'The Strangers' Analysis - Mrs Frisendar

   helht

'The Strangers' Analysis

Editing and Sound:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrCZ-X66KKQ 

The pace of editing and the use of sound is what makes this scene from 'The Strangers' very intense. The diegetic sounds are extremely useful as they make the scene seem very authentic - for example the knocking on the door at the beginning of the scene. This sound is very important as it is the opposite to what a villain would do. The audience would expect an antagonist to burst into the room, not to knock on the door. This gives the villain an unexpected 'politeness' which is not conventional to a thriller, however, this makes the scene more creepy which is conventional to a thriller film. This sound is also effective because the audience can hear the knocking but because of the obstruction of the door the audience cannot identify the villain. This is common in a thriller film as it adds mystery to the scene which makes the audience feel curious but anxious to find out who is knocking at the door. The diegetic sound also makes the audience fear for the victim and pray that she doesn't open the door. The pace of editing during this scene is very slow. Slow editing makes the scene feel very long and intense which is conventional to a thriller film as it builds the audience's anxiety and puts them on edge. It also portrays the victim's cautious and fearful state of mind which makes the audience feel the same.
                 Later on in the scene, the knocking sound becomes more aggressive. This sound proves that the victim is become more impatient and aggressive which puts the audience in the mindset of the victim and makes them panic. This diegetic sound makes the audience ask themselves, 'should I open the door or hide?' and heightens their apprehension and builds their adrenaline which is the purpose of a thriller film.
              
There is a non-diegetic sound as one of the masked villains appear at the window. This sound  shocks the audience and makes them jump. It also portrays the shock and fear of the victim and is conventional to a thriller because it creates a fearful reaction from the audience. The editing quickens in order to create a chaotic atmosphere. This portrays the victim's erratic state of mind. This pace of editing is conventional to a thriller film as it makes the audience feel as erratic and a sense of panic for the victim. The editing throughout this scene is very basic (only straight cuts, regular motion etc) in order to make this far-fetch story seem very realistic. This is conventional to a thriller film as it makes the film seem more believable and has more of a psychological impact on the audience.
               During this event, diegetic music begins to play on a record player. The style of music is very strange and doesn't seem like the style of music that the victim would own. This shows that perhaps the villain has put the music on in order to torture the victim even more. This creates a reaction from the audience as their hate for the villain increases and so does their sympathy for the victim. The music also makes the scene feel more creepy. The increasing volume within sounds also creates an erratic atmosphere and portrays the rapid increase within the victims fear and adrenaline. This is conventional to a thriller as it puts the audience into the mindset of the victim and makes them as frightened as the victim. It also provides the audience with nerve-wracking adrenaline which is an emotion that is expected when watching a thriller film.