How does Kenneth Branagh create an atmosphere of horror and suspense in the wedding night scene?

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How does Kenneth Branagh create an atmosphere of horror and suspense in the wedding night scene?

In this essay we were set to find out how Kenneth Brannagh’s version of Frankenstein creates an atmosphere of horror and suspense in the wedding night scene. I will focus on four main sequences and analyse them thoroughly, this will be done by showing what the audience sees and hears.

The first sequence I am going to analyse is the first one in this scene. This sequence is where Victor and Elizabeth are kissing on the bed. In this little frame not a lot happens, but the things that do happen give us little clues to what is going to happen further on. The frame starts of by Victor and Elizabeth kissing on the bed having a good time like any normal couple. But then Victor notices that there is a flute being played, by the monster. Although Victor knows that the monster is out there playing the flute, Elizabeth just thinks it a person outside playing some music for his or her own amusement. Because Victor knows the monster is outside, he starts to take action, what he does is that he gets out of bed, takes his coat and gun and heads toward the door. The fact that he gets his coat may make the audience think he is going out side – which he is. I think Branagh chooses the monster to play a flute at this point because he wants to make sure victor knows the monster is after him. I think the audience’s reaction to this is that they may be feeling a little tense and nervous because, they sort of know something is going to happen.   Whilst they are kissing on the bed, it is a close up shot of their faces. I think Branagh chooses a close up shot at this point because he wants to show their facial expressions, which at this point was very happy and jolly. I think he also does a close up shot because he wants to make the audience think that victor and Elizabeth are finally alone, he does this by showing only a picture if Victor and Elizabeth together. I think in this little sequence the audience must be feeling two things. The first one is that they must feel that finally Victor and Elizabeth are together having a good intermit time. The second thing they must be feeling is that they know something bad is going to happen because of what the monster said before ‘ I’ll be with you on your wedding night’.  

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The second sequence of events I am going to analyse is when the monster is on the window sky light. What happens exactly in this frame is that Victor leaves the room, and then we see Elizabeth on the bed by her self, which is a medium shot of her, we then see Elizabeth lie back on her pillow, at this point we see a close up shot of her face. Then all of a sudden the monster pop up on the window. This frame is frightening because it all happens very quickly. What happens is that Elizabeth is on ...

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