Fatal Attraction
The main settings used throughout the film are of a home environment. The home has connotations of safety and sanctuary, a place of protection therefore to be attacked and stalked in your own home is scary. Also the thought that even your own home is a frightening and has a heightened effect of creating tension within the audience.
Linking in with this is the number of homely scenes that we are shown throughout the film. An example is when we see the mom cooking in the kitchen whilst her daughter and husband play cards together in the other room and she watches them with a smile. The effect of these creates a relationship between the audience and the characters, therefore we see them more as real people rather than just pretend characters.
The main props that are of significance are the sharp knives and a gun, which is used as a murder weapon. These are all dangerous objects that can evoke fear at the capability of them as weapons to kill or harm a person. Furthermore the knife is a main prop throughout the film from earlier parts where she obviously slit her wrists with a blade.
Close ups are used in order to draw emphasis upon important things within the film, mainly objects that have some sort of foretelling significance. For example we get a close up of a kettle squealing as its left to overheat. This could be a reference to the boiled bunny later on in the film.
Some further shots used are two shots, which are mainly used when the man is in an embrace with either his wife or another woman. It shows the relationship and the effect of this is perhaps to emphasise the fact that he shares the same embrace that he does with his wife, with another woman.
The use of sound throughout the film is effective. For example some non-diegetic sound is used in the scene where the man listens to the tape, this is an eerie low trumpet sound. Trumpets are serious instruments usually associated with funerals, which could reflect the danger that he faces.
STOCK CHARACTERS;
The PSYCHOTIC character that is in fact the killer. In the film it is the woman who goes insane because the man leaves her which anchors the stereotypical representation that women need men in there lives. It also proves the stereotype of women being irrational.
The male plays the role of successful LAWYER with a family life. This shows him to be a powerful man fitting the traditional role of the male in the family well.
NARRATIVE THEORIES APPLIED TO FATAL ATTRACTION;
Todrov…
EQUILIBRIUM – The normal family life scenes. The family is happy and undisturbed living a simple and peaceful life.
DISRUPTION – The man meets the other woman and they begin their affair.
REALSIATION – When the man tries to break up with the woman she won’t leave him alone.
QUEST – He tries various ways to get rid of her. Eventually when she intrudes his home he fails to drown her and his wife shoots her.
NEW EQUILIBRIUM – The police take the body away however life will never be the same for the family, it has altered the man the most, learnt his lesson the hard way.
Propp….
HERO – DAD
VILLAIN – WOMAN (MISTRESS)
PRINCESS – HIS WIFE AND CHILD
DONOR/MENTOR – FRIEND AT WORK
HELPER – HIS WIFE
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