‘Crimson Peak’ (2015) Scene Analysis
‘Crimson Peak’ is a Fantasy/Mystery movie from the director Guillermo del Toro, famous for previous works such as ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’. Here I will analyse one key scene that takes part towards the start of the movie, looking at the technical and literal aspects.
The scene opens with the main character, a young woman Edith (Mia Wasikowska) walking down a dim-lit gothic corridor, this use of mise-en-scène suggests that the time period of the film is late 19th century or early 20th century, and the audience receives strong connotations of horror stereotypes, giving us the impression that something scary or unnatural is about to occur. This hyper sense of reality also complies to the norms of the directors style. Looking at the character of Edith, del Toro has chosen to present her with long golden-blonde hair. This demonstrates her femininity which can lead the audience to believe that she is perhaps fragile and delicate, meaning that we feel more concern for her and therefore pity when the creature emerges from the floor later on in the scene. Low key lighting is very prominent in this scene, noticeable by the shadows; darkness; and occasional patches of bright light. This choice of lighting is often associated again with the stereotypes of horror, and thus further setting the audiences up with a feeling of fear and uncertainty, this is amplified by the shadows as areas of the scene are in complete darkness meaning that neither the character or the audience knows what could be hiding there. A clever combination of props and lighting is the use of the candelabra that Edith is carrying which not only presents a sense of hope and warmth, but also radiates a red toned glow, contrasting with the cool tone of the setting of the scene, as well as relating to the word 'Crimson'. Knowing that the film features some elements of romance, is this what is suggested by the use of the word Crimson, or is it the element of danger, panic, or even perhaps blood?
A few moment later the action picks up when the ghostly character breaks through the floorboards and appears to start crawling towards Edith in a horrific way, this character is ghastly and covered in what appears to be a dark red, crimson, blood. Tension is also built through the use of diegetic sound for example in Edith's gasp, which is significant as there has been a lack of dialogue throughout the scene so far, and it shows her fear and shock - the volume of this sound has been amplified within editing in order for it to have the desired effect. A similar expanded of the use of diegetic sound is in the howl of the ghoul, this is used to create an extra layer of reality to his character which heightens the fear that we as an audience, and that character, feels. In editing, non-diegetic sound is added in the soundtrack, featuring classical music that not only suits the alleged time period but also increases the drama and pace of scene. When Edith is running from the creature the camera moved in a tracking movement to follow her actions as she flees, this allows the audience to trek involved in what's happening and become more invested in the characters emotions. As Edith enters the lift in an attempt to escape, so does her dog and there is a close up shot as she picks him up, this is an important part of her character development as it is an insight into her compassionate and kind-hearted personality, ensuring that we feel even more concern for her well-being. Finally as the lift defend we have a long shot as we watch it reach the basement, however the camera does not allow us to see what the basement actually looks like until Edith does, allowing us to feel more connected and involved in the story.
To conclude, this short scene of of Guillermo del Toro's 'Crimson Peak' uses a variety of techniques in order to showcase the character and setting of the film, and sets the pace and expectations for the rest of the movie. The director's style is very evident in this production as he utilises every aspect of mise-en-scène to reveal as much information to the audience as possible in this small timeframe.
‘Crimson Peak’ is a Fantasy/Mystery movie from the director Guillermo del Toro, famous for previous works such as ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’. Here I will analyse one key scene that takes part towards the start of the movie, looking at the technical and literal aspects.
The scene opens with the main character, a young woman Edith (Mia Wasikowska) walking down a dim-lit gothic corridor, this use of mise-en-scène suggests that the time period of the film is late 19th century or early 20th century, and the audience receives strong connotations of horror stereotypes, giving us the impression that something scary or unnatural is about to occur. This hyper sense of reality also complies to the norms of the directors style. Looking at the character of Edith, del Toro has chosen to present her with long golden-blonde hair. This demonstrates her femininity which can lead the audience to believe that she is perhaps fragile and delicate, meaning that we feel more concern for her and therefore pity when the creature emerges from the floor later on in the scene. Low key lighting is very prominent in this scene, noticeable by the shadows; darkness; and occasional patches of bright light. This choice of lighting is often associated again with the stereotypes of horror, and thus further setting the audiences up with a feeling of fear and uncertainty, this is amplified by the shadows as areas of the scene are in complete darkness meaning that neither the character or the audience knows what could be hiding there. A clever combination of props and lighting is the use of the candelabra that Edith is carrying which not only presents a sense of hope and warmth, but also radiates a red toned glow, contrasting with the cool tone of the setting of the scene, as well as relating to the word 'Crimson'. Knowing that the film features some elements of romance, is this what is suggested by the use of the word Crimson, or is it the element of danger, panic, or even perhaps blood?
A few moment later the action picks up when the ghostly character breaks through the floorboards and appears to start crawling towards Edith in a horrific way, this character is ghastly and covered in what appears to be a dark red, crimson, blood. Tension is also built through the use of diegetic sound for example in Edith's gasp, which is significant as there has been a lack of dialogue throughout the scene so far, and it shows her fear and shock - the volume of this sound has been amplified within editing in order for it to have the desired effect. A similar expanded of the use of diegetic sound is in the howl of the ghoul, this is used to create an extra layer of reality to his character which heightens the fear that we as an audience, and that character, feels. In editing, non-diegetic sound is added in the soundtrack, featuring classical music that not only suits the alleged time period but also increases the drama and pace of scene. When Edith is running from the creature the camera moved in a tracking movement to follow her actions as she flees, this allows the audience to trek involved in what's happening and become more invested in the characters emotions. As Edith enters the lift in an attempt to escape, so does her dog and there is a close up shot as she picks him up, this is an important part of her character development as it is an insight into her compassionate and kind-hearted personality, ensuring that we feel even more concern for her well-being. Finally as the lift defend we have a long shot as we watch it reach the basement, however the camera does not allow us to see what the basement actually looks like until Edith does, allowing us to feel more connected and involved in the story.
To conclude, this short scene of of Guillermo del Toro's 'Crimson Peak' uses a variety of techniques in order to showcase the character and setting of the film, and sets the pace and expectations for the rest of the movie. The director's style is very evident in this production as he utilises every aspect of mise-en-scène to reveal as much information to the audience as possible in this small timeframe.
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