Analysis of a tv/movie still

Analysis of a tv/movie still

In this still, from the movie the purge, it shows an unknown man wearing a mask and  holding two bloodied knives up to the camera. The knives take up a large amount of the shot, this shows the significance of them, as they draw the attention of the audience instantly. The knives are also very bright compared to the rest of the dark shot, this again attracts the audience's attention, showing their significance. Because the audience are instantly drawn to the knives, it creates fear as knives are a deadly weapon, which is crucial in the horror genre. In the still, and the horror genre as a whole, a key theme is mystery and the unknown. As the audience is unable to tell who this man is because of his mask, it creates mystery, which in turn creates suspense and fear. The fear of the unknown is often used in the horror genre and especially in this shot. The mask being a skull and the knives both combine to suggest death, which creates suspense and fear for the audience. The characters intention to kill is obvious to the audience, even though they are unaware who he is and have only seen him for a few seconds. The skull mask is smiling, this creates the impression that he is not only going to murder, but he is going to enjoy doing it as well. The camera on his shoulder also emphasizes at this, as it suggests the idea that he is going to rewatch the footage of him murdering, purely for pleasure enjoyment. The blood on the knife informs the audience that this mystery man has had previous victims, this creates an air of mystery as the audience has no idea who the previous victims were or why they got killed. The knife is also held very close to the camera, this creates a sense of fear for the audience, as the weapon is a very obvious and notable part of the shot.The still is very dark, with the background being virtually impossible to see, as well as the mans face being barely visible and his body in darkness. This darkness again creates a sense of mystery and the unknown. The background being dark means that the audience has no idea what else is out there, this increases the tension and the fear, which are both key in the horror genre.