HALLOWEEN FILM CASE STUDY

Technical aspects

SoundRight through the duration of the film, a particular rhythmic sequence of a piano and violin played off key is utilised to familiarise the audience of the stalkers presence. This creates suspense and tension within the audience as they are continuously guessing where the stalker is and what his actions will be. This effect is highly useful within this genre as it makes the audience feel like they are a part of the film as they feel the same as the victims as they too are unaware of what will happen next. The use of a piano being played off key is one of the main conventions of this genre as it builds suspense within the film and is uneasy on the ears.

The use of no sound i.e. silence is also used in many of the scenes in the film especially when the victim is alone and non diagetic sounds such as creaking floor boards then utter silence also creates apprehension as they don’t know where the antagonist is going to come from. This creates fear too as when he does enter the scene, the audience are frightened due to the build up of tension through the silence.

A build up of crescendo is also present within the film every time that the Slasher has yet another victim and is in the process of capturing and killing them. As the sound oscillates, the audience get more frightened through the fast pace of the sound and filming.

Mise en scene - conventionsCharacterisationThe killer; Michael Myer wears a mask to mask his identity but the reason behind that has not been stated. Often, in slasher movies, the antagonist wears a mask due to having a disfigured face that may be scarred or to hide their identity. These masks are usually scary to look at as they are the main thing which the audience associate the killer to. His body language appears to be very rigid as he walks in slow motion and does everything in a slow pace which shows that he always has more control over his victim even if they are trying their best to run away from him.Myer also carries a knife which conforms to the conventions of a Slasher movie however he only uses it once to kill the final girl. However on other occasions he uses whatever is present around him or he suffocates the victims and strangles them to show his power.

Final girl and conventionsThe final girl conforms to the conventions given to all final girls in a slasher movie. She is the only female out of all of the victims (her friends/neighbours) that dresses appropriately and is the virgin amongst the group who is easily mislead and encouraged by the victims to go on a date with a man. She wears beige cardigans that convey her she is older than she really is through the way she dresses. Her boring older looking attire also suggests the level of her maturity than the other females in the film that dress inappropriately and wear revealing clothes. She too has blonde hair which conforms to the stereotypes of blondes being the less intelligent girls who are immature and will make stupid decisions when Myer is present.

Setting

The film begins with an establishing shot of the house that Myer begins his journey of becoming a psychopath. The house is a semi detached house in a small town which has a large front yard with gates. The house has lights outside on the porch however the indoor lights are not on which also seems to be the case in many slasher films.

Most of the action occurs in an interior setting mainly within the house. This is because Myer captures the victims when they are home alone and no one else is present to cause awareness of his actions with very little lighting involved. Shadows are also used which creates fear as the audience can see little of Myers movements and see him approaching behind the victims .

This is also effective as most action happens in the evening (Halloween night) therefore everything happens relatively in darkness. This not only creates suspense, but makes the film appear to be more realistic as the film is watched by the audience in the evening or in darkness if they are watching it at the cinema.

Narrative

The film continues in a linear narrative sequence where all the action occurs chronologically therefore the audience get a sense of understanding as to why Myer is the way he is thus they get to identify with the characters as the story goes on.

A flash back is used at the start of the film that tells a story of Myer and his childhood which foreshadows how his childhood will affect the rest of his life. It flashes back to 20 years ago then goes back to 20 years later. This shift of time suggests how this is a story of Myer and his disruptive life that continues 20 years later.

Myer 20 years ago Myer 20 years afterWe see him stabbing his sister at a young age then escaping from a

mental home going on to killing many more innocent people.The film then ends with a climax/ cliff hanger as Myer escapes yet again which leaves the audience in suspense. This allows space for another sequence of the film to continue.