Compare the two films "The Others and the "Turn of the screw".

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Sidrah Sarfraz

Media Coursework Task

Compare the two films “The Others” and “Turn of the screw” which are effective examples of the film genre psychological horror.

The two films “The Others” written and directed by Alejandro Amenabar and the “Turn of the screw” directed by Tom Mc Loughlin based on the novel by Henry James, are both psychological  horror films that consist of a haunting plot and make you think as they are full of suspense and have a moody and intense atmosphere.

“The Others” has a very unusual starting with a black screen which disorientates the audience right from the very beginning and even the comforting tones of “Are you sitting comfortably, then I’ll begin” from ‘listen with mother’ that are heard as a voice over don’t soothe the audiences minds. Next it looks like a flickering candle is being held over a page, this gives a mysterious feel, as if something is shadowing over, as ghosts do. The paper is brown, this gives the feeling that it is from an old book and has some history to it. On the page are pictures of the sun and animals and the voice over tells the biblical story, very briefly, of how the world was created by God. This makes you think that the story has some link to religion and/or the characters are religious. Later we find out that Grace is deeply religious and also enforces it upon her two children Anne and Nicolas. Then the screen goes black again and the music starts, this then puts the audience in a confused prospective not knowing what to make of the story so far, very unusual but there are also things that they can relate such as the biblical story and the “are you sitting comfortably….”    

McLaughlin has a very different opening to his film; it starts by showing illuminated colourful surroundings to a large country house in the bright morning sunshine. There is nice calm music over and close up shots of the flowers are shown.  The lake is shown briefly and then the shots of flowers continue, then the lake is shown again and the music becomes disconcerting and a dark haired woman is shown floating on the water and finally a close up of her bare cold lifeless hand is shown on the screen. Then the scene changes and it’s out on an open road with horses and carriages everywhere and murder-mystery like music is played over the noisy road scene. This makes the audience feel as though the woman in the lake had been murdered and this was a murder mystery genre film, but as we find out the woman was in fact the lover of Peter Quaint who drowned herself after she died for the love of him. The resemblance between her and the new governess bare a lot of similarity as they looked alike. This gives a weird twist and to the film as Peter Quaint later kisses her through the young boy Miles.

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 Amenabar gives us a build up of the characters slowly not giving away too much at once he starts off by introducing to us Grace ,who is first pictured in a close up shot of her face is shown and then you hear the high pitched echoing scream from her she has her hand held over her mouth and she screams again the camera takes the focus off her face and show a long shot as she is seen getting off the bed frantically as if in horror of something. She is portrayed as an over protective mother to her ...

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