'Heavenly Creatures' is a crime thriller produced in 1994, directed by Peter Jackson. It tells the story of two girls who have an intense fantasy life and so are separated by their parents, for which they then take revenge. On IMDB, it has a user rating of 7.5 and, although I have not watched the whole film, from the clip I have seen, I would agree with this rating. I am going to analyse the murder scene to examine what aspects of the scene establish the film as a thriller.
Clocks are a particular feature in this sequence, due to the fact the girls are battling against time and also very aware of time as they have premeditated the murder. This is a generic convention of thriller films as thriller plots often involve premeditated murders or time limits.
The location is bright and sunny, which is a contrast to the usual conventions of the genre. Peter Jackson has done this intentionally to challenge thriller conventions. This stark contrast also emphasises the darkness of the act they are committing. The soundtrack throughout this scene is called 'Intermezzo' from Puccini's "Madame Butterfly". This is a well known opera song, and, as "Madame Butterfly" is a tragedy, it acts as an inter-textual reference, foreshadowing the tragic events to come.
As the girls lead the mother down the path into the woods, there is a long shot. This is not often used in thriller films, but in this case it adds to the atmosphere as it reinforces the idea that the three of them are isolated, and the small path that they are on looks like even more of a confined space surrounded by the trees.
As they walk down the path, there is an eerie beauty to the cinematography. The fact that it is in slow motion with no diegetic sound creates this beauty. This also adds to the shock when the murder actually occurs. Many close ups such as this are used throughout this scene as it adds to the tension and anticipation.
The eerie beauty continues in this slow motion scene, added to by the light illuminating the characters from behind. This creates silhouetted figures, which forebodes the premeditated violence from the girls.
The character played by Kate Winslet is quite posh, and feels extremely anxious about the murder they have planned. This is displayed through character traits and signifiers, such as her jewel, and rubbing her hands together - an action often associated with nervousness
Some satisfctory comments about the way slow motion adds a dreamlike quality to the mise-en-scene; you are able to interpret the connotations of the use of light and shade, particularly the contrast between the light and the dark murder, you could take this further by looking at the juxtaposition of the natural beauty of the location and the unnatural act.
ReplyDeleteMore research into the film and a closer focus on camera angles and movement would strengthen.