I believe that our film fits into one of Metz's phases; Deconstruction. As well as the horror genre, i think that in parts of out film sequence, the thriller genre creeps up a bit. The scene which i think has a hint of thriller, is the scene shot in the basement. This is because the audience would be on the edge of their seat as the shots are very mysterious. The shots include fast shots and close ups of the actresses wounds. Thus creeping into the genre of Thriller.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Christian Metz modle of genre development
Christian Metz, in his book Language And Cinema (1974) explored the development of genre film and suggested that each genre passes through four phases of existence. The four phases being;
By experimental we mean the phase of early films which explored and experimented with horror themes in it's narratives.
Films such as: The Cabinet of Dr Caligari and Nosferatu fall into this title.
By classic we mean the phase of films which established the narrative conventions of the horror genre in it's most successful and defining period.
Films such as: Frankenstein and Dracula fall into this title.
By parody we mean films that have mimicked the horror genre in some comical way.
Films such as: Carry on screaming, Scary Movie and Abbot and Costello meet Frankenstein fall into this title.
By deconstruction we mean films which have taken the generic elements of the horror genre and amalgamated them into varying sub genres.
Films such as: The sixth sense, Scream and the Blair Witch Project.
The Horror Genre
This definition is taken from wikipedia:
Horror films are a movie genre seeking to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus they may overlap with the fantasy and supernatural genre. Horrors frequently overlap with the thriller genre.
Red Dragon
Red Dragon is a 2002 American Thriller film based on Thomas Harris' novel of the same name and featuring psychiatrist and serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lector. The film was directed by Brett Ratner and written for the screen by Ted Tally who also wrote the screenplay for the Oscar-winning The Silence of the Lambs.
The opening title credits were a red and white. The red being associated with blood and horror and the white being associated with good and purity, which can symbolise the good and the evil within the film. The fact that the red comes before the white could show that evil is more dominant that good. The theme tune is played by violins and a piano, which symbolises the class status which will be shown throughout the film.
The start of the scene is shown through an establishing shot, overlooking an Opera House. This also links in with the class status, as only those with a higher class would attend an Opera.
The shot is the cut to close up of members of the orchestra, showing the different types of instruments they are able to play. This again links in with the class system as it known that those who are a part of the orchestra must be upper class. Also, as the tempo and frequency vary, this may relate to later events in the film.
A long shot is then used to show the audience and then a tilt and zoom to show the juxtaposition between the protagonists to make him stand out from the crowd.
As the frequency is increased, Hannibal winks at the flute player as he makes a few wrong notes. He then tilts his head just as a lion would do to signal he has his eye on his pray.
The next scene is a long shot of Hannibal's house. The exterior is cover in white paint, which may show Hannibal's pure side, whereas the windows are blacked out which would mean he has evil hidden within him.
The shot is then cut to a panning of the dinner guests sat around the dining room table. The men are dresses in suits, and the women are dressed in gowns. This representing those in the upper class.
The dining room table is laid out with sets of litten candles, thus representing the formal atmosphere Hannibal's dining room holds. The guests plates are filled with food which could show he is fattening up his pray, ready to eat.
Hannibal circles the table shown through a low angle which symbolises the dominance he has over his pray. One of the guests say, 'Speaking for the rest of the heard', this could show that he may be aware of Hannibal's actions.
To complement the atmosphere in the dining room, Incidental music of a piano is being played which could show they all have class.
Via an over the shoulder shot, the audience are introduced to Inspector Graham. Both Hannibal and Inspector Graham are wearing white shirts which would symbolise the equalness between them.
Inspector Graham is lead into Hannibal's study, where he mentions that the murderer of the three victims took away their livers, tongue and kidney. Hannibal shows no expression on his face, as he is already aware of this.
As Hannibal leaves his study, he pats Inspector Graham on the shoulder. This may show that he trusts him and that they have a close relationship. This is shown through a medium shot.
Inspector Graham shows an interest of Hannibal's study as he takes a look through his bookcase. Horizontal tracking is used to show that he comes across a book called 'Larousse Gastronomique'. He opens the page which Hannibal had marked, to find the words 'sweetbread' written underneath the text. This is where it is shown how to eat things you would normally throw away, such as the human organs.
The frequency of the incidental music gets louder, creating tension, as a high angle shot shows Hannibal catching Inspector Graham in the act, and then stabbing him through in the stomach. The high angle shot shows the power Hannibal has over Inspector Graham. However, through a two shot, we see that they are both at equal heights, showing they both may be weak and powerless. This is proven as Inspector Graham fights back by stabbing Hannibal in the chest with three arrows. As Hannibal wants to keep is dominant status, he tries to fight back but Inspector Graham shoots him in the chest before he could make any more damage.
However, the scene is left with Hannibal falling on his death bed onto his desk. Thus showing the higher status he still holds, as Inspector is shown on the floor. Hannibal dies in vein!
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