The Fine Line Between Honest and Evil Comics by Salty Vixen
Microanalysis - Annabelle
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3. MIA- THROUGHOUT THIS SEGMENT SHE WEARS A TYPICAL NIGHT GOWN FOR 1970. THE COLOUR IS LIGHT BLUE, THIS
COULD SYMBOLISE HER PURITY AS A CHRISTIAN AND AS A SOON TO BE MOTHER. LATER ON WHEN SHE GOES TO HER
ROOM IN HER HOUSE SHE PUTS ON A ROBE, THIS COULD SHOWS HOW COLD AND EMPTY THE NEIGHBOURHOOD AND
HOUSE IS, ADDING TO THE EERIE EFFECT.
JOHN- THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SEGMENT HE WEARS A TRADITIONAL SET OF LIGHT BLUE PYJAMAS, MATCHING HIS
WIFE, WHICH COULD ONCE AGAIN SHOW HIS PURITY AS A DEVOTED CHRISTIAN.
MURDERERS- THEY BOTH WEAR FULL WHITE WHICH, ON MOST OCCASIONS, SYMBOLISES PURITY BUT IN THIS CASE IT
SYMBOLISES THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE AS IT IS FOUND THAT THEY WORSHIP SATAN. THESE CLOSES COULD MOST LIKELY
RESEMBLE THE CLOTHES OF PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS, WHICH GIVES US AN INCITE SO HOW DEMONIC THESE PEOPLE ARE.
POLICE- FULL BLACK, A TYPICAL POLICE UNIFORM
4. PROPS
PHONE- THE PHONE IS AN EXAMPLE OF ICONOGRAPHY AS THEY ARE TYPICALLY USED IN
MOST HORROR FILMS TO BUILD TENSION BEFORE A BIG SCENE HAPPENS
DOLL- THE DOLL IS OBVIOUSLY AN IMPORTANT PROP, AS IT IS SEEN MORE SO AS AN
ENTITY RATHER THEN THE DOLL, FURTHERMORE THE FILM SURROUNDS THIS DOLL AND
THIS SEGMENT OF THE FILM SHOWS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE POSSESSION OF THE
DOLL.
GUN- ANY GUN IN A FILM IS MOSTLY SEEN AS THE WEAPON OF JUSTICE AND PEACE,
ANNABELLE IS NO DIFFERENT. THIS IS SHOWN AS THE POLICE ARRIVE TO THE HOUSE AND
IMMEDIATELY PULL THE TRIGGER AND AT THAT POINT THE REST OF THE SEGMENT FALLS
INTO SLOW MOTION.
KNIFE- VERY SIGNIFICANT AS ITS USED TO STAB MIA IN THE SIDE, IT IS SEEN TO BE A
HUNTING KNIFE, ICONIC AS IT SHOWS THE MURDERERS AS THE HUNTERS AND THE
NEIGHBOURS, MIA AND JOHN AS THE HUNTED.
MANTEL PIECE- THIS IS USED BY THE MURDEROUS MAN TO SAVAGELY BEAT JOHN
ASSUMINGLY UNTIL HE DIED. THIS SHOWS US HOW DESPERATE AND PSYCHOTIC THE
MURDERERS WERE.
5. LIGHTING
IN THE SEGMENTATION IT IS VERY DARK THROUGHOUT. THIS SETS THE TONE AND MOOD FOR THE AUDIENCE AS YOU KNOW
THAT SOMETHING EITHER SCARY OR SIGNIFICANT IS GOING TO HAPPEN. THIS DOES NOT CHANGE EVEN WHEN INSIDE THE
HOUSE, THE LIGHT REMAIN OFF. THIS ADDS TO THE TENSION AS THE AUDIENCE SEE ONE OF THE MURDERERS LINGERING IN THE
BACKGROUND AS MIA IS ON THE PHONE.
CHARACTER MOVEMENT
AT FIRST THE CHARACTERS MOVEMENT IS SLOW AND WEARY. THEN YOU GET A RUSHED RESPONSE AND THE MUSIC KICKS IN,
AND AFTER THE PHONE CALL IT THEN RETURNS TO SLOW BUT NOW CAUTIOUS ACTIONS. ONCE YOU HEAR THE WHISPER ‘ I LIKE
YOUR DOLLS’ ALL THE CHARACTERS EXCEPT MIA SPEED UP WITH THERE ACTION. JOHN IS SEEN TO BE MOVING WITH FEAR,
ANGER AND PROTECTION WHEN HE RUNS INTO THE ROOM TO SAVE HIS WIFE, THE MURDERERS ARE VERY SPORADIC AND
SOMEWHAT DETERMINED IN THE WAY THAT THEY MOVE AND HOW THE ABUSE JOHN AND MIA.
6. DIEGETIC
• AT THE START YOU GET THE WIND RUSTLING THROUGH THE TRESS, THIS CREATES AN EERIE VIBE THAT, TO US AS THE AUDIENCE, CREATES A SENSE OF
DANGER AND THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG
• YOU GET THE FAINT BARKING OF A DOG, DOGS ARE TYPICALLY KNOWN TO SENSE THINGS LIKE DANGER BETTER THAN PEOPLE, THIS IS USED IN THE
BACKGROUND AS IT TELLS US THERE IS DANGER BUT IT ENTICES US IN AND MAKES US WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE DOG IS BARKING AT.
