The Purge Textual Analysis

   The sound in this opening scene is a key micro element in constructing the genre of horror. From the start there is almost classiscal music. This use of this non diagetic sound is contradicting to the actions being depicted in the footage - the effect of this on the audience is scary as the violence can be seen as normal as a result of the calm music. This if therefore shocking to viewers and is expert in constructing horror in consumers eyes. The cutting out of noise from the footage is powerful as it gets the audience to focus on the people and their actions. The audience is then once more shocked by such violent acts and this constructs horror in their eyes.


  Editing further constructs the horror genre firstly by using what appears to be archive footage from street CCTV cameras in America in which the public are carrying out extreme acts of violence. The effect of this is to create horror and it does this by showing shear devastation caused by the acts of violence and the publics actions. Secondly there is a reasonable amount of fast paced editing which cuts constantly from each piece of footage. The effect of this is to show the amount of violence and the scale of the situation and this is meant to be scary and a threat to viewers of what is happening in society and could potentially happen to them. Both of these editing techniques are influential in constructing the horror genre.


  Mise ene scene is also useful in constructing horror in this extract. The use of iconography shows people using props in order to cause harm to others. This fear of weapons is common in horrors especially in violent slasher like horror such as this. They create horror by using everyday objects that can cause harm and this puts fear into the consumers minds. This use of mise en scene if therefore extremely important in constructing the horror genre.
 
  Finally camera angles and movements can be seen to construct the horror genre with a variety of shots. The majority of the shots are high angle long shots showing the violence of the public on the American streets. The point of the high angle is to suggest that someone of authority is looking down on them but failing to act upon it. This results in an increase in the violence of the public as there is no order which scares the consumers. On birds eye shot depicts some men rioting in the streets and starting fires.This creates fear in the eyes of the viewers and in all helps to construct the genre of horror.