Personal Horror Film Review 2 - Silent Hill (2006)

Film Title: Silent Hill

Year of Production: 2006

Director: Christophe Gans

Genre: Horror/Mystery

Brief Plot Outline:

After her daughter Sharon continuously has sleep walking episodes, Rose makes the decision to take Sharon to the place that she often mentions in her sleep – Silent Hill. However, after the fire incident that took place there, Silent Hill is anything but easy to access. When a high speed chase between Rose and a cop goes wrong, Sharon has disappeared leaving the two to work together to find her. However, Rose is unaware of the terror surrounding her and finds herself getting more entwined in the disturbing past of Silent Hill.

Trailer for Silent Hill demonstrating the plot outline:

Which two scenes impressed you the most? Why?

When Rose becomes lost in Silent Hill and begins to gain consciousness after the car crash, the audience can feel tension and suspense for the first time which makes this particular scene impressive. As Rose attempts to get acclimatised to the new surroundings, long shots of empty spaces and abandoned buildings in the mise-en-scene conveys an impression of being lost and feeling empty which symbolises the way Rose feels after losing her child. A clear contrast is in place when the camera cuts to a close up of Rose’s reaction to the different environment. As the camera arcs around Rose’s head, the emotions of confusion and disorientation are emphasized. The slow panning in this scene combined with the parallel music that is featured as Rose begins searching for her daughter and turning some very dark, eerie corners conveys the sense of mystery. This demonstrates how the narrative will unfold as we learn that Rose is a strong character and captures the conventions of a female survivor with her short hair and her plain, baggy clothes. Due to this, it is evident that the narrative will follow Rose on her personal journey to fight evil forces to be reunited with her child. The second most impressive scene was the rise of Alessa; this section of the film was the height of the action and demonstrated the plot twist that would see the disruption to the equilibrium resolved. For example, we learn why Alessa appears evil and begin to feel sympathetic towards her character, when Rose helps her get revenge on the people of Silent Hill she is one step closer to getting Sharon back which would provide a new state of equilibrium. To emphasise the sadistic feeling of the scene, the editing has a slow pace and the collision cuts between Alessa’s face and sections of body horror conveys the idea that Alessa is enjoying the brutality and violence. The parallel music and high key sound effects expresses the sheer horror of the situation, yet the audience still feel sympathetic towards Alessa which creates and overall disturbed and uncomfortable feeling, typical of this genre.

This image shows the developing narrative when Rose decides to help Alessa.



This clip demonstrates the clever use of cinematography and mise-en-scene when Rose wakes up and is confused/disoriented. (panning, big empty spaces, arcing and extreme high angle shots).

How has watching this film helped you understand this genre of filmmaking? Which features on the genre checklist did you spot in the film? When? How?

One of the most prominent conventions of the horror genre present in Silent Hill was the use of low key lighting. The use of lighting in this film was an important aspect of the plot; for example, when high key lighting was employed, we knew Rose was safe from evil and could continue her search. However, the low key lighting signified the coming of all things dark and evil. Therefore, the darkly lit scenes portrayed an ominous, foreboding feeling that prepared the audience for the more disturbing aspects of the film. Similarly, the use of parallel music also added to the intensity of suspense whilst reinforcing the religious themes of the film when a church organ is used. The most powerful reference to religion was made when all of the worshipers were being slaughtered; the spiritual sounding music conveyed the idea that religion can only protect you until you have to face the demon. In addition to this, the use of collision cutting created a clear contrast between long shots and close ups. Again, this reinforced the feelings of being empty and lost as they see features of the ‘creepy location’  but at the same time helped to remind them of the character’s thoughts and feelings as the close ups took them into the mind of the character. By creating this effect, the audience feel sympathetic towards Rose and are urging her to carry on fighting; this really immerses the audience into the film. However, the element of body horror created the opposite effect as some of the more graphic and violent scenes were very disturbing which can cause the audience to wince and watch the film in an obstructed manor. For example, Alessa wrapping barbed wire around someone so tightly until it shreds them into pieces felt very unsettling and disturbing. Furthermore, the reoccurring theme of loneliness and the fear of being trapped added to the eerie and mysterious impression of the film. For example, when Rose loses her only friend to the religious coven the audience feel worried for Rose as she’s now completely alone. Similarly, the repetition of the idea that there’s no escaping Silent Hill adds to the feeling of being trapped which is highlighted by the ending. Although a lot of typical horror conventions were employed, Silent Hill seemed to challenge some features of the genre by making the audience side with the characters that society would class as morally wrong and unethical. This was demonstrated at the end when the audience felt a sense of relieve and vengeance when ‘evil’ rose from hell to seek revenge on a group of religious followers. Overall, the unhappy ending reminded the audience of the more sinister side of evil in the way that Rose (the female survivor) was still trapped in an unknown world even after giving Alessa everything she wanted.

This clip demonstrates the use of parallel music that reinforces the religious themes:

This image demonstrates the use of empty spaces in the mise-en-scene:

Which aspects of the film would you like to include in your own trailer? Why?

