Film Analysis: Jennifer's Body (2009)

FILM ANALYSIS: Jennifer's body (2009)

dir. Karyn Kusama

BBFC 15 , MPAA R 

Opening Length: 3 minutes

Budget: $16 million 

Box Office: $31.6 million

Re-Release (UK): $55,000

Theatrical Distribution: US only

Production Company: Fox Atomic, Dune Entertainment

Distributor: 20th Century Fox

Synopsis: A newly possessed high school cheerleader turns into a succubus who specialises in killing her male classmates. Can her best friend put and end to her horror? (IMDB)

LINKS: wikipedia, IMDB, Box Office Mojo, Art of the Title

Trailer: 

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Possible Influences For My Film: The flipping of final girl/scream queen tropes. The use of a female serial killer wanting revenge. The relationship between Needy and Jennifer. The locker scene and style of outfits.   

                       

Companies/Idents: 

I was unable to find a version of the opening including the idents, but as it is a large budget film of the 2010s, I would estimate it to have around 3 idents. 

Opening Shot:

The opening shot is a Medium Shot showing someone with long, blonde hair, and a hospital gown. They are facing a grated up window, and are surrounded by stuffed animals. This shot connotes a psychiatric hospital, due to the window and gown, and the audience assumes the protagonist to be female due to the long, blonde hair. This is counter-typical for an opening shot, as they tend to be ELS to reveal as much exposition as possible. 

Titles:

The titles are misty, and in a thin font. The only company name seen is Fox Atomic, showing it as the primary producer. The film's title is in a pink cursive font, connoting femininity and its primary female target audience. 

Mise-En-Scene/First Five Shots: 

The shot pans down from the window onto the floor showing a variety of items, such as letters, crosses, and stuffed animals. This is accompanied by the voice-over describing them, creating narrative enigma. 

The connotations of a psychiatric hospital are anchored in this shot, with the close up of the dressing gown, the protagonist knitting, and the nurse in the background. 

The protagonist begins undressing and revealing scars with the voiceover describing how they need to be "saved". This builds the narrative enigma further, and horror signifiers start to be shown, such as the scar. 

This shot shows the boarded window, as well as pictures framed and on the wall, which creates verisimilitude for a teenage girl, with her friends, family, and assumed boyfriend. 

This shot provides comic relief, contrasting the dark and eerie hospital, with her fluffily rabbit slippers. This also begins to reveal the protagonists personality to the audience. 

Sound: 

There is light, eerie, music playing, with long-drawn out notes to create a sense of unease and build tension. The unseen protagonist begins speaking through a voiceover, cryptically speaking of her location and the letters she receives. These continue throughout the opening scene, only interrupted by dialogue of the protagonist and a nurse.