Hush Textual Analysis

     In Hush horror is created in a number of ways and mise on scene sets this out from the very start. For example the house that the victim is living in is extremely secluded in the middle of what appears to be a forest. The audience can therefore identify straight away that she has no escape when the antagonist is to come along later in the film. So horror is therefore intensified by showcasing her lack of survival. Secondly by leaving the door slightly ajar this is hinting that someone is going to come inside the house and she has almost allowed this to happen by leaving the door open. Finally the use of props such as the crossbow and the mask create horror as viewers are known to be afraid of scary masks and of course weapons that cause harm. Therefore mise en scene is used in numerous occasions to successfully forebode and create horror.

   Editing further emblematizes the horror genre in multiple occasions. For example the use of a fast paced cut away when editing make this particular scene seem frantic as the victim is in a state of panic whilst she fears for her life. This allows the audience to sympathise with her level of fear therefore heightening the horror element. As well as this the use of shot reverse shots between the victim and the protagonist show the level of how scared the victim is by the intruding man. Overall the use of editing in this scene can be identified as extremely useful in building up the horror genre.

    Camera angles and movement are also a key element in personifying the horror genre in this extract.Firstly the use of a dolly zoom shot of the victims house pictures it to be situated in the middle of a forest and therefore highlights to the viewer that our victim is in severe danger and has no escape due to her location making it fearful that her death is presumably inevitable. Furthermore a point of view shot from the victims eyes shows the fear that she is witnessing as there is a man with a scary mask trying to break into her home. The audience will sympathise with this common fear therefore making the film appear even scarier and intensifying the horror genre.