Friday the 13th is a cult classic among slasher fans; with its antagonist, Jason Voorhees being the face of the brand. Directed by Sean S. Cunningham and released in 1980, the film is the first of ten in its franchise, and led to a crossover with A Nightmare on Elm Street, and a 2009 series reboot.
The film begins with a tilt shot moving from clouds passing over a full moon to a shot of an empty area within a camp - established as Camp Crystal Lake in 1958. A sound bridge of camp counsellors singing a joyful song contrasts greatly with the eerie setting and strictly minimal lighting. The first time we see the characters is via a shot aimed towards their backs, seemingly from an unwanted onlooker hiding out of the counsellors' sight. The counsellors themselves are wearing warm yellow polo shirts and blue shorts, causing the audience see them as kind and harmless people.
The overlaying the diegetic sound with non-diegetic, sinister audio causes a rise in tension, as a handheld shot puts the audience in the position of (presumably at this point) the villain walking into the cabin full of sleeping campers. The tension only increases as the antagonist paces through the room, the iconic "ch ch ch ha ha ha" audio parallel to the unconsented spying taking place on screen.
The tone once again changes when focus is returned to the singing counsellors, now singing "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore" - a spiritual song - adding to the idea that they are good people, as it's implied that they are religious and act in a godly manner. The shot specifically focuses on two of the characters, who meet their end in the following scene. The pair sneak off to have some alone time (despite still being watched by the unknown voyeur). They're about to partake in some sort of sexual action (a bad idea when you're in a slasher film) when our villain catches them in the act. The pair obviously know their killer and try to explain shortly before they're both brutally killed - the girl putting up more of a struggle but having no chance of escaping. By showing that the two murdered characters were in a sexual relationship, Friday the 13th conforms to the convention of the horror genre that non conservative people; i.e. people who drink, smoke, do drugs, or have sex before marriage; will be killed.
This murder scene features low lighting, clutter and mess in terms of its setting - making the audience feel uncomfortable in their surroundings, and making it harder for the girl to make any form of getaway.
The high pitched string music causes fright in the audience to peak, as they're aware of the brutal stabbings taking place. This non-diegetic audio works well with the screams of the characters to form an overall frightening accompaniment to the visual.
The handheld camera shot is also effective as it disorientates the viewer and keeps them close to the action (emphasised via the close ups of the victims and their horrified faces), so much so that they feel integral to the plot and are consequently scared. This shot, additionally, aids the thrill factor of the film as we cannot see who the killer is.
The final shot taken before cutting to the title picture is a still zoom on the girl's face; a look of pure terror and an indication of what is to come in the rest of the film.
- R
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