The insane

Jack Moynihan

Discuss the short film the insane in relation to the key concepts of media language and genre

The short film “the insane” is a film of the slasher horror genre directed by David j Ellison and Mark Cripps and was filmed in 2008. The film is based on a lone police detective John Vincent who butchered his family and has began killing innocent people but he believes that they are part of some cult and is delusional about their appearance .the film is set at Manchester Victoria station and the surrounding area with the majority of the film taking place on the station platform itself. The story of the film revolves around the delusional ex police detective john Vincent who believes he is purging the world of the cult that killed his family which in fact he butchered them and he is killing innocent civilians seeing them as monsters and murderers. The film uses the setting story and characters to build tension and shcok the audience with the twist at the end.

When comparing the film to the key concepts of media language and genre the setting of the film is the first section i will be analysing. The main setting of the film is Manchester Victoria station and the surrounding area. The opening sequence which shows the man at the end of the alleyway is a key concept of the horror genre as it is dark, rundown and empty which signifies danger and the unknown. The alley scene is the perfect setting to start the film because it signifies area is of the beaten track and help won’t be immediate if something bad happens. In my opinion the alley is a good setting for the opening scene as it allows the film to create tension as alleys are generally associated with the unknown and bad things in the horror genre. The other main setting of the film is Manchester Victoria station. This fits the horror genre in many ways. Firstly the station is a large area with tunnels and enclosed areas such as when the man with the chainsaw appears and chases the detective to the lift is a typical scene for m a film in the horror genre. In my opinion the station is perfect in relation to the key concepts of media language and genre as it is a large empty area which can build tension and excitement easily.

The characters in the film in insane in relation to the key concepts of media language and the horror genre are what you would expect to find. An example of this would be the character at the train station with the axe as he is a typical character form the horror genre as his demander and long hair and not being able to see his face connote evil. Another character that connotes horror is the woman who jumps on the man’s back at the train station as she is covered in blood and appears possessed. In my opinion the characters all fit the roles in the horror genre until the end where the supposed hero John Vincent turns out in fact to be the killer.

When looking at the props used in the film it is clear that the props used are accurate in relation to the horro genre and media language. The props such as the chainsaw , axe knife and crowbar are all associated with horro/slaher fimls and are used for a number of reasons. The chainsaw is a signature item used in many famous films and is used to signify death and danger and works well in “the Insane” because the sound of it connotes approaching danger. The axe and knife are also props commonly used in slasher films as they also signify horror and death. The costumes used by some of the characters such as the main with the chainsaw are typical of horror films as the sandbag on his head signifies that he has some sort of facial disfigurement or he is just unknown which also helps increase tension. In my opinion the props used in the film signify the horror genre and help bring tension and fear to the film.

The lighting used in the film has is different to that of the horror genre and the concepts of media language in the way that for most of the film the area is well lit and it is not the lighting that helps build the tension but the sound and props as there are only a few sections of the film where to lighting is used deliberately to create tension. These sections are in the alleyway at the start and near the end. These areas are generally dark but the lighting creates tension as the darkened environment represents the unknown and fear. In my opinion the lighting is not that similar to films in the horror genre and media language as the film is generally light for most of it and it build tension and suspense with other forms such as props sound and characters.

The sound in the “Insane” is one of the main ways that it fulfils the media genre and media language as it is one of the main ways the film portrays itself as a horror. The use of sound is used to create tension and fear from the sound of the chainsaw to grunting and screams caused by some characters and also the silence. The chainsaw sound is used throughout the horror genre and when used in the insane it connotes danger and helps build tension as it signifies the character wielding it is near. Also the silence used also signifies fear and helps build tension as it connotes that something bad is about to happen. In my opinion sound is a big part of the film in relation to media language and the horror genre as it is the main ingredient in building tension and fear.

In conclusion the film “the insane” is a good representation of the horror genre as it uses a wide variety of characters, plot twists and sound to create tension and fear and also challenge the conventions f the standard horror film with the plot twist at the end. The setting, lighting and props also fit the conventions of the horror genre and also help create fear and tension.