The Gothic Project

The term gothic has many meanings. In cinema it relates to films that contain frightening or lonely situations or imagery , usually in relation to death (or undeath). I have chosen three short films to analyse which I think represent the Gothic style.

The first film I have chosen to analyse is The Pigeon by Jamie Childs and Joe Rizzo-Naudi. Not only does it take place in a Gothic setting but contains such themes as life after death, loneliness and descent into madness which give it the characteristics of a gothic film.



The film reflects the character's mood by the use of dark lighting, illuminated only by candle light and flashes of lightning. This pathetic fallacy creates a mysterious atmosphere around the character and the events. The Duke's mood is angry, and that is displayed in the violent weather outside, the flashes from the gun and also the enclosed corridors of the mansion house. This creates an atmosphere of desperation and madness.

The location is a gothic manor house, and the grand features such as the fireplace give the impression of power and wealth, but also the stone walls could suggest the loneliness and oppression that drives the duke to suicide. The cobwebs which cover the house later on in the film suggest neglect and the passage of time which is a key theme in the film.

The mis-on-scene is key to the films effect on the audience. The Duke's costume tells the viewer that the film is occurring in the past and also the fact that he has wealth or power. The dining table, which has no guests, implies that he is either lonely or mad or both. Various other bits of scenery give light to the period setting, for example: The candles lighting the table or the pieces of armour on the walls of the house. The skeleton is wearing the Duke's costume, which gives the viewer the visual link between the two and reveals that the Duke is a ghost.

The timing between cuts is quite lengthy, the film maker preferring panning shots to quick cuts. The cuts take place whenever a new event happens to clarify the advance in the plot. The point of the editing is to synchronise the footage with the narration of the poem.

The narrator is present throughout the film reciting the poem which corresponds to the events in the film. The dialogue of the Duke is muted to be replaced with the voice of the narrator. This makes the flow of the poem smoother and more interesting due to the changes in tone of the voice. The arrival of the pigeon is accompanied with the noises of the clock, to reinforce the theme of time, and also the beginning of the music. When the Duke's emotions increase,the music gets more dramatic and is accompanied by louder thunder clashes. As the pace of the narration speeds up so also does the music, which draws the audience into the action.

The second film I will analyse is Quarry by John Cade and Robert Bannister. It relates to the gothic theme because it portrays violent and frightening events.



The mood of the main character is frightened for his life and in shock about the death of his girlfriend and the danger he faces. This is translated well to the viewer by including a flashback shot of him with the girl before revealing her body in the cage with him. This creates empathy with the man, and sets up an uncomfortable atmosphere in the audience. The laughter of the hunter shows us that he has no empathy for the victim and this adds to the sense of danger.

The film is set in a forest, which are often used in gothic cinema as wild, dangerous places set beyond the reach of civilisation. The woods represent being alone, as this makes the viewer realise that the victim is by himself and unlikely to be rescued.

The victim's costume tells the viewer that he has already undergone some abuse: His glasses are broken and he is wearing no shirt. This lets the audience know his pain. The hunters' costumes imply power; They are wearing traditional hunting clothes which, along with the fact they have a cage, suggests that they are torturing him for sport. This makes the viewer feel the victim's confusion as the abuse is unjustified.

The palette of the film is quite muted in contrast with the warm glow of the brief flashback shots. This mirrors the character's emotions and allows for further empathy with him. The film consists of sharp, short cuts, especially during the chase sequence, which shows the character's state of panic and desperation. The shots of the victim running are shaky and panicked whilst those of the hunters searching for him are stable. This lets the viewer know who's in control.

The use of birdsong at the start tells the viewer immediately that the film is set in the countryside so no establishing shots are really needed. The film features a notable lack of dialogue. This shows that the victim is in a completely alien situation and the audience presumes that there is no previous connection between him and the hunters. There is also a lack of music which adds a lot to the tension and adds an awkward atmosphere.

The final film i'll be analysing is Halfway by Karl Holt. It carries themes of the supernatural and of disturbing and frightening events, which connect it to the gothic genre.



The film is almost entirely illuminated with an eerie blue light, which adds to the disturbing atmosphere. The character's mood is at first confused, which is transferred to the audience through the use of the flickering strobe light and the image of him crawling through the dark. When his mood changes to terrified, the pace of the flickering blue light is increased do disorient the viewer.

The setting is in a dark concrete room or cell. This gives the impression of imprisonment and claustrophobia. Also adding to this is the fact that the man wakes up bound and gagged, which fills in all the necessary back-story for the film, but still leaves some mystery. The use of the television sets and night vision cameras implies that he is being watched by someone and adds to the fact that he is powerless.

The camera work is shaky, adding to the intimacy between the viewer and the character. When he is being attacked the cuts are short which makes the viewer panic in response to the action.
The soundtrack contains camera noises, which adds to the feeling of someone else watching, and the music used is tense and contains sounds similar to a heartbeat, which adds to the tension for the audience. Harsh, spiky sounds are added to moments which exist to make the viewer jump, and the monster's screaming is harsh and high pitched which makes the audience uncomfortable.

The films I have analysed all have a connection to the gothic theme. The Pigeon is the most obviously connected, as it contains gothic architecture and themes from classic gothic horror movies. The latter two are more modern in style but both share gothic themes such as loneliness or helplessness.