Film Techniques in Heavenly Creatures

To what extent do you agree that the production features of a particular scene can contribute to a film's central idea(s)?

The film Heavenly Creatures directed by Peter Jackson, uses inter-cutting, hand held camera and he use of dream sequence to emphasise/explore the idea of fantasy versus reality. These techniques helped to shape the viewers' understanding of the ideas more clearly, as viewers are drawn to an unsettled movie. These techniques that are used, help to tie the movie together reinforcing a strange meaning of fantasy and reality.

Firstly, Peter Jackson used intercutting from the beginning right to the end. In the beginning viewers are introduced to a film strip of Christchurch, "The City of the Plains". The film strip shows a British cultural influence as the viewers see British-like buildings and listen to a BBC accent narrate the pictorial tour as a guide for viewers. The reason for this introduction to the movie is that viewers are drawn to this ideal world of c"civilisation", a formal way of showing civilised people live in Christchurch and so it is safe place with no ugly surprises. However, what the viewers do not know is what is actually happening at that very moment! Therefore the director uses intercutting to show this.

Viewers are instantly thrown by the girls screams as they drown out the documentary and change the scene to the harsh reality of girls screaming as they run along a bush path. Peter Jackson is instantly showing the idea of fantasy or reality. We had been introduced to a quiet, civilised town, then out of nowhere as the sound changes, viewers are froced to see the reality of what actually happens in this city on the plains. The use of intercutting makes the audience unsettled as it is often used as a technique throughout the movie. When intercutting is used it is to represent the opposite of reality. It intercuts to Pauline's wish fulfillment, to Pauline and Juliet's Fourth World and also to their own interpretations of their fantasy world called Borovnia. Peter Jackson wanted to show the viewers the personalities of these two girls. Pauline and Juliet are creative, imaginative and they act in a way to survive their own realities. Therefore it shows why Pauline and Juliet are obsessed with each other because the audience is looking at reality through the eyes of these girls. This helps the audience to understand the obsessive relationship between them both.

Jackson uses handheld camera shots to show the idea of a subjective view. The use of a handheld camera is to make viewers understand why Pauline and Juliet act in a certain way. We see then use of different shots from the start, for example when the girls are running out from the bush and towards the shop lady. Audiences are made to become one with the characters. They get to see the point of view of Juliet and Pauline through