The elements which are most evident in Silent Hill are the themes of religion, isolation, darkness, monsters and other worlds. These elements to the film are shown through the non-diegetic soundtrack and the diegetic sounds of sirens, which are used to signify the change in the environment, from a ghost town to a hellish alternate world where demonic creatures would try to kill the people who lived in Silent Hill.
The plot of the film follows many codes of conventions associated with horror films, such as isolation, monsters, blood, weapons, demons, darkness, smoke and fire. However some original ideas were used in the film, which is what made it different from other horror films. The films characters each bring something new to the film as they portray people who are both twisted and sophisticated yet ruled by their raw emotions, which is what makes some of them more dangerous than others. An example of this are the cultists, who are ruled by their fear of the "demon child" and the demonic nightmarish world around them.
The film is set in a rural mining town, which was set ablaze during the 70's. In the film it states that the fire was so intense that even to this day the coal under the earth was still ablaze, making it impossible for anyone to live there due to the poisonous fumes. The mise-en-scene of Silent Hill is part of what makes it an effective horror film. Many of the buildings are burnt and abandoned, yet they seem to be almost alive. It is described by the police in the film as a "ghost town", which adds to the atmosphere around it.
Many of the demonic monsters are supposed to be the dead bodies of people who used to live in Silent Hill. Examples of this are the Janitor and the Nurse, shown in the pictures bellow:
These costumes are effective in portraying the genre of the film and the themes present, as their faces are disfigured and their body language is stiff or inhuman, making them more believable as demonic creatures. The general colours used for their costumes appear to be fleshy colours, although slightly exaggerated to make them appear more dead and imhuman. An example of their body movement is shown in the clip bellow:
The non-diegetic soundtrack played during the scene in parallel to the slow movements of the janitor are effective in the sense that they cause a reaction from the audience. The grotesqueness of the character is useful in portraying this genre, as well as following the conventions of monsters in a horror film; however, the dark setting and the rundown, almost equally distorted appearance of the room makes it more effective as a scene. As well as this the point of view shot as an arm emerges from the toilet stall and the bridged non-diegetic soundtrack creates a reaction from the audience.
The promotional poster is a useful form of promotion as it portrays the themes of the film well; isolation, mystery, horror. The title "We've been expecting you" is effective here as it addresses the audience and makes them believe that they are meant to see the film. The fog is useful here as it hides away the town yet creates a sense of ambiguity to the town and the film. The lone woman walking into the mist could appeal to an audience who want to see a female protagonist rather than a man. As well as this it doesn't give too much away about the 'villain' in the film, which other promotional posters do, so we don't know what to expect.
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