Film Spectatorship and Cloverfield

What is film?

An introduction to film and Cloverfield

Like all media, film is a language which can be consumed by 'us' the viewers. The text also like others, is needed to be constructed for a specific purpose, so the audience can then decode it and figure out the several meanings produced from using several techniques such as; Mise-en-scene, sound, cinematography, genre and narrative.

 

"Cloverfield" is an all-action horror sci-fi disaster film that was released the 1st of February 2008, produced by J.J. Abrams and Directed by Matt Reeves. 


According to IMDB it grossed  "$170,764,026 (Worldwide) (10 April 2008)", to calculate the inner working that helped generate the film's success, I am going to discuss the different ways in which'Cloverfield' is consumed by an audience to gain pleasure using and applying many theories about film spectatorship. 

As an audience consuming the media, in this case film, we are expected to react in different ways to it. 'The hypodermic Needle' theory suggest viewers are now more prone to be an 'active' audience whereas many years ago viewers were 'passive' and believed  everything media told them (verisimilitude) which made media a powerful tool in causing panic and distress, however film is now used for pleasure. 

An example of society acting as a 'passive' audience is Germany during the 1930's in which propoganda spread fear into the society and they were forced to believe what they were indocrinated with such as this poster depicting Hitler as a hero holding up the Nazi flag, suggesting he was a god-like figure.

Applying this to 'Cloverfield' if we were a 'passive' audience, there would be mass panic about the possibility of a strange out-of-world creature invading the world. Luckilly, in this day and age people are less niave. However, the film also uses intertextuality when the head of the statue of liberty is thrown into the crowd, then when the 2 apartment buildings crash into each other and when the characters are covered in ash. This is referencing to 9/11 and general conflict in America, which could be read as a sign of building tension and fear of another terrorist act.  

Also, some film-makers use intertextuality to combine one text to another. 

For example, take this scene from "Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny" as it refers to "A Clockwork Orange".

The 'Gratification and uses' theory tells us why we enjoy films and that we use them as an escape from real-life, as a source of social interaction i.e. watching a film with friends and to get a sense of self identity through relating to the narrative or the characters.

'Cloverfield' can be enjoyed as a form of social interaction as it can be enjoyed as a social occasion i.e a horror film night. It can also be enjoyed on a personal level as viewers may relate to each of the characters or aspire to their bravery. It also can be viewed as a diversion from reality as the film throws viewers into the situations unravelling.

The last theory of how audiences review films is 'The Reception' theory which suggests the viewer will be dominant, oppositional or negotiated as an 'active' viewer.

Dominant- is when a viewer accepts what the 'preferred' meaning is and agrees with it, broadly. So, if applied to 'Cloverfield' it would be agreed that there are rising tensions between the middle-east and the USA.

Oppositional- is when a viewer can see the producers point yet disagrees based on ideological grounds. If we apply this to 'Cloverfield' it is accepted what Drew Goddard and Matt Reeves are trying to say, but they do not believe there is any conflict brewing.

Negotiated- is when a viewer can see the point yet rejects it but believes elements of it. Applied to 'Cloverfield', the viewer would not agree with the points made about the rising tensions but rejects it and may believe elements of it, like there is possibility of a conflict.

The main plot of the film is a basic 3 act structure following 'Todorov's Theory' as using the key themes of friendship and American values it shows us a group of friends attempts to escape and survive a monster that attacks New York City. The actors and actresses in the Film conventional of the horror genre are unknown. The film uses intertextuality by combining the 'Us VS Them' theory in the plot line to current American political status i.e. the soldiers VS the monster. 

Green represents the opening and introduction of events, red represents conflict and realisation and amber represents the resolution and transition into normality.

Tension builds from start to end as the climax is the events between 4 and 5.

Applied to the film, this would be:

1. All is well  - the characters are celebrating at Rob's leaving party.

2. An event occurs disrupting tranquillity - there is a loud crash.

3. Realisation of events - the characters try to escape the city and reach Beth.

4. Try to fix the abnormality- the characters reach Beth and try to get out.

5. All is okay again - ('Cloverfield' does not end using this theory as both Beth and Rob are left in the danger zone and are possibly killed.)

