Rikhel Trivedi

How are the themes of fear and isolation represented in: The Women in Black
(2012 UK) and Mama (2013 USA)?

In this essay, I am going to analyse how the micro techniques have been used to
present the themes of fear and isolation in The Woman in Black (2012 UK) and
Mama (2013 USA).
The Woman in Black is a horror/thriller British film. The film is directed by James
Watkins. The films narrative is about a father and a young lawyer, Arthur Kipps
(Daniel Radcliffe) who is travelling to a village where he learns that there is a
haunted avenging ghost who is destroying and haunting the people within the
village. I am going to analyse at the scene where Arthur Kipps has spent in the
haunted mansion. I have chosen this scene as it portrays fear and isolation through
various techniques.
A wide angled shot starring Arthur Kipps is shown and used as it makes the audience
aware of the character and the setting allowing the audience to see the isolated
location. The camera zooms in slowly to Arthur Kipps, the camera pulls focus
showing the door behind him, open without him noticing implying that it is the
haunted ghost. The wide angled shot suggests that Kipps is isolated in the mansion
and is used to make the audience think they are very close to action. This represents
the scene to seem isolated as it makes the audience fear for the character since they
can sense that Kipps is in danger and how there is nobody is there to help him. This
creates tension and builds fear, as Kipps is alone in the haunted mansion, displaying
that Kipps is vulnerable and not at his best, making the audience fear more for him
as it seems they are close to action.
The mise en scene helps convey fear and isolation, the low-key lighting used in the
room is to show Kippss facial expressions so that the viewers can identify fear
through Kippss expressions. Kipps is wearing a black waistcoat with a white shirt,
which represents the character as a typical hard worker allowing the audience to
think that Kipps has to this job to survive in the real world. The costumes help
symbolize how Kipps lifestyle is isolated. The colours of the costumes, black and
white represent to Kippss personality, therefore the black and white costumes it
represents his boring and simple lifestyle. The colour black implies the darkness and
mystery. The colour white reflects to his personality indicating how big hearted and
pure the character is. This shows how colour is used to build fear by still implying
Kippss personality is isolated and a mystery as they dont show his personal life
which foreshadows bad happenings.
Synchronous ambient sound is used as it helps to create suspense and builds on fear
to the scene. For example, as the haunted ghost walks down the corridor closer to
Kipps. The audience connotes that the haunted ghost is going to attack from behind
as the non-diegetic sound volume increases making the scene intense. A point of
view shot is used of the ghost heading to the direction of Kipps this helps to maintain

Rikhel Trivedi

fear as it builds on the viewers predictions on what might happen. The non- diegetic
orchestral sounds used works parallel when zooming to build fear: for example when
the camera zooms into Kipps short bow strokes are played on string with a high
strong pitch sound, which suggests that Kipps may get attacked. Using a high pitch
sound immediately grabs the viewers attention and uses it to build and maintain
fear. The use of ambient sounds in horror films is it gets an immediate response
from the audience; even though it is invisible it is still creates a meaning to a scene.
This relates to the question, as the audience constantly fear for the protagonist.
A medium shot is used showing Arthur Kipps resting his eyes, which demonstrates
the audience to see more of the surroundings and reminding the audience how
dangerous and isolated the mansion is, bringing fear back to the scene. Props such
as lamps and candles on the vintage table are used to show isolation in the mansion.
This suggest that the props used are still kept from many years ago which shows how
isolated and dangerous the mansion is and to make the setting more of a horror film.
The low-key lighting in the scene it makes the audience feel uncomfortable and to
think it is not safe for Kipps to fall asleep as the room is dark. This proves how
isolation in horror settings are dangerous as it contains fearful conventions such as
demons or curses which viewers fear for protagonist who enter horror settings.
Depth of field is used to maintain fear within the atmosphere, as the focus sharpens
to what is happening behind Kipps, building fear for Kipps as the scene foreshadows
that Kipps is in danger. The synchronous eerie sounds used builds on fear to the
scene and within the audience as the audience sees a haunted ghost. The ghost
costumes are in full black, which connotes that she is in charge of death, which
scares the audience as a horror convention the colour black normally leads to death
and in the scene it easily foreshadows that something wrong is going to happen. The
ghost in black helps to build isolation as the entire mansion is dark and isolated
illustrating that the ghost is part of the mansion and darkness, implying the ghost
and mansion are powerful and dangerous. The fast paced editing used, shows the
ghost for a short period which helps builds on fear for Kipps since the audience do
not have any sort of information about the ghost part from destroying villages and
children.
Mama (2013) is an American supernatural horror film and has been directed by
Andres Muschietti. The film narrative is a couple who are challenged to raise two
young nieces who were alone for years in the forest and the couple then find out a
demon has been carried out with the two nieces. I am going to analyse the scene
where Victoria is watching Annabel sleeping and she wakes up and finds out the
haunted demon, Mama is underneath Annabels bed.
Fear and isolation have been represented through cinematography, a close up is
used to show clearly that Annabel is unable to sleep still and keeps moving her
hands and her head from side to side indicating that she is having a nightmare which
suggests that whatever is happening in her nightmare is going to come to reality as a
horror prediction which starts to build on fear for Annabel by making the audience

