The Wolfman (2010)

  

 Narrative: Doesn't follow Todorov's narrative theory exactly

Equilibrium: Lawrence is an actor, life is normal for him, Gwen arrives telling him that his brother is missing.

Disruption: Lawrence returns to his family home to help find his brother. On arrival discovers his brother has been killed. He decides to stay in home until he discovers what happend. When out in the woods at night looking for a rumoured wolf, he is bitten.

Recognition of disruption: Lawrence is recovering rapidly, not natural. He soon discovers he has been changed into a werewolf. He soon discovers his father is also a werewolf and killed Lawrence's mother and his brother. 

Attempt to repair disruption: Gwen does everything she can to release Lawrence of his curse. At the end she shoots him, and kill him.

Cliffhanger: Lawrence and his father are both dead. All wolves are supposedly dead, however it is left on a cliffhanger as there is a howl at the end and the colonel was scrated and bitten.           

 Settings:

-          Set in the woods at night and day

-          At night, the woods are misty and dark mostly black in colour

-          Buildings surrounded by overgrown trees and weeds; unkempt

-          Cold looking underground rooms, stone walls, candles and cobwebs – iconography of horror films

-          Asylum – connotes insanity

-          When the father shuts himself in, the door looks like a cage. Animalistic

            Costume:

-          Old fashioned costumes; bowl hats, suits and gowns

-          Black clothing connotes death, mystery and fear

-          Brown colours; clothing and in the pub. An earthly colour, relates to the woods

-          The Wolfman is wearing a strait jacket, being tortured

            Camera movement:

-          The camera pans the wolf as it runs -  show his speed

-          Camera pans an empty area after hearing the wolf growl, creates enigma

-          Handheld camera movement when wolf is attacking – show the struggles

            Camera shots:

-          A lot of close ups of the moon

-          A lot of close ups of the wolf’s face, hands and feet

-          Low angle shot of moon rising, black sky and black trees with the bright white moon – emphasises the importance of the moon

-          A lot of close ups of corpses

-          High angle shot of man, wolf’s point of view

-          Low angle shots of the father throughout – has power/authority over his son

-          Extreme close up of woman’s face, tilt to throat and back to her mouth – shows his hunger for flesh

-          Long shot of the house with the moon above – shows the relationship between the moon and the residents of the home

-          Extreme close up of son becoming a wolf - claustrophobic

-          Close up of wolf pulling guts out – shows is strength and hunger

-          Extreme close up of his eyes, she woman reflected in them – he recognises her

-          Close up of colonel holding the wolfman’s wolf can, tilt to show him covered in his own blood

-          Close up of the moon and ends with a howling – cliff-hanger ending

Editing:

-          Memories and flashbacks of children’s whispers

-          Between memory and reality there is a white flash, makes it clear to the audience

-          Blue tint throughout – moonlight

-          Distorted visual effects – show his confusion and deliriousness

-          Straight cuts between low angle shots and mid shots to show wolf jump over men

-          A lot of straight cuts used to fasten up the pace as father and son fight

Characters:

-          Lawrence Talbot – the Wolfman

-          Gwen Conliffe – Lawrence’s dead brother’s fiancé

-          Sir John Talbot – Lawrence’s father

-          Colonel Montford

-          Gwen becomes hero – releasing Lawrence from curse by killing him

Sound:

-          Begins with eerie music and a voice over of a woman

-          Dramatic, fast music when wolf is around or attacks

-          When the man uncovers his brother’s corpse, music goes from eerie to a sudden bang noise

-          Main Lawrence walks around the dark house; scary music

-          Howling (diegetic)

Movement and gesture:

-          Wolf runs past camera, fast movements

-          He backs into the shadows and his eyes glow; becomes clear what he is

-          Wolf has fast movements and leaps at the camera – not human speed

-          When the wolf is a man again, he begins having movements like a wolf – taken over his whole life

-          Begin to change into wolves as they fight, fighting more aggressively

Lighting:

-          Low lighting in buildings, natural light coming through window (sunlight and moonlight)

-          Candles held below character’s faces, creates shadows and a sense of mystery

-          Flashes of light showing the wolf’s face – shock the audience

Iconography:

-          When the father shuts himself in, the door looks like a cage. Animalistic

-          A lot of blood and death

-          Gruesome killings – stereotypical

-          Guts and severed body parts on the floor

-          Howling on a roof, tilt to the moon

-          During the day, can still see the moon – shows it’s significance

Props:

-          Weapons; guns and knifes

-          Smoking pipes – sense of time