Comparing The Last Will And Testament Of Rosalind Leigh

Rupert Goold successfully effuses more fear into the film by implementing staging devices and symbolism. Through the croaking of a raven and haunting background music, Goold subjects his viewers to the same state of agitation and rage felt by the characters. Goold emphasizes symbolism by using physical instruments such as a figurine, suggestive of the former Thane of Cowder. Through the figurine, the characters and the viewers, alike, are fixated by the prophecies made by the witches.

One interesting aspect to be noticed on this movie is its linearity. The film purposely does not follow a linear and chronological narrative of the facts, which leads the viewer to the feeling of doubt and curiosity. This element was well explored by the director, thus creating a greater dynamic to a story apparently simple and easy to be told.

During the story Antonio encounters a problem he questions after how they connect to him and what they will do to change his future. As the story progresses Antonio starts to understand how they are connected using his dream. Which then helps him get a better perspective on what is going on around / with him.

1.Describe the main characters of the film: Who are they? What are their motivations? What are their strengths and weaknesses? What are the obstacles they face?

Fear is a feeling that most have experienced at least once in their lives. Despite the negative connotation often attached to the word “fear”, many people find themselves seeking the the thrill an adrenaline rush, caused by fear, gives them. This causes many “safe” ways to experience fear (reading a Gothic book, watching a horror movie, or even telling a scary story at a sleepover) to be popular. The short story, “The Fall of the House of Usher” clearly dictates the fundamentals of what causes the allure of fear, unexplainable or unnatural phenomenons and sudden changes that leave the subject hanging.

Transformation plays a role in stories meant to scare us by playing with our imagination safety and mood of a story. Imagination appears in both Edgar Allan Poe’s, gothic fiction story “The Fall of the House of Usher,” by Usher’s isolated environment and in Joyce Carol Oates gothic literature story “Where is Here?,” by foreseeing who people are. Transformation also plays a role by it assists knowing our own selves are safe in a scary situation. This is shown in, “ Why do Some Brains Enjoy Fear?,” by Allegra Ringo and in “ House Taken Over,” by Julio Cortazar. Transformation plays with our imagination and our safety it also plays a role in the mood and setting. This appears in , “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and “The Dream Collector,”

As the nameless narrator is approaching the house, he says , “I know not how it was - but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit.” (pg. 21). The house looks gloomy, mysterious, and is disintegrating, yet still strong. From what the narrator has seen, the reader can see that the house has a power over the people that enter and live inside. Considering this, at the beginning of the story the narrator is completely rational, but he also senses something peculiar. When the narrator goes into the house he finds the inside just as mysterious and eerie. Subsequently, he enters the house to see his friend Roderick, he notes that his friend is not looking so well. Roderick lists out his symptoms saying, “I have, indeed, no abhorrence of danger, except in its absolute effect - in terror. In this unnerved, in this pitiable, condition I feel that the period will sooner or later arrive when I must abandon life and reason together, in some struggle with the phantasm, fear.” (pg. 27). Furthermore, the narrator also notes that Roderick seems to be fearful of his own house. Pretty soon Roderick comes up with a theory saying the house isn’t healthy, just as the narrator was thinking at the beginning of the story.

This film is a black and white film and the lighting is more towards dim effect which terrified the audience. Music plays the biggest effect in the film. Bernard Hermann’s theme is used for this film because it uses mostly high-pitched string instrument notes so the suspense and horror mood can be formed to the audience.

One of the most apparent symbols in the text are the bizarre colored rooms. The rooms represent the cycle of life, blue is birth, purple childhood, green adolescence, orange adulthood, white is the elderly years, violet is dying, and finally black is death. The rooms are arranged like the sun rise and set with the blue room all the way in the east and the black at the west end. Furthermore, the rooms have similar styles, all one color with the decor and windows matching said color. However, the black room is different with black velvet curtains, and the windows a blood red color. The light from the hall isn’t able to enter the room so a candelabra was placed behind each window so that it “projected its rays through the tinted glass… And produced so wild a look upon the countenances of those who entered” (2) The

2) What are some of the themes that are central to the film? How have they been communicated?

Fischer describes how in the house, “debauchery became the norm” (20), and so did, “brutality and carnage” (20). Debauchery, brutality, and carnage are not usually what most people will associate with being normal. Fischer then describes how later on the residents “[delved] into mutilation, murder, necrophilia, [and] cannibalism” (21). This description just adds to the fact that the things that went on in this house are from being normal. The history Matheson created for the house makes it cross the boundaries most people have and that is not including the fact that the house is now also a home to evil spirits. Some might even feel that the history behind the house is more haunting than the house itself. Matheson does this in order to show that a haunting does not only result from ghosts and spirits, but can come from almost anything. Even just a brief history of something that happened years ago can cause more fear than being inside a haunted

Having no control over what happens to your body is never a good thing and I think that's what we can misinterpret. We often look at the scary movie and we only see the scariness of it but not what it is really trying to show. There is always a story behind what is being shown. This movie is a great example it shows in a scene where the priest is trying to get this demon out of Regan and this demon is making this little girl say things she would never say before. We often let these things get away from what is really happening and what is really being shown but when looking at the actions of the characters in the movie we start to see what is important. A big thing that is more than what it seems is the plot of what is actually happening for example in the exorcist it shows little Regan being controlled by this demon but if you notice the things that are forced upon her by the people in the room with her. They don't think of her as human anymore they think of her as a body that's holding the real problem. She is not the problem it's what is controlling her that's the problem. We all deal with different problems. Some think it will disappear others think fighting it will help this movie shows that the only way to fight these problems is to demolish them and that's what message is hidden in this

Third, by looking at the narrative as a Gothic Horror Story, the final theme that isolation produces irrational fear which can drive one insane is seen in the narrative. The use of historical and cultural poetics lens the narrative can further be looked at support the theme. For example, the Narrator has an odd feeling about the house. The narrative states,” A colonial mansion, a hereditary estate, I would say a haunted house, and reach the height of romantic felicity… That spoils my ghostliness, I am afraid, but I don’t care-- there is something strange about the house-- I can feel it” (1,2). The house has a ancient haunted feeling to it which drives the Narrator insane trying to figure out what is off about it.

1. What is the true subject or the theme of the film, and What kind of statement, if any, does the film make about the subject? Which elements and which themes contributed most to addressing the theme of the film?

In addition, some pressurized air and a couple of moving figures startle the guests having the faint of heart. So, the Chamber of Horrors is almost like a mini-haunted house, rather than a museum of waxworks.