Creep Analysis

Creep Analysis

SETTINGS (the frightening place):

• The film is set in an underground station using familiar station such as Charing Cross – underground stations may not be considered to be safe but they are familiar and used in the war as a shelter, this way they can be considered to be safe. The underground is a transient location no one remains there for any length of time but in this film Kate is trapped – the familiar location becomes a dangerous one to be in – this first becomes clear when she attempts to leave the station but is met by a closed gate – she is now trapped
• The killer’s lair seems like a place where he keeps his human ‘pets’
• The operating room – disturbing as they are supposed to be sterile, clean environment this one clearly is not, this can make the audience feel uncomfortable. Along with this we have the unsettling images of babies in large test tubes.

CHARACTERS (final girl/ villain/ monster/ killer):

• ‘Kate’ is the female lead, a false killer is set up through Guy who is on the tube with Kate and sexually attacks her the audience are left to think whether he was the one who was watching her
• The killer is not seen until 45mins into the film and it not made obvious as to if the killer is human or not although the film does seems to want to make the audience think its creature rather than man.
• When we do see his face his nose is disfigured, he has no eyebrows (which always seems to make the human face look slightly odd); he has scars on his face and also blood (body is slightly deformed too)
• If it wasn’t clear before in the operating room it becomes clear that the killer is psychotic washing his hands with no running water, etc, as he is about to perform an operation on his female victim.
• As Kate runs the killer coolly stalks her
• The killer ‘Craig’ is in the end killed by Kate she uses all of her strength to rip a metal chain out of the wall (she saves the day) having appeared to be a ‘bitch’ at the start of the film she is now the hero and everyone else is dead – and now she looks like a homeless person – the irony!  

ICONOGRAPHY:

• The start of the film uses blood it can be view on the floor (see sound)
• Other images strongly related to the horror genre are not seen until the killer is revealed to the audience, we are witness to him pounding the chest of one of his victims with a grotesquely bloody outcome, he takes out a body part and appears to feed it to the rats

CAMERA WORK:

• Close up of a bloody woman’s face (she comes out of the dark) and the film quickly cuts to a party leaving the audience to think what happened?
• POV shot used to see Kate as she is looking for an exit the assumption being that she is being watched (but by whom or what?)
• Close up used on the peep hole of the driver door – and then a reverse shot to see a close up of the drivers bloody face with some kind of surgical implement on his face (For Kate a case of look but can’t see)
• As Kate runs through the tube the camera is used in 3 positions  (all hand  held) behind her, in front, POV
• Interesting shot used as she is running from the tube and through the station it appears as if the camera is running towards her, she stops and we see as close up of her face – connotations – no where to run/ being stuck this through is furthered as the camera circles around her
• She desperately thinks which direction she should go in
• The shot from the top of the escalators can be said to be very poignant they look so steep from the high angle and they appear to be a long way down – once you descend you are not likely to come back up!
• Use of CCTV shot used after Mandy is captured – showing that they are of no use – or the person in control of them is not doing their job

LIGHTING:

• Use of lighting in the tunnel in the start of the film is limited to the torch light – this encourages the audience to look elsewhere within the mise-en-scene (away from the two characters) in search of what may be lurking in the shadows.
• Use of dramatic irony a shadow of ‘something’ is seen so the audience know that ‘something/ someone’ is there but the character isn’t aware that he is not alone
• Torchlight and shadow used again when the lights go off on the tube – the torchlight is used to hide the identity of the person holding it, it’s so bright that Kate is unable to identify the person holding it. She believes it is the driver but the audience know different
• When Kate finds a door and enters she uses just the flame of a lighter to guide her in the darkness – connotations much the same as the torchlight
• Use of torchlight again in storeroom. Kate turns it off and then on again but this time we see the killers face for the first time (this would make the audience jump)

SOUND:

• Along with this can be heard the subdued screams of a female this along with the blood would mean danger.
• Use of sound to create premature terror – the audience know that it is horror and so are awaiting the moment that will make them jump – but some moments are put there just to keep them on their toes e.g. when the workmen are clearing rubbish from the tunnel
• As one of the workmen head down a tunnel alone a menacing soundtrack begins indicating that he may be heading for danger, also fitting with convention that one character goes off alone something is bound to happen
• Music used to signify danger and aid the narrative rather than take it over or lead it.
• First attack (Guy) we see him dragged from the tube but the accompanying sound is far more potent the use of diagetic sound but no use of images to show what is happening to Guy this allows the audience to use their own imagination –the power of suggestion is at play
• As Kate runs from the tube the sound is reminiscent of a heartbeat but as it would sound if you were inside of someone’s body – is it Kate’s heart we hear?
• Sound of babies used when the preserved ones are seen on screen, this adds to the unsettling images, and creates a terror within the audience

EXTRA NOTES:

• The opening credits move on the screen mimicking the movement of a tube train.
• Clearly British first clue the use of accents.
• When a tube arrives at the station Kate believes that she may be able to get out – but the audience know different as we are shown that another ‘body’ also gets on to the tube
• Rats are pest/ vermin and can carry diseases the use of hem in the film signifies some kind of danger (possibly used in the same way that vultures are used in other films only present when death is imminent)
• The sound of the killer performing his ‘operation’ along with the image of blood spraying in his face, would be a scene that the female audience with empathize with due to the fact that he has inserted the bloody, rusty knife into Mandy’s vagina (slightly perverse – possibly effects theory can be applied) in a way only the women can really relate to the pain that is being inflicted on this body