The Orphanage Deconstruction
Deconstruction - The Orphanage (2007)
- This short sequence from the film "The
Orphanage" (Spanish) uses several techniques in order to convey the
conventions of a supernatural horror.
- One way in which it does this is through the use
of lighting. Here, the lighting is low key and this helps to create a
mysterious atmosphere as well as create the illusion of night time. This
is effective as in a supernatural horror, most things happen in the dark
and this is what will make the audience nervous. Furthermore, it casts
shadows over the furniture and faces which will therefore add to the creepiness
of the sequence, as the audience is unaware of how the children look.
- It also makes use of a panning shot several times
during this sequence. After the woman says “1, 2, 3 Knock on the wall”, it
always pans round to the space and then back. This camera movement helps
to build tension and fear within the audience as they do not know what to
expect each time the camera pans around. Furthermore, the first few times
nothing happens and so the audience is expecting something very dramatic
to happen which is heightened by the use of the slow pan.
- Non-diegetic sound is also used during this
sequence. After the first few times that she turns around, there is a
faint and low murmuring sound, which sounds a bit like an electronic bass
sound. This makes the audience feel anxious as it signals that something
is about to happen, which is effective for the genre. There is also use of
diegetic sound. For example, the knocking on the wall and doors creaking. The
off-screen diegetic noises help put fear into the audience as they are
unaware of what or who is making them, but the fact that they are diegetic
and really happening means that a ghost or demon is with the woman in the
room.
- The mise en scene of the scene is useful as well,
for example, the children are dressed all the same in what looks like an
old-fashioned uniform. This adds to the supernatural horror genre as they
appear to be ghosts and also relates back to the story line about it being
a haunted orphanage. The fact that they are all dressed the same might
also freak the audience out as they all look rather creepy and as if they are from the Victorian era.
- The final time the woman says “1, 2, 3 Knock on
the wall” the camera changes to a close up of the woman’s head and
shoulders and all of a sudden a hand touches her shoulder. At this moment
there is also a sudden loud non-diegetic sound which sounds orchestral but
deep. This is effective as the loud noise will make the audience jump and
also concludes the sequence.
- The editing in this sequence is not as important as the whole sequence appears to be in one long shot, as it pans back and forth between the children and the woman. This gives the sequence a realistic look, also the shakey-ness of the camera can be seen as adding a realistic twist to the sequence. For the audience, this will make them feel more scared as it seems like something that could really happen in real life.
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