Heavenly Creatures (1994)

Directed by: Peter Jackson Released on: 14th October 1994 Made in: New Zealand Genre: Fantasy Thriller Produced By: Miramax Films Clubbed to Death Scene:

A classic thriller convention used in this film is the clock. Peter Jackson has used close ups of the clock to signify that time is an issue in this film, and refers to police questioning, when they need to know where you were at what time. This creates tension amongst the audience, as they are aware of this. This foreshadows the murder that the girls will commit later in the film. The use of the clock is also used to make the film more realistic and relative to time, therefore the events are more believable to the audience. The girls are against time, as Juliet is soon to be going back to England, and Pauline is determined to go with her, to do this they plan to kill Paulines mother. The location that Peter Jackson has used for the murder of Paulines mother, challenges the conventions of an enclosed, claustrophobic space for the murder to occur, and has used ambient lighting, and an open space. Peter Jackson has done this purposely to emphasize the naivety of the two young girls, and to give a naturalistic feel to the scene.

The three of them walk down a small path, on a steep edge, which is shown with a high angle of the high slope. The path is narrow, which gives the sense of an enclosed and claustrophobic space due to the steep slope beside it. This makes the audience realize that the mother has no chance of escape. There is no dialogue during this scene; instead Peter Jackson has used the intermezzo from Puccinis Madame Butterfly. An operatic tragedy which entails disappointment, sadness and death. It is based on the child/parent theme when a Japanese woman is obliged to give her child to her husband that has been gone for 3 years and appeared with his new American wife. She gives her child to him, then cuts herself, goes to give her son a kiss, and dies. The audience may identify the song from the opera and link it with the story, which indicates to them that the mother is going to die. The sole use of a soundtrack and image pays tribute to original cinema, before there was dialect in films. The camera films from a low angle showing only their feet going down the steps. The soundtrack and the slow motion used within this scene indicate the girls are in a dreamlike state, and the scene in general is a fantasy, it becomes almost unreality; which signifies to the audience that this scene is very important to the film. The cinematography has made this scene strangely beautiful for the audience to watch, and makes it visually appealing for them. The dream can be related to the dream the two girls share of being together forever. Peter Jackson has purposely filmed the girls walking in slow motion as this builds up tension dramatically; the film personifies the emotion and enables the audience to gather their thoughts on the facial expressions within this scene, as they are held for longer. Many panning shots are also used within the scene, as they establish the characters, and give the audience time to come to terms with the fact the girls are going ahead with the murder of Paulines mother, this thought reinforces that the film is based on true events which makes the murder itself have far more impact on the audience as they are thinking about the real story. On the way down the slope, they all have to walk across a muddy part of the path, this may indicate the disgusting behavior or the trouble and

murky life the girls are about to enter. It foreshadows the girls going to prison and being known for killing their mother. They would be classed as dirt for committing the actions and the mud symbolizes this.

During this scene close ups are frequently used, predominantly of hands and feet, this reveals to the audience the increasing amount of fidgeting is occurring between the two girls, this builds up tension amongst the audience but also builds suspense as we know why they are fidgeting. These shots are intimidating, as feet and hands are the strongest parts of the human body and an instinctive body part to cause harm with. When the mother stops and looks at her watch, the importance of time is again referred to. The audience is also reminded that the mothers time is up. We then know the girls are about to commit the murder. The use of the gem on the floor can be contrasted with the horrific incident that is to occur. The purple gem is shiny, clean, and neatly cut, this symbolizes the fantasy within the scene, and when it drops into the mud, this symbolizes that there is no turning back and the girls have now entered themselves in a world of mess. When the audience sees the girl extracting the stocking around the brick from her bag, they are definite that this is it. When the girl hits the mother, the use of blood and screams within this scene establish it as a thriller; It also adds to the tension and realism in the film, and raises the thought that it is based on true events. The violence is shown in flashbacks, in sepia, this has been used by Peter Jackson, so that this is a separate part of the scene from the restand so that the audience can identify that this is a significant scene in the film. The sepia is also used to reinforce that is a memory, just like old pictures go slightly brownish. All of these features are used within the scene to add suspense and tension.