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The Blair Witch Project «“√ “√«‘™“°“√ ¡À“«‘∑¬“≈—¬ÀÕ°“√§â“‰∑¬ Breaking with Convention:ªï∑’Ë 28 Narrative©∫—∫∑’Ë 1Structure ‡¥◊Õπ¡°√“§¡ and Mechanisms - ¡’π“§¡ of2551 Suspense in The Blair Witch Project reaking with Convention: Narrative Structure B and Mechanisms of Suspense in The Blair Witch Project °“√‰¡à‡ªìπ‰ªμ“¡¢π∫: ‚§√ß √â“߇√◊ËÕ߇≈à“·≈– °≈‰°°“√ √â“ߧ«“¡√–∑÷°„® „π¿“æ¬πμ√å ‡√◊ËÕß ç‚§√ß°“√·¡à¡¥·∫≈√åé . Alexander J. Klemm . Full-time Instructor . Department of English, School of Humanities . The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce . Email: [email protected] ∫∑§—¥¬àÕ ‚§√ß √â“߇√◊ËÕ߇≈à“¢Õß¿“æ¬πμ√å ‡√◊ËÕß ç‚§√ß°“√·¡à¡¥·∫≈√åé (‚¥¬ Daniel Myrick ·≈– Eduardo Sanchezz, À√—∞Õ‡¡√‘°“, 1999) ‰¡à‡ªìπ‰ªμ“¡®“√’μÀ≈—°¢Õß‚§√ß √â“ß¿“æ¬πμ√å ¬Õߢ«—≠À√◊Õ ¶“μ°√√¡≈°≈÷ ∫™— ππ”∑—È «‰ª—Ë °“√ √“ߧ«“¡√–∑â °„®∑÷ ‡¢’Ë ¡¢â πâ ‚¥¬‰¡¡à ¿“æ ’ μ«— ª√–À≈“¥ª√“°Ø„Àå ‡Àâ πÁ ‡ªìπ°≈«‘∏’∑’ˉ¡à‡§¬¡’„§√„™â¡“°àÕπ ∫∑§«“¡‡√◊ËÕßπ’È¡’«—μ∂ÿª√– ߧå∑’Ë®–«‘‡§√“–Àå°≈‰°°“√ √â“ߧ«“¡ √–∑÷°„® ‡æ◊ËÕ„Àâ‡ÀÁπ√–∫∫°“√‡√’¬ß√âÕ¬‡√Ë◊Õß√“«·≈–°“√ √â“ߧ«“¡§“¥À¡“¬„À⇰‘¥¢÷Èπ°—∫ºŸâ™¡ ∫∑§«“¡π’È𔇠πÕ°“√‡√’¬ß≈”¥—∫‡Àμÿ°“√≥å„π¿“æ¬πμ√å ≈—°…≥– ”§—≠·≈–°“√‡º¬μ—« —μ«å ª√–À≈“¥∑’ˉ¡àª√“°Ø√Ÿª≈—°…≥åÕ¬à“ß™—¥‡®π √«¡∂÷ߧ«“¡√Ÿâ ÷°√à«¡√–À«à“ßμ—«≈–§√‡Õ°°—∫ºŸâ™¡ §” ”§—≠: ‚§√ß √â“߇√◊ËÕ߇≈à“ §«“¡√–∑÷°„® §«“¡ ¬Õߢ«—≠ —μ«åª√–À≈“¥ ·¡à¡¥ 256 «“√ “√«‘™“°“√ ¡À“«‘∑¬“≈—¬ÀÕ°“√§â“‰∑¬ ªï∑’Ë 28 ©∫—∫∑’Ë 1 ‡¥◊Õπ¡°√“§¡ - ¡’π“§¡ 2551 Alexander J. Klemm Abstract The narrative structure of The Blair Witch Project (Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, USA, 1999) breaks with the dominant traditions of the classical horror film and mystery thriller by implementing an original form of suspense intensified by an unconventional non-manifestation of the monster. The objective of this article is to probe the filmûs mechanisms of suspense in order to arrive at new insights into the organization of narrative and the formation of viewer-anticipation. To this end, it explores the filmûs sequencing of events, the features and disclosure of the ambivalent monster, and the silent bond between the central characters and the viewer. Keywords: narrative structure, suspense, horror, monster, witch çThis suspense is a thousand times revealing evidence on videotape. However, worse than the most horrible event; they get lost, and after a series of unsettling tell me what new scene of death has discoveries they are attacked and die at the been acted, and whose murder I am hands of an invisible force. This is the quite now to lament?é (Shelley, 1992: 174) standard plot of The Blair Witch Project. çThis suspense is terrible. I hope it Despite its apparent conformity, the film has will last.é (Wilde, 1973: 388) seen enormous commercial success, which has been attributed to effective promotion Introduction via the Internet rather than well crafted In 1994, three film students venture into cinematography or an innovative storyline. the woods of Burkittsville in Maryland on a Many young moviegoers were conjured into quest to explore the myth of the Blair Witch. assuming the authenticity of the film and They document their entire journey with two mistook fiction for fact.* However, at the handheld cameras in hopes of capturing center of the analyses presented here lies * The Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia (2007) states: çThe release of the film on July 30, 1999 came after months of publicity, including a ground-breaking campaign by the studio to use the Internet and suggest that the film was a real event. It was very positively received and went on to gross over $248 million worldwide, making it the most profitable independent film ever made up to that point [...] and the most profitable film of all time in terms of ratio of production cost to box office sales.é The hype surrounding the film lasted for several months before it faded. Myrick and Sanchez decided to shoot a sequel, but Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (USA, 2000) was not well received and could never duplicate the success of its predecessor. «“√ “√«‘™“°“√ ¡À“«‘∑¬“≈—¬ÀÕ°“√§â“‰∑¬ ªï∑’Ë 28 ©∫—∫∑’Ë 1 ‡¥◊Õπ¡°√“§¡ - ¡’π“§¡ 2551 257 Breaking with Convention: Narrative Structure and Mechanisms of Suspense in The Blair Witch Project the filmûs resourceful construction of suspense components. Such a dissection should follow and not the strategy by which it was marketed. previously set rules to yield insightful results. A discourse on maintaining suspense is In his excellent study The Philosophy of necessary because The Blair Witch Project Horror or Paradoxes of the Heart, Noe_l Carroll achieves it without ever fully revealing the (1990: 99-103) divides the narrative structure of actual source of evil. This non-manifestation the classical horror film into four comprehensive of the monster is an atypical practice for a phases that center on the conflict between the film that aspires to be shocking and horrific main characters and an antagonistic power: and that takes a witch as its subject matter. Onset, loosely speaking, comprises The intention