Heavenly Creatures - 1994, Directed By Peter Jackson
Staring Melanine Lynskey, Kate Winslet and Sarah Peris
In this scene there is a focus on the clocks, used mostly to show the thriller convention of time, but also possibly to help the audience create a timeframe in the scene as the narrative of this film is non-linear. It can also suggest a countdown to some kind of act within the plot that could act as a climax. There is also a focus on the bag being carried by one of the girls which we saw earlier in the scene, where a brick was being put inside some tights and placed in the bag, to create tension in the scene to add to the feeling that something is about to happen. Another thing that the camera is focusing on is the feet of the three female characters struggling to walking along a muddy path, possibly to signify that they are in unfamiliar territory or situation.
The majority of this scene is filmed on a very sunny day in a location that is very welcoming, and this goes against one of the main thriller conventions of being mostly filmed in very gloomy and desolate landscapes, although at the same time this gives the location a very eerie feeling about it, as if it was too perfect, to make it seem like a heavenly place. However, a feeling of isolation is also brought across. One way it is brought across is that when they are on the bus they are sitting right at the back when everybody else is sitting towards the front.
The song that starts playing when they are in the cafe also adds a very unearthly feeling to the scene. This, coupled with the two girls acting nervously, the close ups of the girls feet and the way that the scene is slightly slow motion gives the same feel as in other films where an important character gets killed in a kind of noble way that is not typical of a thriller film (e.g. The Lord Of The Rings), and not like it happens in this scene where the mother gets murdered by her daughter and her friend which is more like a thriller convention.
Towards the end of the clip when the two girls are killing the mother there are cut scenes where we see one of the girls on a ship crying and screaming to the other girl who is struggling to push her way though the crowds who are all joyful with streamers and confetti flying though the air - to act as an opposite to the two girls emotions at the time. The cut scenes are also filled in a way that gives it a really unearthly feel as if it was a dream.
You need to be very careful when taking notes in class. In the clip from Heavenly Creatures which you have posted onto your blog you would be best to concentrate on the sequence just before the murder, specifically the purpose of camera angles and movement. You have identified the use of slow motion but not explained why Jackson used this effect during post production.
ReplyDeleteYou could also add another post explaining why Jackson's focus is on image and soundtrack and why he hasn't used dialogue in this sequence when the two girls and the mother are on the narrow path.
The fact the sequence is filmed in bright light adds to the sense of realism, because the film is based on a true story.
Reflecting basic understanding of some elements of mise-en-scene.