Religion in Supernatural Horror

How Religion in Incorporated in Supernatural Horror?

As we are planning to have a priest in our opening scene, it is important that his occupation is instantly identifiable to our audience. One way in which this can be done is through the mise en scene. It is common for religious figures in supernatural horror films to wear a white clerical collar as well as the plain black cossack. For example, in The Exorcism of Emily Rose, the priest's costume consists of these alongside a purple religious scarf. As well as this, religious objects such as holy water and pectoral cross or rosary beads which is commonly associated it  Christianity.

Sound

Another way in which religion is incorporated in supernatural horror is through the non-diegetic sounds of traditional church music which has been manipulate to sound sinister. This is seen within the opening scene of Stigmata where it starts with the non diegetic background music sounding similar to faint low pitched chants alongside faint high pitched wind instruments which creates an eerie atmosphere.

Symbols

One of the most common symbols using in supernatural horror films where religion is a common theme, is the cross which is a direct link to Christianity. The cross is incorporated in The Devil Inside to appeal to the genre. Firstly, the symbol is red, which is symbolic to danger and violence as well as being a common colour scheme in this genre. In addition to this, the symbol is in reversal as well as being made to look as though it has been cut into the woman's mouth which all effectively emphasise the sinister element which is being brought across.

Religious figures in supernatural horrors.

In many supernatural horrors religious figures are shown. They all wear the same type of costume. A dog collar with a black shirt and suit. This is very effective because the white dog collar stands out from the rest of the colours and makes the person instantly recognizable. We could possibly go down this route for our film opening but we could also have our priest in lighter clothing that goes against the common convention which would make us different from all the other films that are already out there. You would still recognize the person instantly. this religious figure is from the film the devil inside but there are many more films which incorporate the same costume.

Props are also a important, you would need to have a bible an maybe some ceremonial robes to make it more authentic. Rosary beads would also be useful as they have connotations to religion but would make a nice sound when they were moved. This could possibly add depth to our film sequence. 

Location Scouting

Location Scouting

As we want to focus on bring the fear factor to our opening scene (in order to appeal to our target audience), I wanted to focus on locations where suspense is at it peak (for example, in a chase scene or when showing someone who is possessed).

Churches

the dark marks emphasize the old look.

As religion is commonly linked to supernatural films when showing possession, I looked at a few churches as this is one way in which we  religion could be incorporated into our opening. Though I liked the old look which this building had, its surroundings didn't appeal to one which would be suitable for horror as it is surrounded by a busy road.



 Another church which I looked at was All Saints' Church in Blackheath village, which was surrounded by a vast amount of open area which goes along with the isolated atmosphere which would want to be created in a horror. On the other hand, the building looked quite modern and didn't give a spooky ambiance as the other building had. I also tried to look for tall buildings as it adds to the sense of a higher power, which is the case in possessions.

Alleyways

I also decided to focus on alleyways/cul-de-sac's as these are seen as a cut-off-point in chase scenes and often add suspense as the victim ends up unknowingly running into these which commonly leads to them getting caught by the antagonist.
The following images are examples of the dead ends which I found. These give an isolated ambiance which would be suitable for our opening.



I prefer this alleyway of the two as it is not as wide and emphasizes the idea of being 'closed in on'. Also, there is nowhere for the victim to go (i.e. no wall to jump or climb from), which adds suspense as there would be nowhere for them to escape to.

Woods/Open Area 

From our questionnaire, our target audience said they found woody areas just as frightening as family homes therefore, I decided to look into these as when trying to create a isolated atmosphere as they consist of a vast amount of open area therefore adding to the supernatural sub genre. Firstly, I looked at the open area which is also near one of the churches which I looked at in Blackheath. Again, the secluded image is fit for the genre as well as adds suspense.