Another theory about narrative, that 'Cloverfield' follows is Vladimir Propp's grouping of characters and their actions into eight types (spheres of action):

The Villain is the monster wreaking havoc in New York City, as it is the cause of fear and danger for the Hero who is Rob as he is forced to take control of the situation when his true love Beth is hurt in the mayhem. The monster is also shown as a villian by the use of low angle camera movements.

The Donor's are the army soldiers who leads them from the shopping centre, as they hold the monster back, giving the group a chance to flee to safety or assist Rob in saving Beth. The Helper's are "Hud", Lily and Marleena as they follow Rob's leadership after Jason, Rob's brother is killed on the bridge.

The Princess is Beth as Rob goes to save her as she is unable to escape in time and gets hurt.Her Father is the army as they hold back the monster and it's offspring so he can get to Beth. The Dispatcher's are Jason as he convinces him to go to Beth and starts as a leader until he is cut off from the group, then it is Lily as she tells Rob to carry on after her.
The False Hero in a way is Jason as he convinces Rob to save Beth and takes control of the group but then he dies and the focus is put back on to Rob.

Scene Analysis

Codes & Conventions used

Here is a short extract from 'Cloverfield' that I am going to analyse to highlight the film language which has been used to portray elements of action, science-fiction, horror and disaster including uses of intertextuality. (19 - 34 minutes). 

The scene uses low camera angles to portray the monster as an overbearing figure. This is to make the monster of the situation clear by making the audience seem like victims that are smaller than the creature. The camera movements are shaky and staying low to show panic and fear as the group spree from the monster through the city. This is done using ‘point of view’ positioning to make it seem like the audience is part of the group and are also running for their lives, thus building tension and fear. 

There is no non-diegetic sound in the piece, only diegetic sounds of screaming, crashing, gunfire and heavy breathing to add a sense of realism to the piece and to show mass panic following the same conventions shown in the disaster film, 'Volcano'. By using fast paced jump-cuts and other footage edited into the scene (clips of Rob and Beth), the film seems real and feels like actual events. The film uses a mass amount of CGI to show explosions and debris, but it has been directed to only be slightly out of shot to make it seem real and through this it shows an almost real disaster. 

Cloverfield is set in modern New York and follows a group of young good-looking friends in their 20’s which makes the film current, believable and gives the sense that this could happen to anyone. As the group were at a party at the start of the film, they are dressed in smart attire and through the film we see them get ripped, covered in blood and dust from the debris and events around them, this shows how dramatically the events have changed. The lighting is dark with some flashes to add to the mood and follow conventions of horror films like what is used in 'Paranormal Activity.'

Types of Film

Genre & Sub-genre

Genre is the category of which a film goes into depending on the codes and conventions they use, their 'repertoire of elements'.

Sometimes these genre's are categorised as sub-genre's for example a horror with elements of comedy would be the sub-genre comedy horror. 

The knowledge of Genre is shared by producers and the audience so they know what to expect and what is expected as most narratives are formulaic, however they are not entirely predictable, thus keeping the film entertaining. 

The Lost Boys (1987) 

Twilight (2008)

The Vampire Diaries (2009 - )

Film goes in cycles of pop culture like most media. At the current time in the cycle Vampire fantasy TV and film is the current trend that was popular in the 80's.

Films also use semiotics which is the 'study of signs'. This is how we, as an audience, perceive and generate meaning from the images, words and sounds that we see. Semiotics makes use of all 3 of these to communicate the point through successfully. This helps us focus on the mise-en-scene which is what is shown in the picture on screen; design, colour, lighting, performance, diegetic sound, shot framing, positioning and music.

