Review of a few Camera Angles in the movie Carrie (1976)

Carrie (1976 Film)

Produced by Paul Monash and adapted from Stephen King's novel

I chose to comment on a few of the camera angles in the 1976 movie "Carrie" because I personally find old movies entertaining/fascinating. I find the themes, the acting, and the production of old movies interesting. Carrie was the first old movie that stuck with me for having the strangest theme, funniest acting, and the oddest production. I thought Carrie would be perfect for this assignment because it has many shots that provoke different emotions. I could also watch Carrie a million times so having an excuse to watch it again was pretty good too.

This is the iconic "Plug it up" scene which I would consider a choker shot.  

In the article 'Different Camera Angles Create Different Emotions" it states that shots like this one help the viewer feel whatever the characters are feeling. This particular shot allows the viewer to enter the girls' emotions and reveal certain characteristics that might continue throughout the movie 

Later on in the movie, the camera leaves Carrie's house and then frames the school for a couple of seconds. This was a great example of an establishing shot. As the camera focuses on the school it helps the reader understand that the setting has now left Carrie's house and will now be taking place at the school or specifically the prom. 

 

Once Carrie is drenched in pig's blood and tommy is killed with the bucket it cuts to the audience and shows certain peoples' reactions. I found this as a great example of a cutaway shot because the movie briefly shows the action that has happened to Carrie and Tommy then focuses on Norma laughing. They even put it in slow motion to exaggerate it more. This shot is meant to get the viewer mad as Normas' reaction was uncalled for.

When Carrie gets home the movie the shot changed to the point of view of Carrie. The camera is unsteady and moved around as if the viewer is inside Carrie's eyes. Once again, the article stated that shots like this are supposed to help the viewer feel like they are included in the scene with a realistic feel. In this case, the viewer feels curious and scared as they are surrounded by candles.

At the end of the movie, Sue appears to be dreaming of Carrie's grave and she is carrying flowers to put next to it. At this point, the scene is very peaceful with soothing music. As Sue places the flowers down Carrie's arm pops out and grabs Sue. This would be considered a flash shot because Carrie's arm pops onto the screen and disrupts the peace which is meant to scare the viewer.