of this article is to explore the scenes and sequences involving the filmûs narrative formation and means the manifestations of the monster, of suspense. Therefore, the questions that prior to the discovery of the monster. guide the discussion are the following: What [...] Discovery proper occurs when constitutes structures and mechanisms of one character or group of characters suspense in general and how are these comes to the warranted conviction made manifest in the film? How does the that a monster is at the bottom of characterization of the antagonist correspond the problem. [...] The confirmation to the formation of suspense? And what is function involves the discoverers the role of viewer-protagonist identification in of or the believers in the existence regard to these processes?* of the monster convincing some other groups of the existence of the Narrative Division and the Question- creature and of the proportions of Answer Set-up the mortal danger at hand. [...] In order to understand the inner workings Humanity marches out to meet of a narrative, it should be divided into various its monster and the confrontation * The last question opens up the possibility to enter a psychoanalytical discourse. However, psychoanalysis often falls short of adequately discussing the various connections between viewers and characters. This has also been pointed out by Murray Smith (1995: 5), who states that çthe use of psychoanalysis has often led to descriptive inaccuracies and explanatory simplifications in the discussion of both the form and rhetoric of films, and the way in which spectators engage with such form.é Therefore, this article opts to take a structural rather than a psychoanalytical approach to viewers, characters, and suspense. 258 «“√ “√«‘™“°“√ ¡À“«‘∑¬“≈—¬ÀÕ°“√§â“‰∑¬ ªï∑’Ë 28 ©∫—∫∑’Ë 1 ‡¥◊Õπ¡°√“§¡ - ¡’π“§¡ 2551 Alexander J. Klemm generally takes the form of a debacle. the internal ùworldû of the story - whatûs Often, there is more than one possible, whatûs probable, whatûs not very likely, confrontation. These may assume and so on.é True to this statement, the onset the shape of an escalation in phase opens with a prolog: çIn October of intensity or complexity or both. [...] 1994, three student filmmakers disappeared In the majority of cases, humanity in the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland emerges victorious from its while shooting a documentary. _ A year later confrontation with the monster, their footage was found.é It covers the first though it is possible for us to lose two days and introduces the witch hunters [...]. Heather, Mike, and Josh in private spaces, This division into onset, discovery, establishes the myth surrounding their confirmation, and confrontation is not the disappearance and the legend of the Blair only legitimate entry to a discourse on the Witch, and builds anticipation for the uncanny narrative formation of horror films, but it is a events to come. It includes a documentary sound starting point due to its universality sequence shot at the cemetery of Burkittsville and depth. This categorization is made with as well as the studentsû interviews with the the traditional horror film in mind, yet it also townspeople. Not only do they offer testimony provides a valuable device for the analysis of to the presumed existence of the witch, lrit the less conventional The Blair Witch Project also do statements also vaguely foreshadow as it brings to light this filmûs intriguing the manner by which the students will eventually departure from the mainstream horror plot die. The segment concludes with the and reveals the abstract features that lie at protagonistsû journey into the forest.* Note the core of suspense mechanisms. that the monster is not made manifest, but from a suspense point-of-view this is not 1. Louis Giannetti (1996: 326) states: necessary as the phase makes the myth of the çThe opening expository scenes [...] establish * The prolog suggests that The Blair Witch Project is shown from the point-of-view of three dead people. It thus taps into the popular fascination for stories told by a deceased narrator. This approach has become popular through Billy Wilderûs Sunset Boulevard (USA, 1950), which starts with the death of the main protagonist and is then told as a flashback until the moment of death is reached again and the plot has run its full circle. Many well-known films, notably American Beauty (USA, 1999) by Sam Mendes, have borrowed and developed this idea. «“√ “√«‘™“°“√ ¡À“«‘∑¬“≈—¬ÀÕ°“√§â“‰∑¬ ªï∑’Ë 28 ©∫—∫∑’Ë 1 ‡¥◊Õπ¡°√“§¡ - ¡’π“§¡ 2551 259 Breaking with Convention: Narrative Structure and Mechanisms of Suspense in The Blair Witch Project witch - rather than the witch itself - the center and that a confrontation is imminent. They try of the filmûs çinternal worldé. to keep their spirits up, yet at this point they are 2. Joshûs claim to have heard strange convinced that something wicked is hunting noises at night initiates the discovery phase, them.
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