Props
The props used within this scene are what make it unsettling. We find, within this tent, a holy shrine which has many holy statues Cole steals from the church. The abundance of these religious ornaments creates unease because it is not a very abnormal situation.
Sound
The sound during this scene is digetic (naturally occurring.) the young boy is breathing quickly and loudly at a ‘panicky’ pace. These short breaths add a real feeling of loss-of-breath and subsequently quick paced anxiety. Although there is no background music the noise of the scene is still intensely frightening because of the hint of horror the silence infers.
Character
There is only one real character within this scene, the main one. This character is a young boy who deals with his sixth sense- seeing dead people. This character is greatly embellished. We have a feeble boy to whom the audience’s timorous side can relate to; so when he feels scared, so do the audience. The use of character is very clever throughout this movie and we are constantly placed in close proximity to him in order that we can empathize and feel the same anxiety that he does.
Costume & make- up
Obviously these are both very significant factors throughout this movie and one which the producer utilizes greatly. The main character of Cole is made to look very pale- not only playing up to the shy, weak image we already have of him but inferring an image we relate to being frightened and worried. They use very dramatic make-up to exaggerate his reserved character and matt his hair to add to his ‘look.’ His costume also follows a similar pattern. He doesn’t dress like an ordinary boy making clear that they want you to realize he’s different.
Directors Objectives
This movie’s intentions were quite clearly laid out from the beginning. In basic terms it falls into the “Horror” genre, however it has a very intense and cleverly twisted and complex storyline. The director aimed to produce a scary movie which would be remembered for its unexpected turn. His characters are few -but very detailed and each characters development is structured and fulfilled carefully. The main focus is on the character of the small boy, Cole. His character was one which was meant to haunt. A small, weak pale child who sees dead people is chilling. He is a social outcast- reserved and bullied because of it. He has obsessive natures, such as talking to his army figures and his statue collection. This shows the insecurity he feels, probably sprouting from his ‘sixth sense.’ The director aspires to forming an evocative character which audience can sympathize with and concentrates on turning the character into a person. The director employs the sense of time for character progression. We feel more related to character as we follow their processes. The psychologist
As a catalyst, provokes reaction and arouses emotion. This purposeful interruption shows how the director’s main focus was on laying the foundation for the later upturn. The director also plays around with the camera when he wants to show a difference. When the mood needs to change, or the audience’s point of view needs to be re-addressed, he changes the camera angles. For the less intense scenes wider camera shots are used and for the extreme scenes, close-ups are used. Sound is too utilized to its full potential. Not only is background music played to create mood but silence is used to add suspense. The director is very slight with his intention but very clear. He uses all of the factors of Mise en Scène to create effective horror.