Dark Shadows Scene Analysis

In the final scene of Dark Shadows Barnabas returns to his home just as Angie and an angry mob of people arrive. Angie is there to arrest the family for harbouring a murder. Barnabas makes an offer of himself and Liz to be arrested if there is no harm to come upon his family. As he does this Tim Burton uses a centred close up camera shot of Carolyn closing their house doors building the tension of the audience as if there was going to be a war between the family and Angie, knowing that she wouldn’t take the deal. As the scene carries on there are a lot of over the shoulder camera shots between Angie and Barnabas as he strangles her. These camera shots display to the audience the emotion of each character as the scene plays out between them. …show more content…
In the beginning of this scene it shows a close up of Ichabod looking at the chaotic state that the people in the church are in. With guns held up in the air as they wait for the unknown of what is to come. It shows close ups of people’s faces as they push through the crowd. Showing a close up of Katrinas face as she holds her chest, a side angle camera shot shows Katrina dropping to the floor as someone holds her dad, Baltus by the collars of his clothes due to the fact that the horsemen wants him and he wants to sacrifice him in order to survive. Camera shot shows a side on shot of Ichabod as he stares out the window showing a mid shot of the headless horsemen showing he is dominant in this scene. Tim Burton uses a close up camera shot of the dirt on the ground and the horses hoof not being able to cross that line, showing the audience that the headless horsemen is not allowed on sacred ground. Showing a wide shot of the headless horse men with his horses two front feet off the ground and the church in the background I think this shot was important for the audience to see because again I believe it shows dominance of the character as all the people in the town are hiding in the church as he just sits outside and waits. Showing the audience that the other characters are very scared and frightened also building anticipation of what is to come. Showing a close up of Ichabods face as he stares out to the headless horsemen as it shows a mid shot of the headless horsemens skills with the axe. Throwing the axe into the sacred land of the church it disintegrates into nothing. Giving the audience the idea of that happening to the headless horsemen. A close up shot of Ichabods face shows the realisation that the headless horsemen cannot enter the sacred grounds giving the audience and characters hope of survival. Tim Burton uses the camera technique of panning the camera behind the headless horsemen as people try to