heavenly creatures - sequence analysis

7/25/2019 Heavenly Creatures - Sequence Analysis

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Heavenly Creatures

Sequence Analysis1994 Psychological Thriller


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SoundIn the present day pieces of the sequence, the diegetic screams of the twogirls who are running through the woods cannot be missed. Their piercingcries for help are not only terrifying, but also mysterious because thissequence comes at the beginning of the lm which shoc!s the audience

but also ma!es them question "why are they screaming#$ Suspense is alsobuilt due to their screams as their %oices carry them through the woods toan un!nown destination, as well as their running, stumbling feet.

In the &ashbac! pieces of the sequence, a calm, gentle piece of non'diegetic classical music plays. This hugely contrasts with the screamswhich are heard alternately to this type of sound. The screams connote adistressing time, whereas the classical music connotes a happy memory.

(hilst the girls are running through the woods, harsh sounds of lea%es canbe heard being whipped out of the way by the two girls who are desperateto get to help. This shows the girls$ longing and franticness to be out ofthe woods and far away from the terrible situation that they ha%e comefrom.


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)amera shots, angles and

mo%ementIn the present day pieces of the sequence, the close up shot of the girls$ legs and

feet running through the muddy woods contrasts a great deal with the &ashbac!pieces of the sequence where the girls are running on a ship$s wooden dec! &oor.This ma!es the audience question "what are the reasons for the girls running in bothpieces of the sequence#$

The smooth camera mo%ement when the camera is closely behind the girls andfollowing them at their pace as they are running through the woods createssuspense for the audience as this is a point of %iew shot of how the audience wouldsee the girls if they were running behind them, and it ma!es the audience want thegirls to get to their destination as soon as possible.In the &ashbac! pieces of the sequence, a mid shot of who seem to be the girls$

parents does not show their faces, but only the bac!s of them and therefore their

true identity is not re%ealed. This creates a foreboding feeling of mystery as to whycan the audience not see the parents$ faces# what are they hiding# who are they#

The sha!y shot of the two girls running out of the woods, running up to and loo!inginto the camera as the audience are put into a point of %iew shot of the woman whohas emerged from the house that the girls ha%e seemingly wanted to get to, createsa high le%el of panic *which the woman would denitely be feeling+ and suspense.


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ise'en'sc-neIn the present day pieces of the sequence, the girls$ clothes are of a dar!er colourto the clothes they are wearing in the &ashbac! pieces of the sequence.

In the present day pieces of the sequence, the girls$ ma!e'up consists of bloodstreaming down their faces, legs, hands and clothes, whereas in the &ashbac!pieces of the sequence, the girls$ ma!e'up loo!s clean and pretty. The blood

ma!e'up creates mystery because who$s blood is it, and why do they ha%e somuch of it all o%er them#

ar! isolated woods are used for the present day pieces of the sequence, whereasa bright busy boat is used for the &ashbac! pieces of the sequence. The woodscreate mystery as the question comes about "what were they doing in the woods#$

/ monochrome tone is used for the &ashbac! pieces of the sequence, indicatingthat the girls running on the boat is a memory and belongs to the past. Thiscontrasts with the %i%id colour tone for the present day pieces of the sequence,indicating that the girls running through the woods is happening "right now$.

/ll these di0erent aspects of mise'en'sc-ne contrast a lot with each other purelyto symbolise that they ha%e a happy memory which u2taposes their currentsituation where they are distraught.


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3ditingThe constant cross'cutting used in this

sequence constantly contrasts the twocompletely di0erent situations that the twogirls are in whilst also creating mystery andsuspense. It does so because it lea%es theaudience questioning "what is going on in bothsituations#$ and "where are both situationsgoing to lead to#$

heavenly creatures - sequence analysis

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