The Representation of Fear and Horror - Coursework Example

The Representation of Fear and Horror Introduction The following essay looks the representation of fear and horror in a set offilms. The representation of fear and horror in these films have common similarities. It Looks at the Shining Film and compares the representation of the fear and horror in other films that are directed or produced by Val Lewton. The essay analyzes the films with a view to investigating the aspect of illogical terror, fear, and the horror that is present and how they are brought out. It aims at looking at the uncanny and the strange force, the illusion, and the illogical terror present. It also looks at the many facets and aspects of the film that are lacking in sense or lack clarity in sound reasoning. Such illogical elements are in the way the buildings are designed, the stillness and the absence that facilitates the psychological manipulation of fear and, the manipulation of spaces. Furthermore, the aspect of illogical terror and horror is highlighted by the child characters as the essay duly highlights. The illogical representation of horror and terror in the films The films have an element of horror and fear that is prevalent in them. The fear and horror are meant to elicit a negative emotional reaction from the audience by playing on the audience’s primal fears and horror. The films feature scenes meant to startle the audience. It has a supernatural as its theme because it involves devil worshippers and an underground cult. It deals with the audiences nightmares, hidden fears and fear or terror of the unknown. For example, the Seventh Victim has an intrusion of an evil force into everyday lives. The element of the film includes the elements of devil worshipping and other aspects that are not normal to everyday lives. Thus, they overlap with the natural world order. They are various illogical elements that are prevalent in the film. These elements include the following: Firstly, there is an uncanny and unordinary way through which the disappearance of characters raises fear and is in an unnatural manner. This is particularly evident in The Shining. For example, On the November 29th, Danny decides to go play in the snowy playground. This turns out to be a very bad idea because he encounters some ghost (The Shining movie). He encounters the ghosts while playing in the concrete ring. The hedge animals also come to life and chase him. It highlights the appearance and the disappearance of characters in the film. These characters are meant to elicit fear and terror to the other characters and the audience. The imagination by Danny about his father going to room 237 where he meets the mysterious woman is also strange and meant to instigate fear (The shining movie). These aspects are also evident in movies by Val Lewton. In the Seventh Victim film, there is an unexplainable manner through which characters disappear and vanish due to an induced state of fear. These disappearances are rife with a dark and morbid fear that engulf the victims to a point they exit the scene without an explanation or any prior reason (the seventh victim movie). Their reasons are not clear to see. For example, the uncanny manner through which the two gentlemen in the train vanish without any particular logical explanation. The two gentlemen, together holding an already dead character vanish in the train without any logical or explainable manner. The already dead person was Mr. August, a private detective helping Mary in her pursuit of the disappearance case. Later on, Mrs. Ready tells Mary that it was Jacqueline that stabbed Mr. August after she was in her room without any invite. Mr. August came out of the room in a state of unexplainable horror and terror. He was walking as if he had been put in a state of trance. The officer manning the train coaches treats this as just a figment of Mary’s imagination. Another example of an illogical and sudden disappearance of character occurs when Mary and the gentleman accompanying her to the room where Mary’s sister was rumored to be. The person, Dr. Judd quickly leaves the house in fear and with no explanation. Dr. Jud tells Mary that Jacqueline has left him to meet them alone and leaves quickly without any explanation. Jacqueline also shows up in the house but disappears quickly in a manner that cannot be logically explained. These disappearances also mark an uncanny way through the characters express and indicate terror. It is an illogical manner through which the element of fear is highlighted. These disappearances are showcased with uncanny music that portray a fearful nature. Perhaps a warning to the audience and other viewers. The movie producer has incorporated the element of noir into the production of this film. In the Leopard Man, the loss and the disappearance of the leopard act as way that places fear in the residence of the town. The Leopard was under the temporary care of Mr. Manning, and it was used for the purpose of entertainment. The leopard eventually led to the death of one person (the leopard man). Secondly, the use of characters that raise and highlight the fear that is prevalent in other people and characters. This is highly prevalent especially in the shining movie. The film uses the twin girls to signify a horrific and terrifying occurrence. These two girls mostly appear to Danny, the little boy (The shining movie). They also appear in situations that are indicative of horror and terror. They appeared earlier in the film to show the overflow hallway with blood and also the graphic image of Danny’s parent having been grisly killed. Such characters are also highlighted because they bring a sudden sadness and unhappiness to the film. The film is also rife with other ghostly characters that influence the plot of the film. These characters lead to the creation of terror that produces illogical reactions. The use of the ghosts is meant to create such reactions. The use of these characters is also evident in the Seventh Victim. For example, the teacher who advises Mary not to come back to school, but to find the courage to live life is surrounded by the impression of fear, horror, tragedy and despair. She is dominated by her oppressive and a rather abrasive employer, Miss Lowood. Irving August, also another minor character that exhibits the signs of an illogical and irrational fear towards what he encounters during the course of his investigation (The Seventh victim movie). August, a nervy little detective decides to help Mary ends up letting her into making a decision that turns to be fatal. In response after being stabbed, he walks from the room in a state that is illogical and unexplainable for a person who is stabbed. He walks from the room in a state that can only be considered as being in a trance and out of the ordinary. A person that is fatally stabbed falls to the ground as opposed to having a robotic like walk. Dr. Judd is a manipulative person, and he also seems to hurt people in small and petty ways. Mary was offended in the way that he tended to control what she should do and how it should be done. According to the movie, there is a strong projection