A Nightmare on Elm Street is a 1984 American
horror slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven, which is the first of
the franchise. Set in the fictional Mid-Western town of Springwood, Ohio, the
plot revolves around several teenagers who are stalked and killed in their
dreams by Freddy Krueger.
The main title of the film is red and white.
The red is used for the words “A Nightmare” implying danger with a nightmare so
therefore this would be the appropriate colour to use. The colour white is
juxtaposed as it illustrates that Elm Street is clean and pure, connoting them
as the victim of the movie. After the main titles the font transitions to a
bumpy and unjust line suggesting the movie may be disorientated or delusional,
this is reinforced with the thought of a nightmare.
The beginning sequence is the form of a
montage, and shows various close ups of what, presumably the antagonist, Freddy
is preparing himself by creating a glove with knives attached to his fingers.
After leaving this scene, a long shot shows a blonde female in a secluded
tunnel. This is a commonplace imagery and conventional in numerous horrors, as
it creates a labyrinth where the victims are constantly trapped, and have
nowhere to run or hide.
The Mise En Scene shows the first minute of
everything either dark red or brown, creating a red tinge on the screen. Also
the character is around dangerous equipment like a torch blower and a hammer,
further denoting that this is a treacherous character. The next character is
the blonde female who is undoubtedly the first victim, dressed in a white gown
as well as a white background. The colour white suggests she is innocent; this
corresponds to the idea about her being the first victim. The leaking pipe adds
to the danger.
Moreover the diegetic sound of the clanking
metal as the knives are being shaped and welded together suggests that the
antagonist is in a way articulating in what way he is going to attack his
victims. We also hear a lot of breathing, and as he finishes we hear him rip
through a fabric, this is to highlight again how dangerous he is. As he tears,
we hear a scream which foreshadows what is to come.
On the other hand the music heard at the
beginning is played low so you can barely hear it; this is to magnify the noise
of the panting from the man and the clanking of the metal. The non-diegetic
sounding is very high pitched and gives the setting an eerie and uncomfortable
feel. It has a similar sound to a nursery rhyme which adds to the strange introduction.
In the horror genre, shots are often edited
together quickly with cuts to create a rapid momentum and tension for the
audience. However in this extract the shots are edited at a steady pace. The
intention is to slowly build up suspense and to keep the audience on the edge
of their seats.
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