of the screen frame and is tilted up to pour some 'pretend' liquid, through this action so closely framed we can notice that the use of this image is particularly symbolic to show the role play of which the three girls and the childish, young and unreal themes within the movie. Tea is additionally a typical British connotative symbol. The tea party almost introduces that we are to meet a young group of girls because typically it is young girls who take part in these tea party activities. The young girls are playing with the pottery in a invigorating and dedicated way; this allows the audience to feel more involved in the film and drawn in with all their attention just as the young girls are...creating an automatic relation between character and viewer. The pace of the shots is slow, however there are many different varied shots that capture the action in the scene from variations of angles- showing the uneasiness in the scene and foreshadowing danger. the shots are synchronous with non-diegetic sound in the opening as they are almost delayed but still manage to fit in with the mysterious depiction and detailing in the close up shots of the dolls. The dolls in particular are a useful and prominent prop in the movie relating to mise en scene because china dolls are typical of horror movies with their chilling connotations of being delicate yet still dangerous. examples of this convention is the flaunting of these types of dolls in the horrors 'Annabelle' 'Dead silence' and 'The boy'. The dolls have creepy, blank expressions, representing the old era of toys. Their dark penetrating eyes are chilling for the audience, especially when framed tightly with the camera shot. For our movie idea this link is particularly relevant because the dolls are also representative of youth which is a key theme of our child based horror. Also, the makeup and effects we plan to use for our young girl in the movie aim to make her appeal doll-like and not quite real.
The diegetic sounds played over the top of the slow paced soundtrack rendition are of the clinking of the china-ware, which is generally a very quiet delicate sound- which is possibly produced by a Foley process to make the sound more defined and individual. The clinking sounds echo, creating tension in the film, and are unusually loud for a sound of that sort, creating a edge-of-the-seat feel for the audience and even making the audience 'jump'. The non-diegetic music is played throughout quietly in the background which also fits in with the era the film is portraying, as the sound is almost lost in the background just like history is lost over the time. it is synchronous with the little girl’s actions, creating relations and realism with the sound and action that takes place.the low volume of the music also fits in with the innocent low and young representation of the girls, and even the supposed irrelevance of little girls in society- because they do not actually have much of a living impact on the films plot- until they are dead.
The conventions of a horror film generally revolve around creepy young children, and if not this- are permeated by a childish warped soundtrack such as a child's mobile- a frequently used soundtrack basis for films like insidious- and this is exactly what The Woman In Black conforms too, having the girls wear old-fashioned clothing with long hair combed perfectly, suggests virtuousness and ideas of conforming into society and ideologies around perfection. Although there is no dialogue in the movie opening much like our own movie, expressionism and body language is effectively used with the overly happy expressions on the faces of the girls which fit in with the pretense of their actions...however their actions are almost delayed, glitchy and robot like- dehumanizing them and adding to the unnatural themes of horror in the film. Their body language contrasts with the dolls they are sharing a tea party with- which have no body language and are inanimate (which the girls are soon to be when they are dead; creating a foreshadowing link)
as the music progresses it gets softer and more mystical suggesting enduring fantasy and magic, this subverts to the horror 'codes' and conventions because it is slow paced music, not building tension and it dosent have chilling low drones or dark ambient sound played coinciding with it to make the music more horror based. this music however can insinuate/foreshadow that a more scaring progression of events is to take place because there is almost an enigma to the film because the audience are to expect a change in the story's progress because of its horror genre- however it is not evident when this will happen.
the girls actions begin to change when the bells of a church start ringing, a diegetic and very prominent sound, and they slowly turn their heads to look down the lens of the camera. There is juxtaposition of the church bell chimes as typically they suggest marriage, or a valued hour of the day passing- not a trigger for suicide. This direct address to the camera makes it more personal and directive for the audience. a mid-shot is used to additionally enable the audience to observe the surroundings and possible dangers in the surroundings. Long shots start to develop..which adds to the development of the opening to the film because as well as the plot developing so is the audiences insight into the movie. The synchronous sound that plays alongside the opening is especially parallel with the synchronous movements of the girls turning their heads.
One of the most effective shot types used towards the end of the opening scene is the eye line match where eye line match editing is used when the girls finally look over to the window. Typically a window suggests an insight, a revelation and clarity. The view outside is pure and suggests links to nature and purity however there is prominent juxtaposition with these connotations when the girls jump out of the window in sync. The natural lighting in the scene infact originates from this window. The natural lighting is very effective in this respect because it links to the children actually possibly going 'into the light' which has biblical and more positive connotations, juxtaposing with the chilling theme of death and negativity in this theme. The light is almost the pure and raw technical element that lights the scene and appears warm in their home and natural however it also links to the girls deaths. in the respect of our own movie, the way natural light has still been used in a horror like this helped to make our own film seem more realistic in light conditions rather than the typical conventional dark derelict areas. There is definite prevalence to the three girls as they are the last to be seen as they exit the window.
No comments:
Post a Comment