Mise-en-scene:
One way in which ‘The Purge Anarchy’ uses mise-en-scene well in order to show the horror genre is through the incorporation of the newsreport on the T.V. in the cafe where the opening scene takes place. This works well in the film as it helps to establish the narrative as we are fed key information in a creative way. Without the use of the newsreport we would not know what the annual Purge actually was and when it started, therefore as an audience we wouldn’t feel scared as we would think that everything was normal.
Also the cafe helps to establish this sense of normality as it is generally a place where people gather to have a good time in America. If the opening scene was set in a warehouse surrounded by dead bodies then we would know straight away that the film would include death thus meaning that this is a good component of ‘’The Purge’ as we are left wondering what is going to happen to the innocent people. Also the cafe has an American flag out front of it and this means that we know that film is set in America and already begin to think of typical stereotypes of American people such as: them being disrespectful of authority, boastful, arrogant etc. This means that as an audience we already begin to create a sense of characteristics in our heads.
A close up shot is used in the opening scene of the money in the film and Eva putting the money into her pocket. A close up shot is used to show that something has significance in a film traditionally which may mean that due to the Purge Eva will take the money and use it in order to protect herself or ‘break’ the law. This may have been done in the sequence of Todorov's theory as this is the first sign of breaking the equilibrium as Eva may steal the money which could help to symbolise her as somebody who may partake in the Purge later on in the film. This means that as an audience we are left wondering what will happen to Eva as the film progresses creating a lot of suspense amongst the viewers as we want to establish a relationship with the characters on screen.
When the camera is focusing on the T.V. screen showing the newsreport, we can see that the camera is slanted. When a camera is slanted in a horror film this usually suggests that what is on screen has significance but for not for a good reason. This links to how this is used in ‘The Purge’ as the newsreport is highlighting the main aspect of the film however, this is not good as the Purge means “a 12-hour period when any crime is allowed including murder.” which evidently isn’t something that is normal or good in reality. As an audience we react to this as we notice that the screen is tilted and start to wonder why, as we listen in then we are able to clearly notice why this has been done and begin to think of all the counter-cultural aspects of life that we would do if we were in ‘The Purge’ and become thrilled by the prospect of seeing some of this thoughts come alive on screen.
Sound:
The common theme throughout all of the micro-elements in this film is the use of the newsreport which once again links to the sound as in the film the newsreport is slightly faded and distorted in order to make us feel like we are part of the film and actually listening to the newsreport. This is an interesting technique used by Blumhouse productions as instead of making the audience become passive they are made to feel like they are included in the plot and therefore the audience become more scared as they are building a relationship with the characters as well as feeling they are part of ‘The Purge’.
The music used in background of the film also helps to build an atmospheric tone which is both full of suspense and makes the film creepy. The music which is used is very slow and dark and is used very faintly in the background. This helps to build tension as the sound is not overwhelming and can be barely be noticed but, sub consciously the music is helping to build the tension without us even knowing. The music only becomes louder and more heightened when the director wants the viewer to gather the information they are given or something majorly important is happening on screen. An example of this is when the logo for the film appears and the music becomes louder as the film logo reveals a lot about the film in a very subtle way.
Editing:
In post production the credits were added to the film in a cool and creative way. The credits are very significant in this film as they give a background of the film and help to establish what the film will be based on. Without the use of the credits the audience would be left wondering in the dark as they wouldn’t understand any of the context of the film. The credits come down in a drop box fashion which creates an effect associated with the American Government which (which is ironic as the whole film is about going against the American Government) and therefore the danger is highlighted right from the very start in a creative way.
Furthermore, the credits are over layed onto a dark blue background during post production. The connotations of dark blue are mystery and misery and therefore the audience become gloomy and scared at what may eventually appear on screen as they are just seeing a dark blue background with credits rather than laying them over any shots in the film. This works well as the opening scene of the Purge is very significant for the rest of the film and if the audience’s attention was drawn away from the film then we would not fully understand the film going forward.
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