Monday 21 November 2011
How Does ‘Shaun of The Dead’ Subvert Structuralist Notions of Genre?
Shaun of the dead is classed within the genre of postmodernism; this is because it rejects the codes and conventions of a typical horror film and instead focuses on representing the modality of life by personalising the film with the audience. Shaun of the dead subverts structuralism by changing the distinctive horror paradigms into a more comical outlook.
Shaun of the dead is set in a suburbia location which is seen as more calm and quiet in comparison to the cluttered population in central London. The reasoning behind being set in suburbia is because it is portrayed as a boring place where you tend to go to settle down and grow up; this makes the audience believe that nothing out of the ordinary would happen here, especially not a zombie invasion. The majority of the film is set during the day but, as the plot continues the day passes and we are led into the night. Much like a typical horror film, when it turns into night the mood changes and becomes scarier, this is because the dark holds the fear of the unknown. One of the main locations used in the film is the local pub; this is controversial as pubs are extremely common which allows the audience to connect to the film as what is happening could be happening in any pub, anywhere. A pub is also unconventional as it is the least isolated location that could be used and creates unease as there is nowhere to hide as all the action is focused within one room. This setting more relates to a western film than it does horror, as in a western the saloon bar is a famous location where most of the action takes place.
The main character Shaun is not the stereotypical good looking, tall, strong hero; instead he is almost the anti-hero as he is ginger, unfit and not the most attractive male. The dominant female in the group is Liz; once again she is not the usual girl you would find in a horror film. Liz is portrayed as a confident, individual woman who is intelligent and not a standardised appealing female. When we get further into the film we see Liz taking on a protective role when she saves Shaun. Not only is this unusual for a woman to be protective, it is also a twist on the stereotypical final girl in which we already are familiar with, such as Jamie Lee Curtis who is shown as pretty, vulnerable and weak against the killer in the film ‘Halloween.’ This also gives us a perception on a 21st century heroin. The final main character is called Ed; he is portrayed as the funny guy of the group by having a nihilistic approach to all situations. As well as being one of the comical characters in the film, he is also one of the laziest. We are shown this through mise-en-scene as he is dressed in scruffy baggy clothing and the apartment he lives in could almost be described as a pigsty. Having a comical and not as intelligent character in a horror film is quite common as it immediately allows the audience to acknowledge the idea that this character is more prone to death. This paradigm is carried out as Ed does get bitten by the zombies, but then the paradigm was rejected as we see Ed chained up in the shed at the end, as Shaun still saw him as a friend even though he was classed as zombie. In addition to this, not only do the characters reject the norm but the zombies do as well. In an ordinary horror film zombies are portrayed as the un-dead therefore they look rotten and deadly. In Shaun of the dead the zombies are a parody of conventional zombies as they have the fictional qualities such as the slow walk, groaning noises, and green skin. Within this film they convey the hidden message that everyone is a zombie every day. They show this by repeating Shaun’s morning routine where he gets out of bed and imitates the main features of a zombie; for example the slow hesitant walk and a groaning yawn.
A prop paradigm that is most commonly used in horror films is a knife as it is personal between the killer and its victim. In Shaun of the dead, each main character has their own iconic weapon. Shaun uses a cricket bat as a weapon. A cricket bat is associated with middle class men as it is a more sophisticated sport in comparison to rugby. As well as this, a cricket bat would never be used for violence so the idea that Shaun is using the cricket bat as a weapon is controversial. Ed’s uses a shovel as a weapon, which is mainly used for gardening. Gardening is seen as therapeutic and calm so to use it for vengeance juxtaposes with its intended purpose. One scene showed Shaun going to use a knife as a weapon which followed the codes and conventions. The knife was presented as a shiny image that you would immediately want to grab, as Shaun was just about to take the knife he refused and went back to the cricket back to act as the rejection of the codes and conventions. This enhances the concept of postmodernism, as we see Shaun rejecting a major prop paradigm and opting for the less fierce weapon. During the scenes in the pub, we see a rifle gun being used by Ed and Shaun. Although this is a more forceful weapon, a rifle is not suited to a horror film and is more related to the genre of a Western film, which was also referenced previously. A complete reverse on the term weapon is shown in a certain scene in a neighbour’s garden where the characters start to use children’s toys as weapons. Children’s toys are aimed at children for one reason being that they are harmless and are only used for fun and entertainment purposes. Children’s toys are categorised as innocent as they are targeted at not only children, but innocent children. This juxtaposes with the idea that when a child’s toy is placed in the ownership of adults the whole concept of the toy changes.
Editing conveys a large amount of postmodernism within this film. A common usage of an unknown, eerie non-diegetic sound is used when a suspicious character enters the scene. The effect of the non-diegetic sound is to create tension for the audience, and to trigger that first question of who is that character, and why is that sound presented when they appear? This relates to an aspect of Barthes’s theory ‘The Enigma Code’ which states that when an individual watches a film they instantly create a series of questions which relate to the complications of the plot. However, even though the non-diegetic sound is used which follows the sound paradigms it immediately cuts off and changes back to a normal state which subverts from a conventional horror film into a postmodern film.
In conclusion, Shaun of the dead subverts structuralist notions of genre by applying aspects of paradigms throughout the film but then further rejecting them to reinforce to the audience that this is neither a classic horror film nor a spoof but is a postmodern film which plays with the generic conventions knowingly. From analysing Shaun of the dead, I can convey that some people may class this film as horror because of its use of gore, but in my eyes the gore is more comical than scary as it is portrayed as completely unrealistic rather than in films like Saw where it is presented as realistic as possible to add to the scare factor.
