The Hitcher

By Joe Chapman

Camera Shots• The trailer starts off with a point of view shot from the car driving which signifies a

journey that the characters are about to embark on. It then proceeds to show a close up of feet walking to the particular car this is quite an ominous shot as the figure is slowly approaching the car. This creates an enigma for the audience as it makes us think who is it?, and what are they going to do? It then proceeds to a medium close up of the ‘hitcher’/ figure smashes the glass and seemingly attacking the driver of the car showing his motive which is clearly to cause harm.

• Later on in the trailer there is an over the shoulder shot which seems to be from the woman’s position in the car which allows us to focus on what he is saying and makes us wonder what he is like for example his personality etc. You then get to see a close up of his face which shows his sadistic nature and smile which makes us wonder if he will hurt the couple. He then continues to pull a knife towards his own face (close up) signifying the danger the young couple are in and if they don’t escape what the ‘hitcher’ is going to do to them.

• As we go through the trailer a significant shot is the long shot of the young man attached to two lorries which appears that h the hitcher is trying to tear him apart. Connoting much like him tearing their planned adventure together he is now physically and not just mentally tearing him apart.

Editing• They have edited the heart beat in time to the windscreen wipers which connotes calmness for the time

being and progressively gets faster along with the window wipers connoting danger.• Before they meet the stranger there is a cut on the sound of lightning which is when they meet the

stranger. Lightening is usually proposed with danger and connotes that maybe the hitcher is also dangerous much like lighting. Whilst in the car there are many shot reverse shots to show the interaction between the stranger and the couple which emphasises his shadiness. Before this though there is a focus pull where the woman in the background is now blurry showing the hitcher to be the most dominant in the shot and the character who we should focus on. During this sequence when you hear the character say ‘No!’ there is a fast cut to the knife to show what the male protagonist is so scared about. This then carries on to a fast cut showing the car out of control putting emphasis on the trouble they have found themselves in after picking up the hitchhiker.

• There is then a cross dissolve which shows the audience a passage of time in the characters lives where they seem to have escaped danger. For now. When a bloody hand hits the car window there is a scream added to create more effect and emphasis. Later on there are also many cuts on banging noises showing the couple gradually getting themselves into more danger.

Mise-En-Scene• Setting- The setting is generally takes place in rural areas with a little amount of populates a typical convention of

horror movies as it is very eerie, with nobody to help them.• Costume-The couples clothing is very normal and casual something that you expect them to wear. This is a binary

opposite to the hitcher who is in very dark clothing this portraits his personality as being very dark inside and violent. Apart from his shirt which is actually very normal which maybe he wears to present himself as being normal on the face of things to attract his victims. In addition black is usually associated with death signifying that the hitcher will be and is theirs and many other peoples bringer of death.

• Props- One prop that is very prominent is the knife. This is because it is the symbol of a very slow and painful death which the hitcher clearly wants to inflict on this couple. Vehicles also seem to be the main focus point of the movie which is understandable as being a hitchhiker involves getting lifts in vehicles.

• Performance-The hitchers body language indicates his personality he is stood tall with his head tilted at an angle a characteristic someone with a mental problem would have, which the hitcher clearly does. The hitcher also has a weary smile which suggests he has something to hide. However at the same time it looks very sadistic as all the time he is thinking about killing the couple.

• Lighting- The lighting at the start is very dark which signifies danger and a bad point in the lives of the couple. In addition to this dark night time is a convention of horror. Towards the middle of the trailer the lighting is high key ambient lighting which could connote the couple believe that they have escaped danger.

Sound• When it is just the couple there is calm opera in the background connoting happiness.• As the trailer progresses there is and emphasis on lightning, screeching sounds and scratches on cuts this is

to signify danger and the pain of the characters at the same time.• At some points there is no music in the trailer which is used to good effect as it builds suspense for the

next shot/scene. These are all typical conventions of horrors and are used very frequently in order to build suspense for what is going to happen next.

• Dialogue/diegetic sound from the characters helps to build suspense as relatively early on you can hear the hitcher say ‘I want you to say four words… I want to die’. Then right near the end of the trailer after seeing the male protagonist about to be pulled apart you hear him say ‘I want to die'. This is very captivating as it grabs our attention making us want to watch the movie when it comes out.

Representation Considerations

• Stereotypes- Youths are presented anti-stereotypically in this piece. This is because they are usually generalised as unkind and yobs.However they stop to pick the hitcher up trying to be nice which denotes the youths as being kind and helpful, however this may not represent the rest of the youth community.

• Gender- There are elements of Mulvey’s Male gaze in the trailer as it shows the female getting dressed showing off her skin to appeal to the male audience. In addition the female isn’t represented as being the damsel in distress she seems to get involved and does not just leave it to the male to do all the work.

• Ideology- Reinforces the idea of males being very violent and aggressive as shown by the hitcher brutally murdering people. Yet again women get objectified as in most pieces of film etc. This is as she is shown with her skin showing and at one point naked in the shower.

Theories• Todorov- Todorov’s theory is established slightly in the trailer. The equilibrium being when the couple are

happy being together, the disruption, when they pick up the hitcher ,the recognition of the disruption, where they are on the run from him and the attempt to repair could be when they go to the police to see if they can help them. As all trailers it does not touch on the new equilibrium this is because they don not want to give too much away as to what happens so it forces you to go and see it if you want to know what happens.

• Propp- establishes some of Propp’s characters. Hero- this would be both the male and female protagonist, Villain- the hitcher, Princess- both male and female protagonists, False Hero- could also be the hitcher because he starts off as being nice but then turns into a villain.

• Socio Economic Groups- I think that all groups through C1 to E would watch horror movies such as this, because it would appeal more to them than A and B because they probably don’t have time to watch movies like this and would instead maybe prefer films based on real events of even more educated cerebral films.

• ITV Sales Demographics- I think that the groups AD, AA and A3 would watch this because they are old enough to watch them and are more likely to want to watch them with partners etc. than on their own. Groups such as HC would not watch them as the child would be too young and the house wife would more than likely not want to watch it on their own.

• Uses & Gratification- Personal identification-two young people in love going on a trip together, Inform- be wary about picking up strangers, Entertain- jump scares, fast paced action and brutal murders, Social Response- would talk to friends about why he targeted them and about the different murders etc.