The document provides a plot summary and character descriptions for the 2009 film "The Last House on the Left". It describes how the film follows parents whose daughter is kidnapped and assaulted by escaped convicts. The convicts then take shelter at the parents' home without realizing their connection to the daughter. When the truth is discovered, the parents seek violent revenge on the assailants. The document also analyzes various technical, visual, audio and narrative codes used in the film.

1. The Last House on the Left

2. Plot
The night she arrives at the
remote Collingwood lakehouse,
Mari (Sara Paxton) and her friend
are kidnapped by a prison escapee
and his crew. Terrified and left for
dead, Mari’s only hope is to make
it back to parents John and Emma
(Tony Goldwyn and Monica
Potter). Unfortunately, her
attackers unknowingly seek
shelter at the one place she could
be safe. And when her family
learns the horrifying story, they
will make three strangers curse
the day they came to "The Last
House on the Left."

3. Characters
• Garret Dillahunt – Krug
• Martha MacIsaac – Paige
• Riki Lindhome – Sadie
• Tony Goldwyn – Dr. John
Collingwood
• Monica Potter – Emma
Collingwood
• Spencer Treat Clark – Justin
• Sara Paxton – Mari Collingwood
• Aaron Paul – Francis

4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_WL4Zl5_hI
The Last House on the Left is a 2009 American film directed by Dennis Iliadis and
written by Carl Ellsworth and Adam Alleca. It is a remake of the 1972 film of the
same name, and stars Monica Potter, Tony Goldwyn, Garret Dillahunt, and Sara
Paxton. The film follows the parents (Goldwyn and Potter) of Mari Collingwood
(Paxton), who attempt to get revenge on a group of strangers, led by a man named
Krug (Dillahunt), that have taken shelter at their home during a thunderstorm. The
Collingwoods discover that the Krug and his group have shot their daughter and left
her for dead.

5. Visual Codes
• Driving into a remote forest, in the day time to
suggest everything fine, but also that they are
alone and isolated.
• Lighting gets darker when the villains come in,
to show the audience that they are the bad
guy.
• Raining, after the tragedy connotes
depression etc.

6. Dress Codes
• Main Character Wears white to symbolise purity
and innocence, white is typically worn to show
the good character in a film.
• Also has blonde hair and blue eyes, typically
attractive actress emphasise the fact that she’s
young which helps the audience connect and
sympathise with the character, making a larger
impact on the audience when she abused and
• Other characters wearing normal everyday
clothes to represent the realism of the piece
• Bad characters wear darker clothes and the main
villain has black hair which connotes darkness and
evil

7. Audio Codes
Diagetic Sound
• Talking, gun shot, yelling, screaming etc
Makes it more realistic and sudden noises shock and excite the
audience
Non – Diagetic Sound
• Xylophone melody, in his bum hole leads the audience into a false
sense of security,
• Taken by Trees – Sweet Child of Mine
• Symbol when the villains arrive, symbolise a change in atmosphere
• Atmospheric music has been used in order to emphasise the drama
in the scene
• Explosion so suddenly shock the audience and make them jump

8. Action Codes
• Driving to a remote location builds the tension
and sets the scene of the film
• Villains break open the door, makes the audience
jump as it sudden and shocking, also show the
type of characters they are (Villains)
• Running through the forest away from villains
gives the audience false hope and builds
suspense.
• raining creates atmosphere and reflects what
type of event that is occurring in the scene
• The fight scene adds drama and grabs the
audience’s attention attracts them to the film.

9. Narrative Codes (Film)
Prop
• Hero – Dr. John Collingwood & Mari Collingwood
• Dispatcher – Justin
• Helper – Justin
• Villain – Krug, Saige, Francis
• Princess – Emma Collingwood & Paige
• Donor – None
Todorov
• Equilibrium – Emma is Driving to her holiday home, Happy with her family
• Disruption – she gets Kidnapped and butt raped !
• Recognition – she escapes and parents find her.
• Attempt to Repair Disruption – Parents take revenge on Villains
• Reinstatement – Villains die and Princess survives.

10. Technical Codes
• Long shot of car driving in the forest, sets the scene and shows the isolation of the
house.
• Close up of main characters so the audience can connect with the characters
• Mid shot of 3 bad characters. Shows the audience who they are and that they are
the villains
• Over shoulder Shot, show who he is talking to
• Close up of Main character show terror
• Fast flashing shots of violence. Builds suspense and grabs audience’s attention
• Long shot of girl getting dragged through the woods, shows setting and isolation
and shock the audience.
• Slow motion running builds tension and atmosphere
• Text starts explaining the story
• Long shot of Girl in the River
• Close up of her gaining consciousness
• Close up of her hand – builds suspense
• Flashing images excited the audience