The Shining analysis - The Maze Sequence

                                  The Maze Sequence:

                At the start of the maze sequence we get a mid shot of Danny hiding in the snow and        against the maze. The camera is looking at Danny eye level rather than from a high or low angle, this is used because it shows that Danny is the one we understand and have sympathy for at this point.

The location of this sequence is a convention of horror films because it is in a isolated location where there is no one around to help you. This makes me feel scared for Danny because he has to save himself, it also makes me wonder what I would do if I was in his position.

A jump cut is then used to show us a mid shot of Jack looking for Danny. A mid shot is used to show us that Jack is moving around looking for Danny rather than a close up of Jack looking angry. At this point non-diegetic sounds are used to make the wind seem louder which emphasises the location and the weather they are currently in, this also creates a cold atmosphere which makes me shiver. A long take is then used to show the mid shot of Jack looking for Danny, this builds up the tension of Jack looking for Danny and makes it seem more serious.

A jump cut is used to show us a long shot of Jack walking along the snow in the distance, here another convention of horror is used, fog, this is used to make Jack just a distant silhouette. It also confuses Danny even more as where Jack is going is unknown. The fear of the unknown is also a repetition of horror conventions as many films use the fear of not knowing where the danger is, e.g. My Bloody Valentine uses this method when the girls are escaping out of the window and the miner disappears leaving us all fearing where he was going to pop up from.

As Danny runs through the maze away from Jack the camera is handheld to show the realism of how Danny is feeling at that point and it makes me sit on the edge of my seat as I am willing for Danny to escape Jack and the maze. This also shows us the maze from Danny's perspective so he seems more human to us, we don’t see any of the sequence directly from Jacks point of view.  

Low key lighting is used throughout the sequence because it is winter and it is taking place at night. Low key lighting is another common horror convention because people fear the dark and what is inside of it. High key lighting is used on certain parts of the maze, especially when Danny starts to run into the light which is mise en scene as he is running to what we all find safe and comfortable.