of unhappiness. All the characters in the film form a composite picture of unhappiness. The oppressive employer that tells Mary never to come back but to make something of her life is an example. A second example occurs when Frances Fallon does Mary’s hair. She sighs saying that she guesses that most people are unhappy. Thirdly the use of sounds to invoke a psychological fear and manipulate the audience into a state of panic. There is a rather particular manner that frightful and terrifying circumstances are brought out in the film. In the Shining (1980), there is the use of music to highlight his abilities. The music is also used simultaneously with the stillness of the character. For example, while the young Danny and his mother were being taken to the hotel by Dick, the head chef. Danny is standing still during the high-pitched sound plays. This is indicative of him using his psychic abilities in implanting the idea of ice cream in Dick’s mind. The use of music and sound is highly prevalent in the film as an indication of an impending danger or Danny use of his psychic abilities. The appearances of the twin girls are also precipitated with music. Even in the first scene where the corridor is overflown with blood. The use of music and various sounds is also available in other films by Val Lewton. Such particular manners and scenarios are evident in some of his films. Val Lewton manipulates sound in order to create a situation of psychological fear both to the on-screen characters and the audience. For example, in the seventh victim, there is a particular way of projecting frightful or fearful situations. These situations are complemented through the use of music. In such situations, the music increases in tempo while the camera focuses on the particular character in question. This is evident when Jacqueline explains her predicament to her sister, Dr. Judd and the other character. There is a stillness to the character as she explains how she was terrified with the little voices. The stillness and motionless continuous as she continuous explaining how she killed the private detective. The music also plays as Jacqueline was being told her fate by the Palladists. The group was convincing her to end her life because she had betrayed the trust of the group. It is an illogical and unfounded manner through which to show terror and fear. Thirdly, another woman starts playing the piano as the members try to convince Jacqueline to commit suicide. The Palladists are a cult group that believes in Satan (the seventh victim movie). The group has a vow of secrecy, and anyone betraying the vow should commit suicide or die. Previously, the group has successfully managed to sentence six of its members to death. The seventh victim is supposed to be Jacqueline, and this is where the film gets its title. The music in the film is meant to elicit the psychological manipulation of the audience into the director’s intention of bringing out terror. In the same regard, we feel and empathize the terror that the character in the film is undergoing. According to the leopard man, there is also the use of sound to induce a frightening manner and experience. For example, there is a loud lightning and thunder as it appeared to the lady. The lady was highly frightened, and she ran some distance to get a place of safety (the leopard man movie). The director uses sound and music to bring an element of fright and highlight it. The clapping and the chirping of Clo-Clo are also another reason that frightened the Leopard loose. In the same film, terror is usually followed by the onset of a natural sound or sound of another kind. The second leopard attack was after there were multiple whistles. Those whistles were followed by high winds. The use of sound is an elaborate scheme by the Val Lewton to indicate the onset of or an imminent attack. Fourthly, the hallways in the Shining (1980) are designed in such a manner that evokes fear and terror in case of any horrific incident. The space is narrow and usually empty in the event of Danny’s imagination. Danny imagines two incidences that involve the overflowing of blood and the grisly killings of his parents. The use of such narrow hallways and corridors is meant to psychological manipulate the audience mind into fear or horror (The shining movie). The use of narrow hallways and or streets has also been used in the films by Val Lewton. They are shown in a certain manner that signifies impending danger. There are significant because they give the background for the impending gloom. For example, in The Leopard Man (1943), the streets are usually empty, and they are covered with darkness. The only aspects of light that permeates are only the parts where the character is walking. The characters soon meet their untimely death, or unfortunate incident are usually filmed walking through such streets. Clo-Clo, the recent character that was killed in such a fashion. Such a theme is also prevalent in the Seventh Victim. In this film, the streets are usually empty, and there is a cloud of darkness. It projects despair and fear. The characters usually run away. For example, Mary was chased by an unknown person during the night, and she manages to hide. There are also incidences where Dr. Jud was trailed by Mr. Gregory leading to the point where he confronts him, and they talk (the seventh victim movie). The conversation ultimately leads to the uncovering of the location that Jacqueline was hiding. These examples highlight Lewton’s preference for the use of empty, dark streets to strike and project a fearful and frightful nature. Val Lewton has a particular liking for their use because they are present in the films analyzed in this paper. Conclusion Horror films aim at creating a discomfort in the audience through exposing a common or universal psychological and emotional vulnerabilities in terms of fears. They are meant to elicit feelings of fear and fear. The fear and horror are meant to elicit a negative emotional reaction from the audience by playing on the audience’s primal fears and horror. The purpose of the above essay has been to look at the element of fear and horror that are brought out in the Shining Film of 1980. The film explores the experiences of a family who lives in a hotel alone during a snowy season. The encounter various ghostly characters. The essay has brought out how the producer of the film has shown the elements of fear and terror. These elements also have interphase two films that are directed by Val Lewton. These films are The Leopard Man and The Seventh Victim. Both movies are from 1943. The essay has looked at how the directors have brought out certain elements and aspects that depict a horror and fearful scenario. There are distinctive features employed by both the directors of the film in highlighting the terrifying characters. These elements have duly been discussed in the essay. Works Cited The Leopard Man. Dir. Val Lewton. Perf. Dennis OKeefe and Jean Brooks. 1943. DVD. The Seventh Victim. Dir. Val Lewton. Perf. Tom Conway, et al. 1943. DVD. The shining. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Perf. Jack Nicholson, et al. 1980. DVD. Read More