Goodnight Mommy
'Goodnight Mommy' is an Austrian horror film released in September of this year and has been awarded relatively good reviews for a horror film, with critics claiming it is one of 2015's 'creepiest horrors'.
In the trailer, we see many conventions of typical horror films from the visual aspect with the use of masks, low key lighting, unnatural movements shown through the use of editing and the inclusion of stereotypically frightening insects such as cockroaches. On top of the visual signifiers, the use of audio is also important as it reaffirms to the audience that 'Goodnight Mommy' is a horror film through the symbolic horror music. This is portrayed by the use of music slowly building and increasing tension, loud, echoing booms and sharp, shrill shrieks.
Within these direct conventions of the horror genre through visual or audio signifiers, the functional approach to the typical horror film is used with the trailer touching upon themes of identity, the supernatural and danger in the everyday.
We, as an audience, know that these conventions are typical of a horror film as they sit with us in an uneasy way and cause suspense to build up from within. The fact that, after the surgery, the face of the children's mother is bandaged and hidden from sight makes the viewer distrustful of that character from the off. This use of mise-en-scene causes the audience to begin to suspect that there is something not right even before it is implied through the narrative. Also, by combining this with the inclusion that the mother cannot talk, the director has amplified the suspense surrounding her character and created such a barrier between her and the audience that whenever she is on screen or talked about, the viewer will feel a sense of fear and tension.
This convention links to themes of identity; often seen in films of the horror genre. Because we do not know who the mother is, we innately want to discover more about her by continuing to watch. Another way the film links to themes of identity is through the use of the extreme close up on the mothers eye, with the eye typically being seen as the window to the soul it is quite common for horror films to show images of the eye with characters who are somewhat unknown and offer a sense of We support the children's efforts to find out who she is because we can relate to them through their easily classified identities via the binary opposition of familiarity vs dissimilarity - the children being the familiarity by being normal, human children, and the mother being dissimilarity because of the viewer not knowing who (or what) she truly is. On top of this, by not giving the antagonist of the film a face, the director has made the mother a symbol, rather than a person, which magnifies the fear clouding her character and allows her to be moulded by the audience into what they fear the most which can give the film a personal touch and thus can resonate more with the audience.
Throughout the history of horror cinema, one of a directors biggest tools to create and instil fear into the audience has been audio. For example, the infamous John Williams score to the Spielberg hit Jaws, or the strings-led orchestral waltz in Rosemary's Baby which turns a simple lullaby into one of the eeriest pieces of music you will ever hear, often stick with the viewer after the film for much longer than any specific scene or visual feature. However, it is not just the soundtrack to a film which can create tension, the sound effects and foleys can be just as chilling when applied correctly. In this trailer, the scratchy sounds of the mother closing the blinds, the ominous creaking door sound and, of course, the sinister crunch of the cockroach all work together to create a plethora of realistic, diegetic sounds which create horror and tension within the audience.
Because the sounds are all practical, the viewer is transported into the scene and thus feels the fear and danger on a more personal level. This links to the theme of danger in the everyday which the film, as with many horror films, portrays to the audience. The everyday, compared to a distant, more sci-fi-esque setting, is relatable to the audience and because of this is able to generate a lot more fear within them. 'Goodnight Mommy' is set in a household environment with children and a parent, which almost everybody can relate to, combine this with the realistic sound effects of things you would hear around the house rather than a number of alien, otherworldly sound effects for example, and what you have is a very visceral fear of the familiar created in the audience.
Standardised horror characteristics such as low key lighting and creepy insects are used to good affect but what separates 'Goodnight Mommy' from a truly realistic, down to earth horror film is the elements of the supernatural that is included. For example, the editing used when the mother is in the forest and the image of the cockroaches pouring out of what appears to be the mothers stomach are not natural and affirm to the viewer that the mother is not an ordinary character, reaffirmed with the piercing shriek she gives off whilst her head is shaking frantically at a speed that is not achievable by humans. This is juxtaposed with the setting of the normal family household and works to further alienate the mother from the eye of the audience.
As well as this, the use of twins within the film also links to themes of the supernatural due to intertextual references to other films like The Shining. Although the twins are not the antagonists of the story, their sheer presence subconsciously warns the viewer that something supernatural or altogether unnatural may happen.
To conclude, 'Goodnight Mommy' is a horror film which sticks true to its predecessors by containing many of the typical conventions that horror films contain, whether it be shot type, mise-en-scene, visual or audio signifiers and at the same touches upon the stereotypical themes that are discussed in horror films.
