HL: Analysing an opening sequence 1

Scream 4 (Craven,2011)

Genre

• This film fits into the horror genre, as we aspects of violence and gore. However in ways it also overlaps into comedy due to its truly preposterous circumstances.
• In ways the audiences expectations are met, due to the use of violence, as the audience is shown many different scenarios, resulting in death. However parts of there expectations are challenged by the text i.e. ending each characters life.
• Even though the text does conform to the characteristics of the genre, we see the  director treating these issues ironically (The girl who doesn't accept it, usually is more viciously killed), and in some ways also playfully.

Film Language

• The use of a mask and cape, hides the identity of the murderer. This connotes aspects of Noir as we see the protagonist to be mysterious, because of this it creates the sense of enigma in the audience, which exaggerates the fear created by the director.
• CU's are used to show the emotion that the character is feeling. In this instance its fear, this is then reinforced by the use of dialogue i.e. a scream.
• Sound is chosen to add a sense of tension, examples of this being the door bell, the phone ring, and the text alert (amplified diagetic sound). However the brutality of the death is also anchored by the sound made as the character is stabbed.
• Throughout the opening we learn, who is prevalence amongst the characters. All the characters are female except the killer who is perceived by the audience to be male, due to the voice on the phone. There is also a divided amongst the two females as well, one character enjoys the idea of horror and one whom sees it as a waste of time.



The mask- a symbol of the franchise