• PARTICULARLY AT THE START THE START WHEN MIA CALLS OUT TO HER HUSBAND HER VOICE ECHOES. THIS COULD BE USED TO SHOW HOW EMPTY THE
NEIGHBOURHOOD IS AND SYMBOLISES ISOLATION, WHICH IS A KEY PART IN ANY HORROR FILM.
• LATER ON WHEN SHE’S IN HER HOUSE YOU HAVE THE CREAKING OF THE FLOOR BOARDS. THIS COULD SHOW HOW HOLLOW THE HOUSE IS GIVING IT A
MORE SINISTER FEEL, BUILDING TENSION FOR LATER.
• WHILST IN THE HOUSE YOU HEAR MIA FIDDLING WITH HER DRESSING GOWN IN A RUSH AND PANIC, THIS SHOWS US, AS THE VIEWER WHAT TYPE OF
SITUATION IS GOING ON AND IT ALSO SHOWS HOW IRREGULAR IT IS FOR THAT SORT OF THING TO HAPPEN IN THE AREA THEY LIVE.
• TOWARDS THE END OF THE SEGMENT JOHN IS SEEN DEFENDING MIA AGAINST THE TWO MURDERERS, AS THIS HAPPENS YOU HEAR MANY PUNCHES
AND BANGS BUT ALL THE RUCKUS CAUSED IS SILENCED AS THE CAMERA PANS OVER A KNIFE ON THE FLOOR. THIS COULD BE DONE TO SHOW THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE KNIFE AS IT IS SEEN TO BE THE ONLY WEAPON CLOSE ENOUGH TO MIA TO USE TO DEFEND HERSELF, BUT SILENCE IS BROKE AS THE
FEMALE MURDERER COMES INTO THE PICTURE AND TAKES THE KNIFE.
• GUN SHOT ARE HEARD WHICH TELL US THAT THE FIGHT IS OVER. AS THE GUN SHOTS ARE HEARD THE VIDEO STARTS TO GO SLOW MOTION. AS THIS
HAPPENS THE CAMERA PANS OVER MIA WHOSE LOST A LOT OF BLOOD, THE SLOW MOTION COULD BE TO DO WITH HER DYING AND HER SLUGGISH
ACTIONS.
• AT THE END OF THE SEGMENT THERE IS COMPLETE SILENCE AND THE ONLY THING THAT IS HEARD IS A SINGULAR DROP OF BLOOD THAT FALL FROM THE
WOMEN, LANDS ON THE DOLL AND DRIBBLES IN THE EYE OF THE DOLL.
7. NON-DIEGETIC
• AS JOHN RUNS OUT OF THE NEIGHBOURS HOUSE COVERED IN BLOOD A LOUD BANG STRIKES THE AUDIENCE, AND THEN THE MUSIC STARTS
VERY QUIET AND GRADUALLY BUILDS UP CREATING TENSION AS IT GETS FASTER AND LOUDER.
• A PENETRATING SCREECH IS HEARD BY THE AUDIENCE AS SHE DIALS HER PHONE. THIS COULD BE SEEN IN TWO WAYS, THE FIRST COULD BE
SEEN AS A WARNING AND THAT DIALLING THE PHONE WILL LEAD TO MORE DANGER AND THAT SHE SHOULD FOCUS ON HER SURROUNDINGS
AS YOU CAN SEE, BLURRED OUT, ONE OF THE MURDERERS IN THE BACKGROUND. HOWEVER THIS SCREECH COULD ALSO BE SEEN AS A
SIGNAL OF SAFETY BECAUSE YOU KNOW THAT THE POLICE AND MEDICS ARE GOING TO SHOW UP SHORTLY.
• WHEN MIA IS IN HER ROOM A LOUD OMINOUS BOOM AS SHE IS MET BY THE FEMALE MURDERER WHEN SHE WHISPERS, “I LIKE YOUR DOLL”.
THIS IS DONE TO ADD EFFECT BECAUSE IT’S THE FIRST TIME THE MURDERERS AND THE MAIN CHARACTERS MEET. AFTER THIS BOOM A
SCREECHING NOISE OCCURS AND GRADUALLY GETS LOUDER.
• AS THE SCENE CUTS TO SLOW-MOTION, SAD DEPRESSING MUSIC IS PLAYED. THIS DONE TO OVERWHELM THE AUDIENCE MAKING US FEEL
MORE FORE THE CHARACTER THEN WHAT WE SHOULD.
• THIS THEN IS CONTRASTED AS THE CAMERA PANS OVER THE DOLL AND SINISTER MUSIC CAN BE HEARD. THIS SHOWS THAT THE DOOL IS
DANGEROUS AND NOT TO BE MET WITH.
8. • HANDHELD
• CLOSE UP
• WIDE SHOT
• STEADICAM
• OVER THE SHOULDER
• WHIP SHOT
• MID SHOT
• SLOW MOVEMENT
• FAST MOVEMENT
9. • THE EDITING IS GENERALLY VERY SLOW THROUGHOUT.
• AS THE FIGHTING OCCURS THE EDITING IS STILL SLOW BUT HAS A VERY FAST CAMERA MOVEMENTS MAKING IT SEEM LIKE IT HAS FAST
EDITING.
• SLOW MOTION CUTS WHEN THE CAMERA PANS OVER MIA WHEN SHE’S STABBED AND IS LYING ON THE FLOOR, HOWEVER EVERYTHING ELSE
IS IN NORMAL/FAST PACE.
• AGAIN SLOW MOTION OCCURS WHEN THE GUN IS FIRED AND CONTINUES THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE SCENE.
• FADES TO WHITE AT 17:50