Religion
religious themes are commonly explored in the horror genre through locations such as graveyards (commonly found in churchyards) in zombie films, humans playing god e.g. Frankenstein attempting to create artificial life, as well as the idea of sin : The 'impure' (those who have sex before marriage) are common recurring victim. Symbols such as the cross are often used as 'protection' against evil.
Death
in the horror genre, there is a thin line between life and death. the concept of the 'undead' is explored through monsters such as ghosts and zombies. (Monsters who were originally human, but take a different form after death.)
-Shaun of the dead (2004)
Lighting
Lighting is essential to the horror genre, as it is used to set the mood/atmosphere and shroud certain situations in mystery. props such as torches and candles are often the only source of light, and tend to go out, leaving the protagonist vulnerable, as they are left unaware of their surroundings. the contrast between light/dark symbolises the concept of good vs evil and the transition between danger and safety (light at the end of the tunnel)
-Lights out 2 (2018)
Colour
Horror movies use colours as a way of telling the audience if a character is good or bad. white is often linked to purity/innocence while colours such as black and red are linked to evil , death, blood etc.
-A Nightmare on elm street (2010)
Weapons
Antagonists in horror movies are often associated with a trademark weapon, which often connotes phallic symbolism, presenting these characters with masculine power, making the protagonist usually female, appear weak and inferior in contrast.
-Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Mirrors
Mirrors are used in the horror genre to connote vanity, sexual themes etc. as well as also being used to pickup details such as seeing the 'monster' in the mirror without him being present in the room to create fear and tension for the protagonist. shattered mirrors also represent a broken life/relationship which could link to the monster's tragic backstory.
-Mirror, Mirror (1990)
Masks
Masks
masks are frequently used as a prop by antagonists as a way of hiding their identity. they lack any form of facial movement, in an attempt to intimidate their victims.
-Friday 13th (1980)
Dolls
dolls are usually a child's toy, which presents the idea of childhood purity and innocence, They reflect the human figure with over-exaggerated features
giving them a somewhat unsettling appearance. similar to clowns, these traditionally innocent toys were a childhood fear for many, allowing the film
creators to mess with the consumer's fears.
Doors and Windows
In the horror genre, doors and windows are used as barriers against the monster(s) but often prove themselves to be ineffective. for example, In films such as night of the living dead, the zombies are capable of breaking through these 'barriers' in defiance of the efforts put in place to prevent this from happening. The image below from poltergeist (1982)
features a supernatural monster blocking entrance to a room by covering a door.
-Poltergeist (1982)
Keys and locks
Keys and locks are used to create a sense of secrecy/Mystery. They also present a sense of vulnerability, as locks can restrict access/escape from a
location, allowing the antagonist to corner the protagonist. Sometimes, the character can be locked to one spot, restricting their movement, as seen in the image of saw (2004) below.
-Saw (2004)
No comments:
Post a Comment