unity768
08-10-2008, 01:57 AM
The Descent - Review
http://pub.tv2.no/multimedia/na/archive/00206/the_descent_365_206733m.jpg
Director/Writer Neil Marshall really captures the feel of claustrophobia and the tension of being in tight quarters during the first half of The Descent. He perfectly executes the element of foreshadowing in the beginning of the film. Likewise to Hitchcock, he's heavy handed when it comes to symbolism, and doesn't spoil the classic murder scenes by driving them down your throat every two seconds.
The Descent starts to really shine during its second half, when the Crawlers start popping up. I loved how the Crawlers were a necessary breed of a bat, human, etc. The Blair Witch Camera scene was executed very well by Marshall, as it was very surprising and scary. While the Crawlers start attacking and the girls split up, the Sarah vs Juno plot line starts to take center stage. This plot was great because it ultimately showed that once you put humans in a dire straits situation, their behavior starts to dramatically change. Towards the end we see the character of Juno switch from arrogant to brave friend while the other girls that are left go from trustworthy to wanting to leave Sarah for dead.
Furthermore, these characters are not cardboard, one dimensional female damsel's in distress you find in other horror movies nowadays. The Descent is so effective with characterization, that it could be seen as a character study of Sarah (Shauna MacDonald). Her subplot is one of my favorite parts of the film, and keeps your attention from the opening reel.
The Descent is one of my favorite horror movies of all time. In fact, it's not just a horror, but can work as a drama or suspense film as well. There's so much more I could say about this film than I've already said. I wish I had seen it in theaters. As a final note, I'm eager to see what director Neil Marshall comes out with next.
10/10
http://pub.tv2.no/multimedia/na/archive/00206/the_descent_365_206733m.jpg
Director/Writer Neil Marshall really captures the feel of claustrophobia and the tension of being in tight quarters during the first half of The Descent. He perfectly executes the element of foreshadowing in the beginning of the film. Likewise to Hitchcock, he's heavy handed when it comes to symbolism, and doesn't spoil the classic murder scenes by driving them down your throat every two seconds.
The Descent starts to really shine during its second half, when the Crawlers start popping up. I loved how the Crawlers were a necessary breed of a bat, human, etc. The Blair Witch Camera scene was executed very well by Marshall, as it was very surprising and scary. While the Crawlers start attacking and the girls split up, the Sarah vs Juno plot line starts to take center stage. This plot was great because it ultimately showed that once you put humans in a dire straits situation, their behavior starts to dramatically change. Towards the end we see the character of Juno switch from arrogant to brave friend while the other girls that are left go from trustworthy to wanting to leave Sarah for dead.
Furthermore, these characters are not cardboard, one dimensional female damsel's in distress you find in other horror movies nowadays. The Descent is so effective with characterization, that it could be seen as a character study of Sarah (Shauna MacDonald). Her subplot is one of my favorite parts of the film, and keeps your attention from the opening reel.
The Descent is one of my favorite horror movies of all time. In fact, it's not just a horror, but can work as a drama or suspense film as well. There's so much more I could say about this film than I've already said. I wish I had seen it in theaters. As a final note, I'm eager to see what director Neil Marshall comes out with next.
10/10