'Halloween' Micro Analysis

The movie 'Halloween' is first shown to the audience in a house in the middle of the forest (establishing shot-the first shot of a new scene, designed to show the audience where the action is taking place this can also help the audience engage with the type of atmosphere they’re expecting) in this case the audience already sense tragedy.

Both diegenetic and non-diegenetic Sound elements provide a key indicator to audience of the genre also help create information concerning the different setting, safe or not safe, modern-day or present-day etc.                                   

The movie is introduced with a pumpkin that was zooming in slowly as the clock ticking sound got faster which indicated that the film is getting more serious but then is fades away and the sound of children singing a nursery rhyme started this made the audience feel awkward because children singing is meant to create a happy atmosphere – this is known as contrapuntal sound where it doesn’t fit in with the visual. As the camera got closer to the house a sound of owls howling, once or twice to contributed to the horrific atmosphere.

When the point of view character noticed the lights go off upstairs from the window an ongoing high pitch melody played which was non-diegenetic. This symbolized the emotion of what the point of view character was feeling. Then when he finally got to the kitchen the tapping piano keyboard systematically played this showed the build up of the characters emotion and that something bad was going to happen. (Also non-diegenetic) But the sound following sounds were diegenetic; the talking of the girl and her boyfriend, the killer opening the draws to get the knife, the girl screaming and finally the mum and dad talking at the end of the scene.

The low key light was used all the way through the open scene, the moon light, for example it is one of the traditional horror elements that helped build the suspense.

The dark vague colours hide that clues of what was going to happen next. When the point of view character looks up in the window and the lights turn off it simulate that they are going to have sex and that’s when the terror starts, dragging in that traditional horror movie idea that sex equals death and that virginity saves you.

Director John Carpenter deliberately set the scene in the following places to tell the story better.

Outside the House:  by starting out sideshows a clear procedure of how the mysterious killer got inside the house, it built tension because the audience established that the point of view character has an objective.

Font & side porch: enhances the mystery of the killer stalking the two people inside the house.

Kitchen:  important setting because that is where the character picks up a tool to point out that his ready to hurt someone but the audience doesn’t know who.

Passage: shows the boyfriend getting out of the house leaving just the young girl and the killer in the house.

Bedroom: where all the action happens. Her little brother stabs her.

Little boy is dressed like a clown

The little boy’s sister is wear a vest and short skirt (easy access)

The young man is wearing jeans and top (when he was coming down the stairs his was putting his top on to emphasize that they just had sex)

Dad is wearing a suite and mum a long jacket (upper working class)

The main characters in this scene are the young girl, her boyfriend and the little boy (murderer) along with his parents. Each character has a clear symbolism.

The main props are the knife, mask and the hairbrush.

The knife was first seen in the kitchen being taken out by the character that the audience can see their point of view; the reason being was to tell the audience that someone was going to die. The mask was seen twice, the first time was with the girl’s boyfriend and the second time was when the killer saw it on the floor and put it on which made it clearer that it was a point of view shot. The hairbrush was also important because it represented her vanity. (Brushing her hair in the mirror naked)  

When the young man looked back towards the young girl with a smirk implying that his had a good time but he isn’t going to contact her again (message for girls to be careful who they trust). When the girl was brushing her hair she happy but then when she notices her little brother standing by the door she suddenly shock then starts screaming.

First cut was when the mask was put on, the viewer fully knows by then that they are seeing through the eyes of a killer. The killer looks at the knife as he is stabbing which represents his though process and that he is emotionally disconnected from his actions. This enables the audience to acknowledge what sort of character they are dealing with (no morals must be a child) then it ends with an extreme long shot of the child and parents outside the house.