Make a list of expressionist filmmaking techniques that have become linked with gothic horror.

Expressionist techniques seek to convey emotional and psychological states in the viewer rather than displaying a realistic interpretation. Examples are exaggerated and distorted camera angles and movement, heightened speech and intensely oversaturation of the dark coloured setting. Expressionist often dramatizes the spiritual awakening and sufferings of their protagonists. Early expressionism, in particular, testified to the failure of social values with a predilection for ecstasy and despair and hence a tendency towards the inflated and the grotesque; a mystical, even a religious element with frequent apocalyptic overtones; an urgent sense of the here and now.

One particular technique, chiaroscuro (the contrast between light and dark) is particularly memorable in Sweeney Todd’s attic room. What are the key features of this setting that develop chiaroscuro?

The window is a key feature of the attic setting to establish chiaroscuro, being the only source of light and view of the outside world, therefore contrasting with the dark, gloomy and abandoned apartment with its rotten, worn out black wallpaper. Low key lighting and a monochromatic colour palette are utilised by Burton for a shadowy and mysterious effect on the room, this darkening effect contrasting with both Sweeney and Lovett’s pale white faces as they are singing, drawing attention on their exaggerated facial expression and actions. 

Think about the same technique, chiaroscuro, and its presence in Sleepy Hollow. Can you describe a setting that utilises the technique? Is it similar or different to Todd’s attic?

Chiaroscuro is used effectively in the scene where the headless horseman very brutally and tragically murders the Killian family and the young boy hides beneath the house. Chiaroscuro is used to unsettle the viewer, playing with the contrast between the lightning’s short bursts of light and shadowy darkness which conceals the boy. Low key lighting and a monochromatic colour palette are used in the dim and shadowy house, just like in Sweeney’s attic, the grey stone walls and darkened brick walls and wooden flooring contrasting with the light established by such features as the fire, lightning and rotating laser cut shadow lamp. This contrast is very unsettling, as each lightning flash reveals the boy to the horseman and disrupts the darkness from concealing him. The effect of the rotating laser cut shadow lamp is to play with the contrast of the moving shadowy animal figures which circle the ashed leaden wooden walls of the log cabin, using this chiaroscuro technique to create a sense of entrapment, as the animals surround the frightened boy and his mother.

Expressionist filmmaking also favours colour to develop an idea. How is the colour used in both S.T and S.H.? Pay particular attention to the connection between past and present.

Colour in flashbacks is bright and colourful whilst in the present, it is gloomy and monochromatic. The colour is used to emphasise the contrast of the protagonist’s past and present. In S.T Lovett’s fantasy is also in bright and cheerful colours, showing that she is optimistic and hopeful for a brighter future away from the dark and sufferings of the present. This contrasts with Sweeney, who can only focus on vengeance on Turbin in the present, the colourful flashbacks of his old life as Benjamin Barker being shown to represent that he can’t move on from the past and must have his revenge in order to have this same happiness he experienced in the past.  Towards the end of S.H, the colour returns to colourful, signifying a happy ending and resolution to the story. However, in S.T there is an unpleasant ending for all characters, therefore there is no colourful change in colour after such a grim and dingy film.

A feature of Gothic horror is the claustrophobia fear that there is no escape. Consider techniques that are present in both films that develop this fear.

An example of a feature which develops this fear in Sweeney Todd is the use of low angle shots, creating a daunting and fear-evoking effect from dominant and powerful characters such as Sweeney and Judge Turbin. During scenes in which Sweeney is feeling murderous and a potentially dangerous threat of another, more inferior character such as his victims or Lovett, this low angle shot to understand that he induces fear in others and that there is no escaping death from his barbershop. Another example is during the court scene, in which Turbin prosecutes a young boy for petty crimes that he likely never committed, the low angle shot is used to show the power and dominance that he holds over the boy and the fear and entrapment that the boy is experiencing.

