I spit on your grave - analysis

1. Trailer Analysis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zU3U-9B3fE

2. Cinematography
An establishing shot of a house lets the audience know the location of the
film, it also allows the audience to identify that the house is alone in the
woods. This then creates the stereotypical horror genre of an isolated house
in which entices the audience to watch the film to find out more. An
extreme close up of the main character Jennifer is then used to inform the
audience that she is inside the isolated house. An extreme close up is used
to display the girl’s blank facial expression whilst asleep, connoting
vulnerability. This is further emphasized by the lighting, as it is facing down
onto her displaying her innocence, which adheres the stereotypical horror
genre containing a vulnerable girl. Throughout the rest of the trailer various
shots such as close ups, medium close ups and long shots; these have been
used to create a busy atmosphere and build up adrenalin. An over the
shoulder shot from the girl is used at the end of the trailer, displaying her
view of a man with his hands in the air. This has been done to create a sense
of curiosity as stereotypically in the horror genre the female gets killed/is the
weaker character. Therefore by placing this shot at the end, it will stick in the
audiences mind and may make them want to watch the film more.

3. Editing and sound
Slow editing starts off the trailer, as it is the calmest part with a slow
suspense building up. The screen turns black from every shot, which could
represent an ‘eye blink’ as if the girl is being watched upon. Fast cuts are
used towards the end of the trailer to create an impact on the audience, by
making it look spooky and chaotic. Tension is also built up as the fast pace is
in sync with the soundtrack.
Text is written on black misty backgrounds, connoting death and pain. The
denotation of the scratched typography connotes destruction which can be
linked to the film. Words such as ‘brutal’, ‘crime’ and ‘revenge’ are used
displaying the narrative of the film, these words all adhere the stereotypical
horror genre. Furthermore the text is in capital letters to create emphasis.
The trailer starts off with an ambient sound of silence apart from crickets in
the distance creating a calm yet apprehensive atmosphere.
There are various sound effects such as creaking floor boards, and a knock
on the door. They have been edited in and mad louder to add suspense. The
knock (0.17 seconds) occurs four times, which could represent the girl’s
heartbeat as she doesn’t know who is there. The non-diegetic sound picks
up speed when the main action occurs, with gun shooting and police turning
up.

4. Mise-en-scene
The girl is dressed in casual clothes that do not make her stand out. This has been
done to display her as any other girl looks and how there are no problems. A gun
has been used in the trailer to create mystery from the audience as they may
question why a gun is being used. This adheres the stereotypical horror genre, as
a gun creates death and pain. Furthermore a rope has also been used, to add to
the pain of the film. At the end of the trailer the girl holds a pair of garden shears,
which emphasizes the brutal torcher she may put the man through. All of the
props used denote the horror genre, and are common conventions.
The first setting of the trailer is the isolated house, which adheres strongly to the
horror genre. It’s one of the main conventions, as no one can hear the actions
that occur in the house which creates an eerie atmosphere. The rest of the trailer
is set in what seems to be a small town, therefore everyone seems to know each
other, which often is not a great mix in horror films.
At the start of the trailer, the light is dimmed, creating a mysterious and spooky
atmosphere. This adheres the stereotype of a horror trailer, as it makes the
audience feel on edge and tense. The lighting in this trailer follows the
stereotypical conventions of the horror genre, due to there being no bright lights
(symbolic of happiness, which the horror genre does not create).

5. Theory's
Lauren Mulvey ‘Male gaze’ – At the start of the trailer, the female is made to look
vulnerable, with the lighting and high camera angle shot. Furthermore, the male
characters attack her and in most of the camera shots she is seen to be one the
floor. This creates a male dominant atmosphere. However, towards the end the
trailer subverts this theory, as the female has more of the power as she
kills/attacks the male character. The girl also does not wear any revealing clothes,
therefore is not seen as a sexual object.
Todorov – The trailer adheres to this theory to an extent, as everything seems to
be fine at the beginning, yet the male’s come to the scene and disrupt the
equilibrium in which the girl try's to fix it by attacking them.