30 in 30: A MONTH OF HORROR. THE CONJURING
DAY 3 — THE CONJURING
THE CONJURING (2012)
The Conjuring is a one-man show. Star-director James Wan has single-handedly kept the horror genre alive for the past decade, either as a producer or as a director.
Yesterday we talked about “concept,” and how important it was to a good horror film, but “The Conjuring” is almost the antithesis of that idea. Don’t get me wrong, the concept is fine and has spawned forth a huge franchise. But I don’t believe the strength of the film lies with the Warrens, but with how carefully and masterfully Wan crafted a neo-classical take on horror.
What makes this film scary?
Wan knows that empathy is a big part of fright, that’s why at the beginning of the film he allows us to get to know this beautiful family that’s just moving into this huge country house on the prairie. But before doing that he shows us the Annabel doll scene, giving us the first fright so we can be eased into the first act.
We now know there’s something menacing in the air.
In The Conjuring, we always know the scares are coming, but we don’t know precisely when. Wan creates fantastic build ups to frights that always happen when least expected. Is sort of like watching a great football player dribble past a defender, everybody knows what he is trying to do, but he still manages to surprise us somehow.
Wan is very conscious of the space in which his scenes or stories take place, and he uses that to his advantage, almost like a magic trick. He first does the setting, and then comes the big reveal. This is particularly obvious in the scene where the family first enters the home; here Wan sets up where the horror story will take place, while also making us care for the lovely family who has just moved in. What an evil genius.
The imagery on the film also conjures feelings of classic horror movies like “The Amityville Horror” or “Poltergeist”, but his expressionist use camera movements create an interesting tension between what you expect to see when looking at a late 70’s horror film, and the exuberant display of motion you’re actually experiencing here.
Structurally wise ‘The Conjuring’ is very conservative, but that helps aid the feeling of a “classical” horror film, that Wan portrays so perfectly here.
So, why is The Conjuring scary?
It’s a mixture of tone, ambiance, and well-crafted empathy. You care for the family in the house; you identify with the little girl when the ghost pulls her leg out of bed. You remember being ten and being afraid of the shadow behind the door in your room. Did it move?
The movie is also uncompromising. It’s a ghost story of a witch that murder people in a house that is now haunted. Period. Ghosts are ghosts, witches are witches, and possessions are possessions. There are no half-measures here, no psychological spin either.
It’s a great ghost story through and through. And it’s pretty damn scary.
Tomorrow: KAIRO (2001)
Yesterday: PONTYPOOL (2008)