As explained previously, chiaroscuro is used by Burton to implicate a sense of entrapment, as the Killian family is murdered at the hand of the headless horseman. Chiaroscuro is effectively used with the animal shadows cast on the wall by the laser cut shadow lamp, these shadows circling the mother and child, creating this sense of entrapment and fear from knowing that there is no escape from death.

What is the “Hammer Horror” style? Describe its defining features and explain what influences and explain what influences you can see in the two films.

Hammer productions is a British film company, known for famous monster films as the Curse of Frankenstein, The Mummy and Dracula. They create this typical ‘monster’ troupe and exaggerate the induced fear from others and the power and murderous intentions of the monster, using makeup and costume to form these horrid and iconic characters. 

Burton adopts this style, gaining influence from these monsters to apply to both the headless horseman and Sweeney, the primary monsters of the two films. They both have a hedonistic pride in killing the innocent, Sweeney being easily compared to Dracula due to his lust and happiness of slicing the throats of his victims without hesitation or empathy. Another common horror troupe utilised in Hammer productions is the lightning flashing as the monster appears, this same effect being used in both of Burton’s films for a dramatic effect.

The red blood is a distinct feature of both films. What is its purpose?

Its purpose is to evoke an unsettling sensation in the viewer, the slow-running blood and splattering being displeasing to the eye. Both films utilise a lot of blood to overexaggerate the murders. In addition, the blood is used in both title sequences, in S.H there is red wax which is mistaken for blood by the viewer as it drips on a letter and in S.T the blood is oozing through the cogs and gears throughout Sweeney’s barber shop and into the basement where they make the pies.

Tim Burton Film Techniques to establish the gothic element

Colour: Monochromatic colour palette; black, white and grey. Flashbacks are in full vibrant colour, representing a happier future/ past/ makebelieve moment in a character’s life. Examples include Lovett’s fantasy, Sweeney’s past as Benjamin Barker, Crane’s mother memories and the happy ending of Sleepy Hollow, as they are no longer trapped.

Red Blood: A very stand out motif which unnerves the viewer due to the connotation of danger, near death and pain associated with blood. Examples are the title sequence, blood splattering when Sweeney slits the throats of his victims and when Crane is axing the tree full of heads.

Music: Often contrasts with what we are seeing, builds tension and leads up to or foreshadows something negative which is soon to occur. Examples include the cheerful and bouncy music whilst Sweeney is about to kill his victim, representing his happiness he experiences whilst fulfilling his revenge warpath fantasy, this music contrasting with what the viewer feels and sees, knowing that someone is about to be violently murdered. The music grows more sharper, more intense and louder as Todd is seemingly about to issue the final blow on Turbin. An example of the juxtaposition of music and colour with dialogue is the colourful and oversaturated imagery and initially happy music in Sweeney’s flashback of his past suburban happy family life contrasting with the dialogue. However due to the sorrowful past tense dialogue and the music building up to something sinister the viewer feels that this happiness and colour will be taken away quickly.

Symbolism: There are multiple symbols in both of Burton’s films. Bird in the cage is a prominent symbol, appearing in both films, this symbol representing a character being trapped or unable to break out of a mental or physical cage. In S.T Johanna is portrayed as the damsel in distress for the hero of the film, Anthony to save, this bird in the cage symbol being notable as she sings to the bird in a cage as if she was the bird.

Windows represent a blur between the outside world and the outcast observer. In S.T, both Johanna and Sweeney are separated from the external world, trapped behind windows to observe.

Mirror: The mirror symbol is overly dramatised (German expressionism), especially in the scene where Todd peers into the cracked mirror. The mirror represents his fractured personality due to his need for revenge and past tragedies. When Todd looks into the mirror as he is seemingly about to murder Turbin, the viewer notices that the reflection is whole. This is because he feels complete, about to fulfil his revenge fantasy.

Diagetic and Non-Diegetic Sound: Diagetic sound builds tension, the scraping of Todd’s shaver against Turbin’s face being amplified to unnerve the viewer and making the suspicion of Turbin about to be killed more certain.

There is a discrete close-up shot of Todd behind cage-like bars whilst sinister music plays showing that he is trapped by his need for revenge.