The last exorcism is a film told from the prospective of a delusional evangelical minister who after years of performing exorcisms decides to participate in a documentary chronicling his last exorcism while exposing the fraud of his ministry. After receiving a letter from a local farmer asking for help in driving out the devil, he meets the farmer afflicted daughter.
MISE EN SCENE
The mise en scene deals with many aspects of the trailer such as location, props, costumes, make-up etc. In terms of the location, it is a very rural remote place that looks slightly run down as represented by the derelict-looking house and the fields as well as the barn. The film is hosted in America in a lower/working class environment. In terms of costume and props, a lot of it represents religious ideologies such as the bible, priest outfitting, crucifix, holy water, the devil etc. Other props included are props such as guns, cars, farming equipment etc, of which all represent a stereotypical lifestyle of a working class farmer.
The verb exorcism means "the attempted expulsion of an evil spirit" which then links to the bible as being possessed by the devil. This film promotes the biblical ideologies of good and evil, God and the Devil. The farmers daughter that has been possessed by the evil spirit and is bed ridden and wears an evening gown which has a semantic field with hospitals and their gowns so this can represent illness and death. The costume is all very stereotypical for example the farmer wears an open, usually scruffy shirt with a pair of jeans and boots which represents lower working class. Make-up is used specifically for the girl to show when she is possessed as her pigment in her face turns to pale white and her eyes and mouth become very red, also blood is part of the make-up not only on the characters faces but on the girls blouse.
CAMERA
There are many medium, close up and long shots used in the trailer. For example there is a panning long shot when the priest drives past a derelict, haunted looking house. This sets the mood, scenery and location of which the priest is about to enter. At the beginning of the film there is a point-of-view shot of someone looking out the window at the priest praying. This is mysterious as we (the viewers) do not know who is gazing at the priest and it influences imagery, some may think its the possessed girl some may even think its a nosey neighbour. There is subjective filming (camera shot+angle) in the jeep that almost puts the viewer next to the character in the film. This is affective as it feels like you are in the jeep with the priest and experiencing first hand what he is going through. There is a high angle close up when the possessed girl is on the floor in the barn, it shows her terrified facial expressions and the high angle has an effect of showing that the girl is in a vulnerable state. Approaching the end of the trailer there is a montage of rapid close-ups of the farmers, priests and girls face to build suspense and tension of not knowing what is happening or going to happen.
ENCODING/DECODING
This film takes horror into a different perspective, as it deals with religious beliefs, "if you
believe in God, then you believe in the Devil". Religion applies to many people as many people have strong beliefs that there is a God so when a horror films promotes the ideas of the devil, it creates a slightly "possible" concept of the storyline, the thought that it could happen. Due to this it makes the film even more terrifying, this is a very intelligent technique created by the producers. The gratifications offered are entertainment as it gets them scared or provokes an emotion and social interaction as it can come up in a transactional social conversation between friends.
Dyers Utopian theory applies to this trailer as viewers would gain energy and solution from the trailer/film that they may not obtain from their usual day to day lifestyle. Horror appeals to people by provoking certain emotions through the use of macabre, jumpy scenes or gruesome content. Dyers theory offers usually a young audience "solutions" and "energy" that they may lack in their day-to-day lifestyle, a viewer suffering from exhaustion may be revitalised through the special affects, quick cuts, costume, graphics or "creepy" story line. The studio logos such as Studio Canal and Lionsgate are there not only to publicise the production but the target audience may also know of other films that this studio has made. Lionsgate have made many many contemporary horror films such as Saw and Hostel. There are many signifiers that are specifically put in the trailer to represent a certain thing. For example the big trucks, cars driving on the right side of the road, american accent and the recognised American house with porches are all in the opening scene of the trailer. This is so that the audience instantly know where they are. Other dominant ideologies and signifiers are those of Religious ideologies such as the devil, God, exorcism etc of which all have a strong semantic field with Religion.
In terms of representation of characters and audience all is not only created through age, gender and location but also religion. The film creates a stereotype of males being the stronger and dominant species as the girl is the one to be possessed and is vulnerable but also the girl is at young age which also has connotations of being vulnerable and naive.
EDITING
Throughout the movie trailer there are many rapid cuts from shot to shot. In the opening 16seconds of the trailer there are 10cuts of which creates pace, interest and suspense. The fast cuts alternate from location, characters and props such as the crucifix. There is also graphic editing towards the end of the trailer, there are shots of the possessed girl with colour distortion and camera distortion giving an effect of evil and supernatural "species". Editing can also include chiaroscuro lighting, this is used in a shot of the girl, she is brightly lit, but the back ground is dark. The bright light may have connotations that there is "light at the end of the tunnel" in other words there is some sort of Godly presence as represented by the white gown and lighting as well as being juxtaposed by the darkness of the room and location behind her. This shot is also copied when looking at the priest which may represent that he is the saviour. Non diegetic plays from the beginning of the trailer, orchestral music with high pitches and tones haunts the trailer as well as the non diegetic voice over the priest giving an effect of a documentary. In the voice over the person says "if you believe in God, you believe in the Devil" of which sums up the storyline in a sentence as is also an issue that arrises in the bible with the idea of good and evil, God and the Devil. There is also diegetic sounds that play throughout such as screaming, shouting, loud bangs, a gun being reloaded etc. By the use of keeping both non-diegetic sounds and diegetic sounds playing throughout the trailer, its causes a lot of noise therefore creates an uncomfortable atmosphere.
Genre
Undoubtably this is a Horror movie that provokes the emotion of fear through a malevolent presence possessing a girl. This films deals with biblical ideologies of good and evil, the devil possesses a girl and as there are many reported storys of exorcism it bring the horror film to reality and adds that extra dose of fear as it could actually happen in the minds of the viewers. In terms of sub genres this can be easily categorised into Religion as the devil is the key villain that is causing all the pain.
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