JR 6245:Film Opening Analysis 2

Friday 13th (Nispel, 2009)

Narrative:

• The generic conventions of the film are shown in the opening clip by the use of darkness, night time. And also the classic Horror film effect of using bad weather, heavy rain with thunder and lightening to create tension and to scare the audience.
• The introduction of the first character shows the audience streight away that there is something wrong, for starters the question looms: Why is there a half naked girl scrammbling around in the woods at this time and in this weather? And the panic in her half screaming voice reinforces the sense of tension to the audience.

Representation and Ideology:

• As the camera goes through the archway slowly, the camera tilts upwards from a worms eye view to show the sign above the arch.
• The introduction of a second character creates a small binary oposition as the two converse, one is a panicy young girl who appears traumatised whereas the other is an old lady who looks fairly odd, a stereotypical 'crazy murderer' in a Horror film.
• The fact that the girl is positioned in front of a what appears to be a lake, or some kind of fresh water source, complimented by the dialogue of the old woman "You let him drown" can create unease in the audience as they can interperet the water as being dangerous.
• The camera is positioned very low on the ground after the shot of the old woman being sliced across the neck area, and as the shot cuts to the low ground image it views her head hit and land in a puddle, this continuity editing.