 As well as this, I looked at a wooded area in Jordan's Wood which also gives a secluded feel. I prefer this location as not many people come here at the same time, therefore when filming, it will be easier to give off this isolated atmosphere. Also,  as we have been looking at the idea of having a "stalker", we could play around with different angles and movements behind the many tree branches. Furthermore, because of the branches, unlike the large grass area, the victim cannot see anything, which would heighten the mysterious atmosphere of a stalker, as well as playing into the idea of going into the unknown. Furtheremore, we could create a silhouette of the branches using back lighting to add a dark atmosphere.

Evaluation

Pros

When looking for the different locations which could be used, I think that I found some effective ones. such as the old church building as it created a spooky feel, which is what we are trying to achieve.

Cons

On the other hand, as most of the group live in or around Bexley, I could have focused on locations which were specifically in this area, as when it comes to having to film, it will be more practical and convenient for the majority. I could have considered New Community Church as its building also had a similar dark grey colour which could also create a spooky atmosphere.

Religion represented in supernatural horrors

Religion is a large part of supernatural horrors as there are a lot of films that have exorcisms which normally have some sort of religious figure in them, The devil inside and The exorcism of Emily Rose.

The devil inside.

We learn that the protagonist’s mother was possessed by an evil spirit and ended up killing three people, she was then sent to a Catholic Church mental asylum in Rome. This piece of information shows that he church is interested in possessions and they are presented to be open to the idea of supernatural forces working through normal people.

The mental asylum is shown to be both sterile like a hospital as it uses all white and very religious as you can see crosses everywhere. The “doctors” are portrayed to be actual doctors and not just mad men as they have proper white lab coats and they conduct themselves in a very professional manor.

 

The possessed woman speaks in strange gibberish to reinforce the idea that she is in a human form but is more than just some crazy woman. The symbols on her arms are crosses which links in with her being at a Christian mental asylum. She even has a cross either scratched or burned into the insider of her lip. This could insinuate that her demonization started in one area and then spread to different parts of her body the worse it got.

One of the priests that the Isabella has employed is young and looks very vulnerable. The other priest is a lot more experienced and says that his background in medicine will help with the possessions, as he is melding science with religion. This makes the audience believe what he is saying more as he is not seen as a crazy religious exorcist.

 Even the image if the title has been surrounded by the crosses which were scarring Maria’s body.

The exorcism of Emily Rhodes.

The priest is represented as desperate and depressed as he is thought to be reason for Emily Rose death as the court thinks that she didn’t get adequate psychiatric and medical help. We also see him as vulnerable and scared when he is in his prison cell.

 

 When he is at court he seems to be unemotional and not fazed by anything that is being said.

In one of the flash backs we hear about anencounter that Father moore had with one of the spirits at 3am which is supposedly the devils hour as it is the opposite of 3pm which is widely accepted as the time of Jesus' death. There is mention of an exorcism showing to the audience that exorcisms are generall practice in the Catholic church.

 

 

You only

There is still the demonic voice of the demon used and Emily’s body moving on its own.

You find out in the film that there is six demons within Emily and that they were the demons that possessed Cain, Nero and Judas Iscariot, as well as the demons Legion, Belial and Lucifer.

The audience slowly learns to trust the priest and believes his story.

This film takes a new spin on the idea of religion in supernatural films as it start with the audience doubting the priest.

The Devil Inside

Editing and Possession

As the scene builds up, the straight cuts become more common and much faster, building up suspense for the audience and creating a feel of urgency. The straight cuts between the scene and the CCTV view allows the audience to follow the scene smoothly and understand what is happening, whilst adding more depth.

The straight cuts between characters and use of zoom show the growing tension and emotion in the daughter, as she has to sit and encounter her mother in this state. 

Cuts in the skin, such as religious symbols (the cross on the inside of the lip.) Evil demon causing the possession, contrasts to the pure spirit that is associated with the cross (jesus etc.) Etchings on the wrist, 'connecting the dots', shows she is a demonic product of the evil that has over-taken her. They show the character has no control over themselves, which is frightening to the audience and links to the horror genre. 

