The Possession of Michael King - Opening Deconstruction

Titles

• None - this is unusual for any film as there are usually main credits and the film title however there are none in this case to make it seem more like a 'real documentary'

Appropriate for Genre

• Nuclear Family
• Psychic - supernatural, connection with the other side, links with religion which is a common convention in possession horror

  

  Medium to the spirit world
• Candles are the only light - low lighting, religious, creepy atmosphere

  

  • The candles are mainly white which 'has the highest consiousness to protect, purify and heal'

• There is a jump scare where there is interference in the camera and there is a static sound which is much louder than the dialogue

Timings

• The film is mainly 'real footage' of Michael King documenting his project so it often jump cuts to different days and significant things that happen

Narrative/Enigmas

• Equilibrium - family happily together in recorded footage making future plans
  
• Michael explains he wants to 'test the most authentic spells, rituals and summoning's that I can find' this is unusual as people don't usually purposely try to become possessed. This also shows what the film is going to be about
• During the reading of Michael's cards, there are extreme close ups of Beverley turning the cards over to show the Death card then the Devil which foreshadows as we know he becomes possessed during the film.
  
  
  
  
• Michael's daughter says 'I had a scary dream about a monster' which is foreshadowing as from the title, we know that Michael becomes a kind of monster.
• Michael says 'come and get me' which is ironic as he does not believe in the supernatural and psychic readings however the the audience know that the spirits will 'come and get him'

Sound

• The sound juxtaposes with the images on the screen as it is showing a happy nuclear family raising their daughter while Michael's voice over talks about death.
• The man reveals his identity by saying 'me, Michael' which affirms the audience that he is the victim
• There is a small amount of music in the part where Michael is talking over the home videos of the family. It is sympathetic, sad piano music which highlight's the death of his wife which we see in the images.