'Case 39' horror film analysis

Info Info

The film ‘Case 39’ was released in ‘2009’ and rated as a ’15’.

The plot for the film is ‘A naïve social worker brings a 10 year old child into her home- to rescue the girl from abusive parents- only to learn she isn’t what she seems.’

I have chosen to analysis this film because I like the way it establishes an eerie atmosphere in the introduction through the use of media language. It has done this by using the techniques of: mise en scene, sound, editing and narrative context.

The main character ‘naïve social worker’ is played by a well known actress of the name Renee Zellweger, by using a well known actress I think that it could remind the audience that they are watching a film if they have seen the actress on screen before. I think if they had used a actress who was less well known or someone who hadn’t appeared on screen before it would had added to the realistic effect that the film has, making the audience view the film like they do everyday life.

Setting Setting

Moving image: Moving image: telephototelephoto

Shot 1Shot 1

The shot shown in the previous slide is a long shot, the long shot has been used to establish where the backstory of the main character has been based upon, by having the first shot showing the house it tells the audience how the setting of the house is a main part of the background story of the main character. The first shot is at the time duration of 00:21, then after this the moving image technique of telephoto is used to give the audience a look of the house in closer detail before cutting to the next shot which takes place inside the house. This also helps the storyline flow smoothly by using the rules of continuity by slowly introducing the setting rather than having a shot of the inside of the house straight away, it helps the flow because it makes sense to gradually venture closer to the house rather than be across the street from it and then suddenly be inside the house.

Setting Setting

The setting for ‘Case 39’ has been used in a clever way, to make the implication to the audience that the characters are vulnerable, in danger and that something isn’t quite right that it shouldn’t be happening.

The producers have done this by having the first setting seen in the introduction appearing: isolated, unusual and dangerous looking.

The reason the producers have used a house which has an ‘isolated, unusual and dangerous’ appearance is because from this denotation it then brings the connotation of danger because of the association with danger and a haunted house. The association of the haunted house is brought to the viewers mind, because the scene which is first shown is a long shot of a dark street with a tall house which is oddly shaped and which also has a rough appearance about it because the exterior of the house looks old and like it hasn’t been touched in a while.

Lighting Lighting

The lighting which has been used for the introduction of the film is of low key and then switches to a high key.

The low key lighting has been used because it creates a eerie atmosphere which makes the audience feel uncomfortable. This is because the dark is usually associated with danger

The colour tones in the scene are low key, the colour of the sky mainly being black and with some tones of dark blue. The use of these two colours adds to heavy eerie atmosphere which has been created because the of the associations which have been connoted with the use of the colours.

The use of the colour black is associated with danger because it is the colour which is worn at funerals, but whether or not this connotation is created in the viewers mind depends on whether or not the country they come from. Another reason danger might be created in the mind of a viewer could be because it is the colour of the night this creates the connotation of danger because you cannot see much at night when waking sometimes you have to be

careful because you can’t see as much as during the day.

Sound Sound

Diegetic Sound- The film introduction uses mostly natural sound this is classed as diegetic sound because it comes from a source within the frame this means the characters can hear it so it is within the frame. The use of natural diegetic sound gives the film a sense of realism this is because by minimizing the use of edited in sound effects it makes it appear in the audiences view like it is really happening so that they are not

reminded that they are watching a film.

Soundtrack- music has been used to create a tense atmosphere, the music uses instrumentation with a fast pulse beat to create tension in some places of the introduction this creates the connotation in the viewers mind of danger because usually when you are panicking or running quickly away from someone or something the heart beat in your chest quickens in panic.

Editing Editing

Cuts- No effects- gives a sense of reality because it means the film viewers see it like they would see it similarly to the way they see everyday life, the cuts are smooth to help keep the film flowing this therefore keeps the audiences attention.

Mise en scene Mise en scene Costumes and make-up- Make-up has not been used this adds to the

realistic feel because by not using obvious effects such as fake blood it makes the events in the plot seem normal at the start of the film but when things start to go wrong it will shock them making them feel much more scared than if the film follows a predictable pattern for example if the film went straight into the events where things are going wrong for the characters.

The producers have placed most of the characters to make them seem like they are just living everyday life normally and that nothing is happening that wouldn't’t normally. By doing this it creates shock when the audience find out what the main character is really like, this helps to achieve the purpose of a horror film of scaring the audience this will make them more scared because they will not expect the events which happen in the plot to happen prior to them happening.