The document analyzes how a horror film uses micro-elements to present gender. It discusses several codes and conventions of horror films, including portraying women and children as vulnerable victims and the killer as usually male. The analysis then summarizes the plot of the specific horror film, noting how it follows some typical codes like having the female protagonist become the victim and her power changing over the course of the film so she depends on the male father figure for help. However, it also notes some ways the film breaks conventions by having the female protagonist initially seem stronger than the father and later become too powerful for even religious figures to control.

1. Hifsa Hussain Media- Essay
How does the director use micro-elements to present the gender in the film?
All types of films have a set codes and conventions they follow, for example for
horror they follow that the female is seen to be the vulnerable who is the victim
and the children who are also in danger. The villain/killer is usually a male in a
mask and doesn’t reveal his identity till later on in the film. Many of the horror
films go against codes and conventions, which make the film original and
different from other films.
The first shot in the film starts off showing a normal family home. The family has
split up as the mother and father separated and had two children who stayed
with their mother. The father took the girls for the weekend. This was their
period of equilibrium. During the moment of disequilibrium the girl Em couldn’t
resist but to try a ring on which was in a jewellery box she found as she was
pulled in to the trap of the ghost. The contract in the costume is shown as during
this moment of disequilibrium she is wearing dark coloured clothing for example
dark such as black and grey whereas in the beginning she was dressed how little
girls dress in a dress and skirts. This shows the audience how the ghosts have
changed her life by making it dark and miserable. This follows the typical codes
and conventions of having a female or young child as the victim.
As things start to go wrong and the youngest starts to get possessed whilst still
with the mother, they are given to the father this shows the mother was not able
to cope with the trouble. When it comes to supernatural women are seen to be
weak and vulnerable against them hence why they are normally the target. Once
the daughter is fully possessed the father tries out different ways to help her out
by going to various types of religious people to see what he can do, all the
responsibilities are left to the father as the mother is afraid and doesn’t know
what she can do. This again follows codes and conventions as the Male is taking
over as the female is in a vulnerable state and is weak.
The camera shots in the film show how the wife’s power changes over as she
begins to look up to him and ask for his help as in the beginning she was giving
out orders and rules on how to raise and look after his daughters. We can see the
change as we get extreme close up shots, which show her emotion, which is
being helpless and worried. Later on in the film another lady gets possessed by
the same ghost that got Em, this carries on following codes and convention of the
females being the target as they are vulnerable and weak.
Em ends up getting out of control so is taken to the hospital as her powers are
too strong, this doesn’t follow codes and conventions as women doesn’t usually
end up being stronger than males or even religious people this reflects what we
saw in the beginning as the mother was shouting at the dad, this showed ems
mother had more power over Em and her sister. The is contradicts the ending of
the film as she then begins to plead for help showing that the man will always
have more power.

2. Hifsa Hussain Media- Essay
In conclusion, the possession is the typical film as they follow the main codes and
conventions by having the male end up being the strong figure as in this film the
father looks after his daughter Em and this made his strong mentally and
physically. They also followed codes and conventions by having the female as the
victim of the ghost and also by making the mum struggle and depend on the
father for help.