1. Analysis of still images – The Purge Anarchy
One of the of the first things introduced is a two shot of a couple sitting in a car, this shot introduces
us to what appears to be the main characters of the film as they are focused on for the first 25
seconds of the 1:34 trailer. The fact that these people are the main focus for the film is conventional
as they appear, stereotypically to be people who would avoid danger and not inflict pain upon
others, there clothing is stereotypical of the working class as well which shows them to be average
people. The lighting of the shot is quite low-key which is conventional for horror films as it shows
that something is about to happen and potentially lead to danger.
The camerawork in this image is a wide shot, this and the low-key lighting of the dusk sky is highly
conventional of horror films as it shows the people in the car (which appears to have broken down)
to be isolated from their surroundings and with dusk approaching it shows that they may be in some
form of trouble. The setting of this image appears to be a bridge which is also conventional as it
increases the feeling of isolation from others which would gain more interest from the audience as
they would want to know what is about to happen.
The two-shot above is the first image to show that there is something else to the story rather than
just a broken down car. The shot shows two women using the prop of a wooden plank to bar a door,
most likely because there is something outside that they don’t want to have come in, which is a
highly conventional thing in horror films. The lighting of the image is also low-key which suggests
that something bad is going on.
The shot above is a wide shot and depicts what appear to be two people sitting on motorbikes
wearing props such as masks over their faces that appear to induce fear to those looking upon them,
2. Analysis of still images – The Purge Anarchy
this is conventional of antagonists in horror films as they set out to scare and attack those in their
way. Another prop used in this image is the van that appears to have blacked out windows so as
people can’t see who it is driving; this is another tool that has been used to induce fear to those who
oppose the people, the props of motorbikes are used in a similar manner as they suggest that the
riders are willing to chase down the people that try to escape them. The lighting of the image is very
low-key which is highly conventional of horror films as it has the audience more fearful of what is
about to happen as it creates a sense of danger.
The insert of the shotgun during the trailer shows that there is a focus on either defending or
attacking in the film; this is something that is conventional of horror films as there are two types of
people in the film, the antagonist and the protagonist. The use of low-key lighting in the foreground
suggests that there may be a dark reason for someone to use a firearm in the film as well; this is an
idea that is further expanded by the high-key lighting in the background, which makes it look as if
the person wielding the weapon is preparing for something to happen.
The wide shot and shallow focus in the image above shows what appears to be a sacrificial murder,
this idea is made clearer by the use props such as knifes in the hands of the four people around a
man that has been tied to a chair. As well as this there is plastic sheeting around the room that
shows that they are expecting a lot of blood. The use of lighting in this image is used to enhance fear
as low-key lighting is around the man tied to the chair which shows the antagonists to be much more
scarier as they are covered in shadow, and high-key lighting is used in the image to centre focus onto
the man in the chair and have the audience feel sympathetic towards him.
The close up of the man in this image is one of the most fear inducing images show in the trailer. The
use of rule of thirds in this image shows that there is a lot of focus on his mask. The mask prop
creates a sense of mystery as the persons face can’t be seen and it is also very domineering as it
3. Analysis of still images – The Purge Anarchy
provokes fear and the idea that you can’t outrun him as the eye sockets are blacked out and the
make up on the mask appears to resemble a clown. The text on the mask is also something that
provokes some sort of panic as the word ‘GOD’ in Christianity is used to resemble something holy,
but in this case appears to be the opposite due to the way in which it has been scratched onto the
mask, creating the idea that anything that he does is in sacrifice. The lighting in the back appears to
be fading into low-key which suggests that it is coming to dusk, linking this image back to the start of
the trailer which is conventional. The costume used in this image is counter stereotypical to what is
considered to be conventional of the horror genre as it shows that this man is just a normal person.