Crimson Peak: Personal Response (C grade)

The first shot of the sequence is a mid-shot of Mia Wasikowska who plays Edith Cushing lying down and the camera dollies out to reveal she is lying in a bed, the lighting is very lowkey and it’s made obvious that it is night time, the bed seems quite antique and from what is visible so does the room she is in giving a sense of ghostliness, a behind shot then makes the viewer aware that there is an empty space in the bed, instantly giving the scene an eerie feel. As the character Edith wakes up also the sound of a dog barking comes into earshot as well as some dissonant music, this non-diegetic and diegetic sound mix to give the viewer an uneasy feeling and create a sense of suspense.

In the next frame, we see the dog coming into view which lowers the suspense because the sound now has a definite source, perhaps giving the viewer a false sense of security. The scene then cuts to a mid-shot of Edith and in this frame, we see only Edith and a candle which is giving off a significant amount of light however this light is an eerie glow which would make the sequence a little more unpredictable. In the background of the scene, partly hidden by the dark there is a grand looking couch and various ornaments, this again shows the house is old, creaky and possibly haunted. The barking of the dog has now stopped and we only hear Edith’s breathing, this makes the viewers become suspenseful again, all in all the different things in view in the first few frames create a rollercoaster of emotions for the viewer.

The camera pans right and Edith moves in front of it to create an over the shoulder shot, a long scary looking corridor comes into view at this point instantly putting the viewers back on edge, then surprisingly a creaking door can be heard, diverting the attention onto a new location and the camera pans quickly to the door, this gives a sense of rising anticipation and keeps the scene uncertain. As Edith goes through the open door the camera tracks and the barking dog begin to fade in again, this is diegetic sound because the character can hear it however the fact that the source is unseen and therefore indefinite creates doubt in the minds of the viewers.

When Edith opens the door, both her and the viewers expect to find the dog, however the camera cuts to a behind mid shot of the dog in the corridor behind Edith, instantly surprising the viewer while leaving questions in their head of what is actually behind the door. A close up shot of Edith’s face seems to linger just before we see the dog appear to give a feeling of dread in the viewers mind, as they realise there is something else behind the door. After the ghost girls face is revealed there is a closeup on Edith’s hand as she goes to open the door and there is a build-up of music however it is an anti-climax as the ghost is no longer there, this again brings back the false sense of security.

As Edith is looking at the wax cylinder recordings she found behind the door an extreme long shot of her with the now very still dog lasting only a few seconds appears onscreen. The juxtaposition of the dog barking and becoming still makes the scene much creepier and allows the viewer to realise that the danger may not be gone. Then after this short still period the actions starts up again when the ghost girl comes out of the floor, this is filmed with a neutral shot and the sounds she is making creates an extremely terrifying feel. Another thing which becomes noticeable at this point is that even though Edit is running and making quick movements the candles don’t go out, which makes the audience think of the supernatural, and also make them aware of the paranormal presence.

When Edith and the dog gets into the elevator every shot moves very quickly, in less than 3 seconds the camera goes from a close-up of Edith picking up the dog to a close up of her face behind the bars of the elevator to a close up of the lock clicking. This very quick sequence of shots creates a hurried atmosphere and the audience feels slightly more safety, which is emphasised by the clisking of the lock on the elevator. The camera follows the elevator as it does down then stops and gives a birds eye view of it getting smaller as it moves away from danger meaning that the audience feel secure again.

Overall I think that the sequence manipulated the viewers emotions in that it made them feel lots of different emotions in a short space of time, which keeps them much more interested in the action while also fitting the horror/thriller genre and being sufficiently scary.