The idea of portraying a scene through the monster’s point of view is really interesting as it allows the audience to understand when and how the action is going to occur. For example, when Rose thinks she’s found her daughter Sharon and begins chasing her, we see the world through the eyes of Alessa (Sharon’s long lost sister) as she hides from Rose and peers round corners to establish the distance between them. This could potentially immerse the audience further into the film and keep them gripped because they’ll be urging characters not to do something or go somewhere rather than guessing what may happen next. Therefore, using a handheld camera and point of view shots from the monster’s perspective could possibly keep the audience more interested because it also challenges the stereotypical structure and conventions of the horror genre. Another key aspect of Silent Hill I would include in my own trailer is the predominant use of body horror. Due to its ability to make the audience feel ‘icky’ and ‘grossed out’, it can sometimes be more effective than feeling tense from suspense as it gets a more shocking reaction. Like the final few scenes of Silent Hill, lots of blood could be used and special effects to create authentic looking wounds. In addition to this, I would ensure most scenes would include low key lighting to emphasise the sense of darkness, evil and mystery. Similarly, a completely empty mise-en-scene could add to the eerie and empty emotions that create an unsettling feeling for the audience.

GIF. demonstrating the more extreme aspect of body horror:

These image also demonstrate a milder element of body horror.

Which aspects of the film would you like to avoid in your own trailer?

The one aspect of Silent Hill I would avoid using in my own trailer is the use of creepy locations. Due to the fact that Silent Hill is a fantasy/unrealistic location, the characters are far away from any authentic feel of reality. Unfortunately, this minimises the audience’s ability to put themselves in the shoes of the characters and relate to their situation. Without the ability to relate to the characters, the film is unlikely to make a lasting impact on the audience as they’ll constantly be reminded they’re watching a world of make-believe. To avoid this, I would have a contrast between creepy locations and familiar places/environments that people are in every day; this could potentially make the events seem more realistic and relatable leaving the audience thinking that this could happen to them. Similarly, the constant use of parallel music makes the whole of the film very tense. With only a few scenes that allow the audience to feel safe, the suspense can become overpowering resulting in a loss of interest and can cause the audience to not fully understand the plot. To prevent this from happening I would incorporate both parallel and contrapuntal music to maintain an eerie feeling. However, I would include a lot more silence as it leaves the audience’s imagination to wander and can create a more effective reaction. Overall, the most obvious aspect of this film I would avoid is an overly complicated plot. For example, the jump cuts from reality to life in Silent Hill make it hard for the audience to understand what’s real and what’s not. Likewise, the end scene that shows Rose finally returning home suggests that she is no longer in the real world, but could in fact be a ghost. When important information is left out or misunderstood, the audience can become frustrated and confused; therefore I would keep to a minimal, simplistic plot.

These images demonstrate the type of creepy locations included in the film, for example this shows an abandoned school and hotel.

What was the best aspect/more enjoyable moment in the film? Why? Can you recreate this in your own film? How?

The most enjoyable aspect of Silent Hill was its incorporation of underlying, suggestive themes such as religion and power. When the roles are reversed in the film, and Rose no longer seeks protection from the religious group keeping the so called ‘evil’ at bay, it becomes apparent that the film wants the audience to go against what society and culture would deem to be morally correct. For example, the scene that explains Alessa’s story manipulates the audience into believing that the people of faith are in fact the true evil in this world. As the film plays with these ideologies, it becomes more interesting as the audience are influenced to question what is right/wrong which can have a lasting impact. Due to this, I found this part of the film more relatable as it brought fantasy into the real world by making me question religion and people of authority. In order to capture the element of realism and authenticity in my own trailer, I would include different themes that provide a message the audience can relate to. Technically, this could be achieved through the use of cinematography in terms of high angle shots and close ups to convey the changing power of different character’s opinions.

This image shows the inside of the church and how elements of mise-en-scene reinforce the religious themes.

How does the film reflect its institutional or historical context? Analyse two scenes/events that reflect the time which the film was made.

In the year 2006 more religious topics were reaching the mainstream news. For example, 2006 saw a rise in paganism and experiments in wicca/witchcraft mainly in America. In addition to this, feminists and gay rights activists were fighting against the prejudice behind the church. At this time, the dominant religion in America was Christianity and stories started to unfold regarding the hypocrisy of their teachings.  For example, many cases of child molesting had been brought to people’s attention to demonstrate the contradiction between what the bible teaches, and what Christians and Catholics do. Silent Hill captures the zeitgeist by making references to both witchcraft and religion; for example, Alessa’s mother is against the dominant religion and chooses to follow the darkness and evil spirits. Similarly, references are made to witchcraft as the audience witness Alessa being victimised for not having a father and is burned for being a witch. The ending also sees Rose side with evil in order to overrule the old-fashioned and hypocritical beliefs and teachings of the powerful religious figures of that time.  The film’s ability to incorporate a sense of anti-establishment and a reflection on traditional teachings works in conjunction with the movement in culture that brought a new age of consumerism and dominant media companies. In addition to this, 2006 was the year that saw a 39% rise in the amount of child abductions. With this fear already in the minds of the audience, Silent Hill added to the increasing concern by opening the film with two desperate parents in search of their daughter, Sharon. Similarly, the use of body horror involving a young girl being burnt alive clearly demonstrates the time in which it was made. For example, the CGI gore effects used shows how relaxed censorship has become as Silent Hill is only rated 15; this makes it more apparent that the film is very modern and contemporary as it demonstrates how films have adapted to shock audiences further.