Genre Assessment: Horror Film

Horror films seek to elicit fright, dread and alarm from viewers. This is achieved through various techniques such as fast, startling cuts and sounds, shadows and darkness, frequent controversial violence and gore, and alternating shock and suspense. Frequent subject matter include the macabre, the supernatural/occult, nightmares, fear of the unknown, and the darkness at the heart of man.

Horror films go back almost as far as film itself but the roots of horror began in folk tales, ghost stories, and the writings of Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker and Edgar Allan Poe. In a similar fashion to fairy tales, horror themes are often representative of deeper cultural/social/political fears and tend to intrinsically push a conservative sense of morality. Characters who partake in drink, drugs, sex or even display antisocial tendencies rarely survive the outcome of the film. This morality is in stark contrast to the violent and amoral content of the films. A happy ending is nigh on impossible with even the most satisfying resolution usually followed by the villains return (which immortalises the dread and encourages a sequel).

Visual iconography is a large part of horrors style, especially with regard to the films villainous entity. The mask, weapon, and/or costuming choice for this character frequently becomes the identifying visual symbol for the film or film series (more so than any victims of their wrath who are interchangeable at best or disposable at worst). Indeed many horror villains are instantly recognisable even by those who have never seen the source material.

Beginning with Scream (1996) many horror films now exist in a post-horror world. Characters now behave as though they are familiar with the tropes and clichés of horror films. This can bring realism, or by contrast a self-awareness that borders on the painful or comic to films.

 

Bibliography:

FilmmakerIQ.com, “A Brief History of Horror” – http://filmmakeriq.com/lessons/a-brief-history-of-horror/

Dirks, Tim, “Horror Films” – http://www.filmsite.org/horrorfilms.html

The Script Lab, “Horror” – http://thescriptlab.com/screenplay/genre/horror

Wilson, Karina 2001-2013, “Horror Films: Why We Like to Watch” – http://www.horrorfilmhistory.com/

Dawson, M 2008-2009, “Analysis: Horror Movies as Modern Day Morality Tales” – http://www.leftfieldcinema.com/analysis-horror-movies-as-modern-day-morality-tales-%E2%80%93-introduction

Mise-en-Scene Assessment

Mise-en-Scene is framing, through directorial intent, the contents of a scene and staging it for the camera.

Though it can, and often is used to convey realism, Mise-en-Scene may also use exaggeration for comedic effect, or to emphasise terror, beauty, drama, etc.

Most decisions in Mise-en-Scene revolve around careful planning and control, but may also incorporate accidents and improvisation. Whilst these aspects may not have been intentional, the director’s decision to allow for and/or encourage these elements makes them a component of the Mise-en-Scene.

Setting may be encapsulated in a studio or on location. In conjunction with props, this is an essential component for visual storytelling. Depending on the needs of the story/scene/vision, a director may overwhelm a scene with background imagery or choose to use a sparse, minimalist approach. Coupled with lighting, this serves to illuminate action, build tension through shadows and claustrophobia and/or define characters and character relationships.

Though scripted dialog is not a part of Mise-en-Scene, the staging of the performance and an actors movements and choices are certainly under the director’s discretion. Character behaviour is easily the simplest and most effective way of conveying narrative. Costumes and makeup help to transform actors into their characters by providing a visual representation of personality. They can blend or clash with the background to help define the palette of a film, and significant costume items may even become compelling plot elements.

All Mise-en-Scenes factors are interactive, and can easily become jarring if not carefully managed. For example, it would seem odd for a character to have a messy apartment if they always looked very tidy, or vice versa (however if the film were a comedy this may be an intentional decision). You could almost say Mise-en-Scene is a form of visual continuity, maintaining a uniformity of style and direction.

 

Bibliography:

Bordwell, B & Thompson, K 2010, “Film Art, An Introduction” Chapter 4, The Shot: Mise-en-Scene

Dick, B 2005, “Anatomy of Film”, Pages 82-93, 323-324