In the trailer, we see many conventions of typical horror films from the visual aspect with the use of masks, low key lighting, unnatural movements shown through the use of editing and the inclusion of stereotypically frightening insects such as cockroaches. On top of the visual signifiers, the use of audio is also important as it reaffirms to the audience that 'Goodnight Mommy' is a horror film through the symbolic horror music. This is portrayed by the use of music slowly building and increasing tension, loud, echoing booms and sharp, shrill shrieks.
Within these direct conventions of the horror genre through visual or audio signifiers, the functional approach to the typical horror film is used with the trailer touching upon themes of identity, the supernatural and danger in the everyday.
We, as an audience, know that these conventions are typical of a horror film as they sit with us in an uneasy way and cause suspense to build up from within. The fact that, after the surgery, the face of the children's mother is bandaged and hidden from sight makes the viewer distrustful of that character from the off. This use of mise-en-scene causes the audience to begin to suspect that there is something not right even before it is implied through the narrative. Also, by combining this with the inclusion that the mother cannot talk, the director has amplified the suspense surrounding her character and created such a barrier between her and the audience that whenever she is on screen or talked about, the viewer will feel a sense of fear and tension.
This convention links to themes of identity; often seen in films of the horror genre. Because we do not know who the mother is, we innately want to discover more about her by continuing to watch. Another way the film links to themes of identity is through the use of the extreme close up on the mothers eye, with the eye typically being seen as the window to the soul it is quite common for horror films to show images of the eye with characters who are somewhat unknown and offer a sense of We support the children's efforts to find out who she is because we can relate to them through their easily classified identities via the binary opposition of familiarity vs dissimilarity - the children being the familiarity by being normal, human children, and the mother being dissimilarity because of the viewer not knowing who (or what) she truly is. On top of this, by not giving the antagonist of the film a face, the director has made the mother a symbol, rather than a person, which magnifies the fear clouding her character and allows her to be moulded by the audience into what they fear the most which can give the film a personal touch and thus can resonate more with the audience.
Throughout the history of horror cinema, one of a directors biggest tools to create and instil fear into the audience has been audio. For example, the infamous John Williams score to the Spielberg hit Jaws, or the strings-led orchestral waltz in Rosemary's Baby which turns a simple lullaby into one of the eeriest pieces of music you will ever hear, often stick with the viewer after the film for much longer than any specific scene or visual feature. However, it is not just the soundtrack to a film which can create tension, the sound effects and foleys can be just as chilling when applied correctly. In this trailer, the scratchy sounds of the mother closing the blinds, the ominous creaking door sound and, of course, the sinister crunch of the cockroach all work together to create a plethora of realistic, diegetic sounds which create horror and tension within the audience.
Because the sounds are all practical, the viewer is transported into the scene and thus feels the fear and danger on a more personal level. This links to the theme of danger in the everyday which the film, as with many horror films, portrays to the audience. The everyday, compared to a distant, more sci-fi-esque setting, is relatable to the audience and because of this is able to generate a lot more fear within them. 'Goodnight Mommy' is set in a household environment with children and a parent, which almost everybody can relate to, combine this with the realistic sound effects of things you would hear around the house rather than a number of alien, otherworldly sound effects for example, and what you have is a very visceral fear of the familiar created in the audience.
Standardised horror characteristics such as low key lighting and creepy insects are used to good affect but what separates 'Goodnight Mommy' from a truly realistic, down to earth horror film is the elements of the supernatural that is included. For example, the editing used when the mother is in the forest and the image of the cockroaches pouring out of what appears to be the mothers stomach are not natural and affirm to the viewer that the mother is not an ordinary character, reaffirmed with the piercing shriek she gives off whilst her head is shaking frantically at a speed that is not achievable by humans. This is juxtaposed with the setting of the normal family household and works to further alienate the mother from the eye of the audience.
As well as this, the use of twins within the film also links to themes of the supernatural due to intertextual references to other films like The Shining. Although the twins are not the antagonists of the story, their sheer presence subconsciously warns the viewer that something supernatural or altogether unnatural may happen.
To conclude, 'Goodnight Mommy' is a horror film which sticks true to its predecessors by containing many of the typical conventions that horror films contain, whether it be shot type, mise-en-scene, visual or audio signifiers and at the same touches upon the stereotypical themes that are discussed in horror films.
No comments:
Post a Comment
What do you think?
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.