(Research into similar films)
'Sybil' is a 70's psychological thriller starring Sally Field. It is based on a true story about a woman who develops multiple personality disorder as a result of her harrowing childhood.
Analysis of first 15 minutes of 'Sybil':
Cinematography
-Firstly, before the first scene has even begin there is prologue which states that the film is "based on a true story". This gives the audience an immediate feeling of trepidation and is a strategy often used in psychological thrillers/ horrors- even if it is not actually true- due to the fact that it intrigues the audience and instantly makes the film appear more realistic, therefore the audience is more likely to be scared.
-In the first scene, (in the park as the children are painting) the atmosphere appears to be peaceful, (due to the fact children represent joy/ happiness and the lighting is bright etc) when all of a sudden a grandmother and some children playing on the swings catch her eye and she has a sudden flashback of her harrowing childhood. The mood instantly changes as there are flashes of a disturbing scene Sybil is remembering having witnessed from her childhood. This gave us inspiration for a scene in which we will use in our own film to show that our main character (Summer) is suffering from schizophrenia and provide flashes of the event (her boyfriends suicide) which has sent her spiraling out of control.
-When Sybil is at the hospital being questioned by the doctor, we visually experience one of her psychotic episodes for the first time. When her 'young' personality is present, there is a close-up shot of her face as she sits with her head in the palm of her hand. The close-up shot means that we can clearly see her childish facial expressions which gives her 'young' personality away to the audience. However, when her 'older' personality is present, the camera zooms out to reveal an establishing shot of the hospital room and we see Sybil put on a pair of glasses which makes her appear more mature.
Editing
-The title sequence at the beginning of the film uses capitalisation in the text which reflects the drama and danger of the storyline.
-Before the first scene in the park, there are several images shown of paintings of the New York city skyline. One of the images transitions into a moving clip and could be a way in which to reflect Sybil's multiple personality disorder as it suggests the transition Sybil struggles to make in her life between fantasy/ imagination and reality due to her mental illness.
Sound
-During the title sequence, a soundtrack of a children's lullaby is being sang by a 'creepy' sounding young girl with a sinister, rumbling sound effect playing alongside it. This gives the audience an uneasy feeling and builds suspense as it reflects the thriller aspect of the film.
-As sybil retreats back to her New York apartment after experiencing a psychotic episode at the park, a sinister, dramatic soundtrack plays over the scene which builds tension for the climax of her smashing the window after experiencing yet another one of her psychotic episodes.
Mise en Scene
-During the title sequence, there are several images of paintings of the New York city skyline shown. However, the overall colour scheme of the paintings are dark colours (such as dark brown, black etc) which reflect the horror/ thriller genre of the film.
-In the first scene in the park, every person in the scene is dressed in bright, vibrant colours that reflect happiness. However, Sybil on the other hand is dressed in dark clothing which highlights the fact she is the character who is suffering with a mental illness.
Cinematography
-Firstly, before the first scene has even begin there is prologue which states that the film is "based on a true story". This gives the audience an immediate feeling of trepidation and is a strategy often used in psychological thrillers/ horrors- even if it is not actually true- due to the fact that it intrigues the audience and instantly makes the film appear more realistic, therefore the audience is more likely to be scared.
-When Sybil is at the hospital being questioned by the doctor, we visually experience one of her psychotic episodes for the first time. When her 'young' personality is present, there is a close-up shot of her face as she sits with her head in the palm of her hand. The close-up shot means that we can clearly see her childish facial expressions which gives her 'young' personality away to the audience. However, when her 'older' personality is present, the camera zooms out to reveal an establishing shot of the hospital room and we see Sybil put on a pair of glasses which makes her appear more mature.
Editing
-The title sequence at the beginning of the film uses capitalisation in the text which reflects the drama and danger of the storyline.
-Before the first scene in the park, there are several images shown of paintings of the New York city skyline. One of the images transitions into a moving clip and could be a way in which to reflect Sybil's multiple personality disorder as it suggests the transition Sybil struggles to make in her life between fantasy/ imagination and reality due to her mental illness.
Sound
-During the title sequence, a soundtrack of a children's lullaby is being sang by a 'creepy' sounding young girl with a sinister, rumbling sound effect playing alongside it. This gives the audience an uneasy feeling and builds suspense as it reflects the thriller aspect of the film.
-As sybil retreats back to her New York apartment after experiencing a psychotic episode at the park, a sinister, dramatic soundtrack plays over the scene which builds tension for the climax of her smashing the window after experiencing yet another one of her psychotic episodes.
Mise en Scene
-During the title sequence, there are several images of paintings of the New York city skyline shown. However, the overall colour scheme of the paintings are dark colours (such as dark brown, black etc) which reflect the horror/ thriller genre of the film.
-In the first scene in the park, every person in the scene is dressed in bright, vibrant colours that reflect happiness. However, Sybil on the other hand is dressed in dark clothing which highlights the fact she is the character who is suffering with a mental illness.
No comments:
Post a Comment