Each genre has different codes and conventions i.e. a horror film will have a narrative that is usually all is well then people are killed off one by one and in most films the last character left escapes. Characters are usually a group of friends and there is always a leader figure and a villain which is the killer. The setting is usually a forest, haunted house or a cemetery. Props are usually weapons that the killer has or what characters use to fight back. Lighting is dark to set the mood and there is a lot of use of P.O.V shots and sounds of screams or there is silence (diegetic sound). Characters are most often played by unknown or new actors and actresses but the films are generally directed by known directors such as George Romero and M. Night Shyamalan. Some key examples are "When a stranger calls," "Shrooms" and "Night of the Living Dead". This is a sub-genre of 'Cloverfield' as it uses unknown actors, dark lighting, diegetic sound and P.O.V shots which are conventional of the horror genre.

   

For example, take this trailer for 'When a stranger calls' as the trailer shows elements of horror used in 'Cloverfield'. Even the trailer uses the same freeze framed flash shots.

 

In comparison, action films have well known names like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger who play the hero character that has to save a love interest or the world from the evil villains and are directed by well-known directors such as Michael Bay and Quentin Tarantino. The story is usually set in a large city, for example New York. They use several props that are weapons and are usually dressed like commandos. Lighting is varied depending on mood and sound is usually non-diegetic and are fast paced music. The film's often use close-ups, long shots and panning/tracking shots. They also use non-diegetic soundtracks with music to fit the scenes. Lighting varies throughout the film using it to fit the mood. Settings (like disaster) are large populated areas. Props are usually weapons and clothes are usually military style. Some examples that use these are "Rambo", "True Lies" and "Demolition Man". Elements of this are used in 'Cloverfield' as Rob is the hero going to save Beth and the same militant props are used.

The conventions of the disaster genre is a linear structured narrative following the 'All's well, end's well' styling following a protagonist leading a small group of characters. There often is a comic character to add light relief to the situations and authority characters such as soldiers and police officers. Sometimes, more often than not, there is a love interest for the protagonist which causes some situation in which they need saving. They are set in largely populated areas in places that are familiar or sometimes the events are set globally. The props are weapons and special FX to show mass panic. The actors and actresses are well known like Helen Hunt, Tommy Lee Cooper and Will Smith which audiences can identify with. The camera shots are usually Point Of View, tracking/panning and close-up shots.The films most notable for using these are "Independence Day" and "Twister". These conventions are massively used by 'Cloverfield' as the monster inflicting danger is the cause of destruction in a modern ordinary day and Hudson is used as a relief character using humour. It also uses the same camera shots, special FX and use of mass hysteria.

 

The Science-Fiction genre uses imaginary or less plausible content. They are usually set in the future, space or dream worlds. They are open to non-linear structures as the narrative can break the boundaries of other genre's. Characters can include monsters, aliens, robots and non-human entities. Props are usually advanced technologies claimed to be possible in the future such as ray-guns and teleports. Actors and actresses are well-know and identifiable such as Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert Downey Jr. and famous directors such as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ridley Scott and Peter Jackson. They use similar shots to action genre's and have non-diegetic action soundtracks. Films that use these are "Blade Runner" and "Star Wars". This is used in 'Cloverfield' as the creature and it's offspring are completely fictional and are not very plausible but are none-the-less are frightening to the audience at best through keeping them just out of shot and in the corner of a viewers eye making it much more realistic.

 

Conclusion

A Brief Review

Overall, "Cloverfield" is a 85 minute adrenaline rush that has you ducking behind demolished cars and shattered door frames.  Reeves has excelled in creating an exciting world in which the viewer can immerse themselves right into the action. 

When looking even deeper into the film, you will discover even more delights as references to other classic horror/sci-fi films, from 'Jud' mentioning 'burning hobos' (from 'Cannibal Holocaust') and still frames of well-known beasts. Even a reference to J.J Abrams "Lost" and 2 easter eggs at the end of the film including a recording of a satellite falling and audio that played forwards sounds like 'Help us' and if reversed, 'it's still alive!' 

The only down side to "Cloverfield" was 'Jud's' irritating commentary and the amount the camera was shaking became unbearable towards the end.

To conclude, there are speculations that a sequel is definitely going to be produced and J.J Abrams has confirmed that he is on-board in an interview with TotalFim (Here). It will be interesting to see if it lives up to the high standards of the first uniquely approached film.

4/5