Tuesday 11 October 2011
Monday 10 October 2011
How Does Halloween Follow the Codes and Conventions of the Slasher Horror Sub-Genre?
Halloween is a good representative of a slasher horror film, as it includes a variety of paradigms which include setting/camera shots, prop, sound, lighting and character. For example, knifes, masks and baseballs bats are all sound paradigm. A baseball bat is used as a defensive weapon as it is an object that most households can easily purchase and is quiet a violent weapon when used properly.
The start of the trailer opens with an establishing shot of an isolated white house. The reason they use an isolated house is because there is no escape routes for the victims as there is no one around to help them. Most horror films open with an establishing shot to allow the audience to indicate the setting of the film. During the establishing shot there is a narrative voice telling the story, this would have been a convention during this time period, but nowadays they mostly use quick cuts and aspects of the film to the tell story during the trailers. The whole of ‘Halloween’ is set in the night time; this gives the audience a sense of disorientation as they are unable to see exactly what is happening, making it easier for the killers to remain unknown. As the film continues we start to see a range of settings used, the main one being inside the white house. Inside a house is a typical setting to use as it allows the killer to restrain from being noticed by the victim and the audience until they are able to attack. This keeps the audience on edge and builds up tension. The main part of the house that is always used is the staircase; this is because the killer can be shown as more powerful by using a low angle shot at the bottom of the staircase. This is shown in Halloween when Jamie Lee Curtis falls down the stairs making her vulnerable to the killer as he stands at the top of the stairs in silhouette, plotting his next attack. Another setting that is used in Halloween is a car; this is because it is a small enclosed space making it difficult for the victim to escape and allowing the killer to strike from any angle.
The camera then cuts to a point of view shot of a character in a mask. Masks are a common prop to use in slasher horrors, as they conceal the killer’s identity, making it difficult for the audience to recognise the killer when approaching their victims. The mask in Halloween is a clown mask, the reason for using a clown mask is because some people have a fear of clowns, which makes the killer seem more daunting to the audience. The camera cuts to a medium shot of a child holding a knife, this juxtaposes with the typical image of a child, as they are meant to be seen as innocent and naïve. The prop of a knife is a main convention of a slasher horror as it is a more interpersonal weapon, allowing the victims to achieve more contact when killing their victims. The motion of the knife penetrating the skin of the victim is seen as a sexual image, which is also why it is a widely used prop across all horror films. When Laura is looking around her house she witnesses her friend murdered. The gravestone above her head is used to portray the image of her death bed which enables the audience to make the connection that she has been killed. Another prop used in this same scene is a jack-o-lantern, which contrasts with the biblical imagery of her dead friend who lies in a cross position. The lantern also relates to Halloween which is the title of the film.
The main character and victim in Halloween is a young woman. This is common because women are stereotyped as being weak and are seen as an easier target rather than men. Jamie Lee Curtis who plays Laurie Strode is dressed in a white blouse. The colour white connotes with the virginal imagery and innocence. Being a virgin in a horror film automatically means you won’t die, whereas if you were a more promiscuous character you would be killed as their actions would be classed as sinful. The killer in Halloween is a typical character as he is first of all male, giving him that immediate dominance over his victim. His previous time in a mental hospital allows the audience to believe he has misguided thinking. Most killers in the horror films also have a reason for killing which is most likely to be for revenge.
The lighting throughout most of the film is dim, as it adds to the eerie atmosphere and makes everything less visible, which makes it more difficult to understand the exact plot. The only lighting that is used outside is the light from the street and porch lights. When Laurie is walking through the house there is no light at all, except for when the light comes through the window from the street lights which makes her upper body a focal point. During this shot, you can slightly see the killer behind her in a very dim light but Laurie is oblivious to this. When it cuts to the scene where she fell down the stairs, a low angle shot is used to show the killer who is presented as a silhouette. Here the outline of this body is shown but his identity is still concealed due to the lighting.
The sound paradigms that are used within Halloween include diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. The diegetic sound is mainly of the characters screaming, if the characters didn’t scream the audience would not be able to recognise when the killer has attacked; for example, when she falls down the stairs we hear her scream but if she didn’t scream we would not make connection that she fell down the stairs as the handheld camera makes it hard for the audience to see exactly what’s happening. The non-diegetic sound follows the sound paradigms as it is an eerie score with unidentifiable instruments which helps to build tension. When the score builds to a crescendo, we recognise that this means the killer is getting closer which also is used to create apprehension. When she knocks on a neighbours door the camera cuts to inside the neighbour’s house, at this point the non-diegetic sound cuts as we are shown that the house is a place of safety and that we are unaware of the danger happening outside. When the camera cuts back to Laurie trapped at the door, the sound re-enters reinforcing the vulnerability of being outside at night.
In conclusion, Halloween effectively follows all the codes and conventions of the slasher horror sub-genre, by including paradigms of sound to paradigms of characters. The most effective convention of the film was camera angles and shots; as if it was all a singular shot the film would seem repetitive and dull. Whereas, including a handheld camera gives the film a different perspective as it’s not completely still and clear. However, there were a few unconventional features which include the narrative voice over the trailer, as its gives most of the plot in the trailer which makes it pointless for people to go watch it in the cinema. Also, Laurie’s friend was conveyed as innocent due to her white clothing and the fact she was completely covered. However, she was later found to be the first victim, because of my prior knowledge of horror films I would portray her as being promiscuous as she was killed first.
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