Get Out analysis
Genre: Horror, Psychological thriller
Theme: Racism- contemporary America
Opening sequence - very important; why?
Information which is intriguing- as we meet him later in the film - suspense - mood, scene, grabs our attention
'white suburb' - black man who is abducted into a car
Chris (a black photographer) goes to his (white) girlfriend's Rose's parents' house
Strange things take place including Rose's mum hypnotising Chris - feelings of guilt; she wants him to stop smoking
Party at the house - 'black is in fashion'
Codes and conventions
Expectations of the media product-
Horror films- jump scares; drug misuse, mature language, dark settings
Genre- horror/ psychological thriller / thriller
What does the audience expect from a film in this genre?
Music- spooky; eerie music
Settings- scary- isolated, woods, out of the way
Lighting- night shots and
Narrative
Story
How it is put together
Structure
Is the story linear or cyclical?
Linear is to tell the story in chronological way- logically
Get Out puts its story in a linear way
Beginning, Middle/ development, End
Sum up our viewing into beginning, middle and end/ conclusion/ resolution
19/3/25
Beginning:
Man kidnapped in the suburbs
Chris & Rose together
Chris & Rose visit her parents
Middle:
Strange atmosphere at the house
Chris is hypnotised by Rose’s mum
White “friends” bid for Chris – extraction
Ending:
Modern US
Horrific
Racism
Rod - Chris's friend
Mise-en-scene
Lighting:
The scene at night time, which is conversational to when crime/danger occurs. Makes the male character more vulnerable.
Streetlights project a very harsh direct light, which puts the character under pressure and suggests he is the main thing to look at.
Red headlights used by the car. Connotations of red include danger, threat, death. This links to what happens to him.
Location:
Residential area, predominantly white neighbourhood with affluent houses - the black male character clearly feels uneasy and on the edge "I stick out like a sore thumb out here."
Levi-Strauss, binary opposition: stereotype of white power vs black weakness.
Props:
The car is white, which catches the attention of the audience. White connotations purity and innocence, but the owner of the car juxtaposes this idea as he kidnaps and attacks the black character.
Black male character:
The main is attacked, which challenges the stereotype of typical men in the media. He is dragged along like prey, like a “dead rabbit”.
He is wearing clothing that reflects his class – mid-lower class.
Facial expression – began confused as he walks down the street and is clearly lost.
Then he becomes concerned and eventually is terrified.
The attacker:
He is wearing all black, his face is concealed. This creates enigma, tension, mystery and anxiety for the character AND the audience. Connotations of black include death, danger, power and dominance.
Sound
Diegetic (in the world of the film):
Dog barking - connotations of a dog barking are when it is threatened or identifies someone unfamiliar. This is heard directly after the character says "I stick out like a sore thumb out here" This helps to foreshadow and links with genre.
"I stick out like a sore thumb out here" this implies he is not accepted and links to the class system in society.
Run Rabbit Music – Begins diegetic, we hear it from the source of the car.
The word run is used as a warning, telling him to run away and escape what is about to happen.
The song itself has several negative connotations and subtly foreshadows the themes/narrative of the film. It suggests black people are inferior and as good as animals.
Scraping of feet/the attack – makes us feel uneasy. Audience feels sympathetic for the character. Lots of enigma created.
Non-diegetic:
The song becomes non-diegetic as it increases in volume. The danger (attacker) leaves the car and so the level of threat increases. It also reiterates the subtle meaning behind the lyrics and song. This increases the level of intensity alongside the actions, whilst he is being attacked.
When the car door slams shut, the music stops. Instead, we hear silence, followed by a string chord, known as the Devils Chord. The connotations of this chord perfectly align and is a parallel sound to what we are seeing.
Contrapuntal:
The music itself is a quite jolly and upbeat, which doesn’t match the action. This creates unease for the audience as we become quite disorientated and uncomfortable whilst watching a very violent action of events.
Camera
Tracking Camera movement:
Tracking shots are used to follow the black character, creates suspense and suggests the black character is in danger. It shows he is being followed and has been targeted.
Over the Shoulder Shot:
This is used when the black male character is just about to get attacked. It acts as the presence of the attacker. We don’t know who he is, neither does the man.
High Angle
This is used on his feet whilst he is being attacked/dragged. We never see the attackers face. This creates power over the black character. It emphases him being prey.
Wide/establishing shot:
This is used at the very end of opening sequence and gives a whole perspective of the area and emphases how alone/isolated he is.
Mid shot/close up:
There are used throughout the majority of the opening sequence highlights how targeted he is and how suffocated he feels. Close ups allow us to see his facial expressions, how lost/scared he is.
Editing
The opening sequence consists of only one cut.
Why?
- The continuous shot makes the audience feel as through we are involved with the character and moving with him (immersed).
- It foreshadows that something bad is abut to happen. Without several cuts, the audience, (and male character) can't see what is happening behind/in front of him. We are at the mercy of the camera.
- It creates a connection between the character and the camera. We as the audience become the eyes of the camera and follow all the continuous action.
flow in a clear way.
Comments
Post a Comment