Rikhel Trivedi

predict whats going to happen to her. A medium shot is used to show both the
characters reactions when Annabel wakes up and to allow the audience to
sympathise Annabels feelings. The long distance characters positions used helps to
represent isolation as it allows the audience to see the emptiness and the distance
between the characters illustrating that the characters, especially Annabel are
isolated. By showing Victorias distance to Annabel and her surroundings it makes
Annabel look helpless and vulnerable which creates a sense of danger and builds on
fear for the character. Fear is implied as it makes the audience think that the nieces
are isolated as we do not expect them to watch a person sleep watch a person have
a nightmare. This demonstrates that the audience can sense death in the scene as
conventions in horror films if the protagonist is having a nightmare it usually involves
death.
The mise en scene used in the film help present fear and isolation. Black pyjamas
costumes are used in the scene. Black connotes fear and death, in relation this
creates fear since in reality children wouldnt be wearing full black clothing to sleep
in, it also represents many negative things to the audience. In this film black is used
to present fear through evil presenting Victoria as dangerous and evil, making the
viewers fear for the Annabel. Low- key lighting is used to reflect the characters
emotions and feelings making the audience feel comfortable of the character and be
in fear for Annabel. The low-key lighting used coming from the lamp in the hallway,
help present fear through the characters facial expressions. The audience can see
the white surrounding and the characters faces. Innocence and purity of the
protagonist personality is displayed through the colour white. The low-key lighting
allows to show the audience some of the white furniture around her. White
connotes Annabel as a peaceful kind-hearted character making the audience fear
more for her.
This scene is linked to Levi Strausss theory of binary oppositions of strong vs. weak,
the representation of Annabel is to be weak and vulnerable as she is the one who is
lost and unknown in the scene. Victoria is represented as strong and dominant to
the scene showing Annabel being helplessness. A shot reverse shot is used between
Annabel and Victoria to illustrate to the audience how nervous Annabel is as well as
building fear to the scene as it implies that Annabel is isolated and weak which the
audience can see that she is helpless making the viewers fear for the protagonist.
Therefore it helps to build fear as it makes the protagonist look helpless in the scene.
The diegetic sounds, the characters dialogue in the medium shot, help maintain fear
to the scene. Barthes theory on enigma codes is used to present fear and isolation;
for example Annabel asks Victoria Whats wrong? the use of hermeneutic and
proairetic codes heightens the illusions in the scene, making the audience question
themselves on who is enemy making the audience want to find out answers. The use
of dialogue represents the protagonists voice as a dominant character, since she
shows she cares for her nieces even though Victoria is isolated and frightening.
Annabel then hears the diegetic sound, the mattress strings inside the mattress

Rikhel Trivedi

which illustrates the audience an image on whatever is underneath Annabels bed

has ripped or eaten through the mattress to get to the string which builds tension.
Characters actions change the atmosphere for example Annabel breathes in and out
strongly and making the atmosphere around the audience frightened and in fear.
Fear is demonstrated in the film by using sound to foreshadow that something bad is
going to happen. Annabel questions Victoria making the audience curious to find
answers. This displays how enigma codes are used through sound, helps to create a
fearful atmosphere within the audience.
In the analysis of the two horror films I have understood how representations used
through micro techniques help present the themes fear and isolation. The two films
have both successfully used macro techniques to present fear and isolation. The
Woman in Black and Mama both use similar mise en scene techniques as the
costumes that are used in the scene, the directors have used the colour black to help
make the antagonist seem fearful. Although Mama had used Barthes theory to help
the director to create suspense by making the audience question the narrative on
who is the enemy in the scene. The films have both represented fear through nondiegetic sounds, synchronous has been used to create tension and suspense to the
scene making the audience in fear within them and for the character. The Woman in
Black and Mama, both use similar techniques such as the cinematography, the
directors have both used similar techniques to foreshadow on what might happen
later on which had held non-stop fear within the audience. Therefore in my
perspective I think both films have done well and successfully used macro
techniques to show fear and isolation in the films.
Word Count: 1943

Rikhel Trivedi

The Woman in Black (UK 2012) Asleep at the desk scene

A close up of Arthur
Kipps asleep and
unaware on what is
happening around him

A Point of view of the

ghost (antagonist) right
behind Arthur Kipps
who tends to be asleep
and resting his eyes

Rikhel Trivedi

Mama (USA 2013) Whats under the bed scene

A Close up of Annabel
having a nightmare