"Its against God's will you know" again is another reference to religion, which are seen throughout the film. Religion is very common as there is the view that religious beliefs or rituals (such as exorcisms) will get rid of the demonic power possessing a character.

Changing off the voice and strange behavior also indicates that the character has been overtaken. The woman screaming in daughters face suddenly is an example of this, it also scares the audience, linking directly to the genre. Also the incoherent mumbling at the beginning also shows this.

Flexibility and un-natural body positions are also very common in films that feature possession. These are particularly gruesome visually, and create a very disturbing and tense nature for the audience, adding to the horror genre.

The fact that the women who is possessed by the demonic power is locked up in a mental ward highlights the common controversy between possession and the mentally ill.

Films about possessions tend to hold a lot of un-natural elements, for example the wind suddenly blowing. This is extremely disturbing to the audience as it is unrealistic, but at the same time not completely absurd and so creates uneasy feelings. 

Within films that mainly focus on demonic possession, it does not follow the same generic 'character storyline' that most horror films do. It does not act upon the 'sweet, virgin girl survives and all her reckless friends do not.' The demonic possessions appear 'random' in a way, and can happen to any character, The demon in this film jumps between characters at different points (mainly near the end.)

The Woman In Black Deconstruction

 Thriller, Horror, Drama

Sound and Mise en Scene

The sequence opens with the diegetic noise of a steam train playing during the titles, which then transitions into the shot of an actual steam train speeding along a track. A string instrument plays, creating an atmospheric mood that carries on under the on-screen diegetic sound of talking and rumbling of the train. A sharp breathing sound provides a transition for the scenes and the string instrument begins to sound louder.

The use of a steam train along with the old fashioned clothing immediately allows the audience to recognise that the film is set in a different time period.

A non-diegetic sinister base sound begins, linking to the thriller and horror genres of the movie, creating an uneasy atmosphere for the audience. There are silences so the audience are able to focus their full attention on chilling noises such as the squeaky door, a classic horror feature.

The introduction of the gloomy, unkept, abandoned and castle-like house instantly hints to the audience that spooky events are going to occur, linking to the genres. The completely grey-scaled inside with old fashioned chandeliers, candles, old paintings, a dusty grand staircase and cobwebs over old portraits add to the eerie feel.

Throughout the house, which is surrounded by grey, dreary marshlands (secluded) is old-fashioned and dusty, yet has personal touches so it is obvious that someone had once lived there.

 A continuous non-diegetic eerie note begins to build, creating tension and suspense, linking to the thriller genre.

The eerie note along with the on-screen diegetic sound of ticking continues to a build up where the eye of a mysterious figure can be seen through one of the gaps, at which there is a non-diegetic loud clanking sound as the face appears.

The non-diegetic sound starts building up and becomes more urgent, building suspense. Flashback transitions linked with the sound of a sharp breath, with the diegetic sounds within the scene still being heard over the top of it.

The use of thunder, lightening and rain (along with the diegetic sound of it) adds much more darkness to the mood and becomes more sinister to the audience. The characters then begin to look more distorted due to lack of light and the fact they are drenched, making the audience feel more distressed.

The use of a small village gives a homely feel, but it is clear that the people are not safe and there is no real help. A woman shaking as she pours a drink, with the diegetic sound of the glass clinking, clearly seems to be frightened by something, and this gets the audience feeling shaken.

The use of photographs with the faces scratched out proves distressing for the audience, but also shows that research is being done into the creepy events occurring and a conclusion may be come to.

The use of children is disturbing for the audience, who will automatically feel a certain amount of sympathy for them as they are younger. The use of children's toys also, such as the clapping monkey (that makes an on-screen diegetic sound of clapping when playing) is also terrifying yet a common horror feature.

   

The blood-like message on the wall of 'you could have saved him' adds a chilling effect.

Symbols such as the cross in the marshland brings in religious elements.

The non-diegetic noise drones out till a sudden diegetic scream as a ghostly figure appears at the darkened window, making the audience jump, which links perfectly to the thriller genre. The sequence ends with a non-diegetic rumble.