This particular trailer grabbed my attention because it’s
unique to the horror genre. I think this due to its unrealistic nature; it’s as
if it’s a ‘nightmare’.
The trailer starts off with what seems to be a nightmare; a
series of places that have an evil touch to them, which then, follows with a
female waking up disturbed. We are then shown the school the girl belongs to;
this is a good setting as it’s an everyday normal place that wouldn’t expect
anything bad to happen. The school corridor suddenly transforms into a dark
mutated alley, following many other horrors by using the darkness as a fear of
the unknown. As the plot is to do with nightmares the settings are endless; the
idea that evil can attack whenever, however and where ever making it
conventional to the horror genre.
Another way this trailer uses the codes and conventions of
the horror genre, is through the camera, lighting, sound and framing. For
example, to build tension for the viewer the shots are cut quickly from one to
another. Throughout the trailer we are issued with plenty of close ups to show
the person’s emotion, which is predominantly fear. The time between each shot
is very quick and sharp to build the tension, and also suggests the film
consists of lots of action. Most of the camera work revolves around Adelaide
Clemens (Heather), implying she’s the protagonist, with the majority of the
shots reinforcing the fact she is alone and isolated. This trailer follows most
horror trailers in the sense that, the lighting is always low key and dark, to
connote the evil/darkness surrounding the characters. The trailer begins with a
series of weird unknown sounds to support the unusual things going on in the
shots. It then moves onto Clemens normal life, (equilibrium) like school, which
is supported with a slow/calming piano track for a short while. Then throughout
the rest of the trailer we hear the repeated weird sounds till the end of the
trailer. Then to fit most horror trailers, there’s a moment of silence to make
the audience concentrate to then make them jump.
It is easy to distinguish ‘good’ from ‘evil’ in this trailer, because
conventionally evil is ugly and abnormal, whereas good is a typical and normal
family. Another way it fits the horror genre well is the exaggerated use of
darkness to make the audience aware of the evil, darkness and isolation being
displayed. Silent Hill has a unique touch as it’s a horror but uses very
unrealistic monsters as such, and the idea that the location around Clemens,
dissolves/transforms into a whole new location. We are shown a carnival nearing
the end of the trailer, which challenges the stereotype of what we all know to
be a fun, innocent childish place, which follows a complete different view. The
carnival was shown almost as a deathtrap with evil lurking round each and every
corner.
The trailer gives a very good narrative without giving away too much and
leaving the audience with plenty of questions to ask. First we are shown a compilation
of unusual shots which follows with Clemens waking up to suggest the previous
shots were a nightmare. This is conventional of horrors to introduce with the ‘disruption’
before the ‘equilibrium’. This then follows with the normal life of Clemens for
an extremely short time, until it seems her nightmare is becoming real. Her dad
is then taken which then makes Clemens need to face her fears/nightmare to
retrieve her father.
From the trailer I believe Silent Hill’s main theme is nightmare, as is doesn’t
seem realistic, but uses many creative ways to present evil. Other themes used
in the film could be love between Clemens and Harinton as they are two teens of
similar age. But like many horrors, Silent Hill will use themes such as fear,
death, revenge etc.
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