JG: Conventions of a Film Opening - Amityville Horror

Amityville Horror is an American horror film produced in 2005 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Dimension Films and Platinum Dunes, it was directed by Andrew Douglas.
Opening sequence 00:00 - 02:30

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDoMgQxJMpI

Camera Techniques

• Extreme close-up at the start distorts the face and we can't see it in detail making it look mysterious and stand out, as this is an unusual technique and enables us to tell that something is wrong.
• The shot/reverse shot with his eyes and the TV show us what he is looking at and the cut to an extreme close-up of the TV shows us the strange markings, this adds to the tension and makes us curious as to why he is looking at this, this curiosity increases throughout the opening sequence as we wonder why he killed his family.
• The close-up of the book is a long take allowing the audience time to read the title "Evil is Proof of God" this title jumps out at us as the audience because it is intriguing and we then recognise that he is either very religious or almost possessed the TV could be used to suggest that he has been brainwashed into thinking killing his family is OK. However the pictures on the wall suggest he hasn't always been like this which reinforces the idea that he is possessed.

Not always mental.

• Low angle is used to show him walking up the stairs this might suggest that he is less of a person as he is evil and is positioned as the antagonist and also links to the idea that he is possessed meaning that he might not be 'himself'.

 

Extreme close-up of his eyes shows his fixation and mental problems.

 





Might know killing is wrong.


•  When he kills the little girl in the closet he is crying this suggests that he isn't mental and that he knows what he is about to do. The emotion is enhanced to make it more dramatic than it was already because we know that it is his family, but the last victim Jodie is a young and innocent girl holding a teddy bear for comfort while she cowers in the corner as she says "What's wrong, Ronnie?" He replies "I love you, Jodie."

Editing

• Montage editing and use of stills is conventional of horror as it can be used to increase suspense and montage editing allows for the action to happen quicker in a condensed fashion and the juxtaposition of shots allows for it to create new meaning that doesn't exist with the individual shots as it makes the brain form links due to its continuity.
• Long takes on Ronnie's face when he is crying allow for character exposition and we realise that he isn't that different to anyone else as he still shows emotions, but that something significant has happened in his life to make him this way.
• Pace of editing is very important in this sequence as it makes it jumpy which allows the audience to relate to Ronnie's possible mental problems more easily as we are just as paranoid by the tension created, for example 00:54 - 00:59.

• The blurring of Ronnie's face at the start makes it mysterious and straight away we recognise him as on drugs or possessed as he is jumpy and hearing things.

Sound

• Music and the lack of dialogue in this extract are crucial as they add to the tension making it scarier.
• The voice coming from nowhere saying "Kill them." is useful in our understanding of the text as it suggests that Ronnie is mental as he is hearing things.
• The mysteriousness and jumpiness of Ronnie is reflected in the music as it has a quick tempo and is unusual.

Mise-en-scène

• Lighting - dark, raining, flashes of lightning increasing the tension and making it jumpy, this is reinforced by a fast cutting rate.
• Location - house in the countryside, old looking this is shown by creaking floor boards, rural not many people around in the woods.
• Characters - Antagonist is Ronnie he is crazy this is shown by his eyes, long hair and beard. Family: innocent victims as they are asleep. Jodie: young girl we see this from her sweet young face, trust in her older brother, cowering in a closet, clutching teddy bear for comfort.

• TV - religion, flashing images, white noise and mysterious pictures adding tension as the audience thinks about their significance.
• Book - 'Evil is proof of God' suggestion of religion again might suggest the demon within.
• Gun - this is important as it is the murder weapon.