People often talk about immersion, when they refer to their experiences with fiction. In that context, the word is used metaphorically and non-native speakers may struggle to understand. When you can be immersed into a story, you’re allowed to forget that it isn’t real. You may also, for a time, forget the media being used to deliver that story to you.
Think about what happens when you dive into a pool of water. The environment that you’re familiar with, is replaced by a different reality which is governed by different rules. As a result, you can’t move or even breathe in the same way. Initially, it would take some getting used to, but if you’re under water frequently and for extended periods of time, you may grow more accustomed to living in it than out of it. You might even forget that the water is there.
When we watch a movie, we’re looking at a completely different reality. We cannot interact with anything in that space, and the amount of images bombard us, instead of remaining constant. Unlike other forms of entertainment, there are no physical requirements to meet, once the show has started; in other words, there are no pages to turn and the controller can be laid aside. So by its very nature, a film is a window into another world, and if that world is engaging enough we might forget the frame.
Every valuable storyteller wants a captivating tale. They know the audience wants to accept and lose themselves in the narrative. If the quality of the work isn’t an issue, then the techniques they employ are very important. Films depend on illusion, and you can either enforce it or cause it to flee.
Classic Movie Trailers: Wes Craven’s New Nightmare (1994)
Often, trained actors refrain from looking at the movie camera. They follow a well established practice, that exists for good reason. The viewer plays the role of an unseen observer, and the lens is the substitute for the human eyes. If that lens is acknowledged, the onlooker becomes aware of their position in the chair, or on the couch, watching the screen.
The point of using films as an escape, is to forget about ourselves. We have to live in our homes and bodies, for each and every second of every day without reprieve. The only real cure for identity is death, and the only breaks available are sleep and distraction. So in a way, fiction is a kind of voluntary hypnosis, and the worst thing you can do is pull your patient out of the trance.
Of course, people are different and with respect to that, we’re not going to have the same reaction to the same event. If I read a book and a character in it says, “This isn’t some novel,” I’ll instantly remember that it is. Personally, I find that kind of dialogue to be jarring, but you might go right past that without a second thought. “New Nightmare” doesn’t boldly announce that it isn’t a film in that way, but it does a number of things that certainly question it.
A lot of actors are playing themselves here. Robert Englund got to respond to his own name, as did Heather Langenkamp and Wes himself. That device might have been used, to help plunge the audience into the depths. As far as I’m concerned however, it’s troublesome.
My main gripe with the use of that method, is the fact that they were still ignoring the camera. The lens, on the other hand, was making its presence known. Why were they acting like it wasn’t a movie, when my view was still panning and zooming, and there were obvious cuts between scenes? It might have benefited them, to treat the show like a documentary; if we knew the cameraman and we could place him in the scene, that would add to the pretense and the possible victims.
With the film as it is, I was simply confused. Don’t get me wrong, I felt I knew the score, but it made me think about their reasoning and I focused on that, instead of the plot. I’m also the kind of guy that can’t jump back in the pool once I’m out of it. If I see through your trick once, my cynicism kicks into overdrive, and you will fail me as a magician.
With that said, I’m not sure if the goal was trickery at all, and if it was I can’t see the intended purpose. The screenplay was actually shown on film a couple of times, and the character dialogue followed what was written. I can’t think of another picture that has done the same thing and admittedly, I don’t get the point. You reveal the falsity to both the characters and the audience, but the characters in this case, are still bound by the words.
The job of the cast is to help maintain the fantasy. If someone onscreen is acting unnaturally, or if they are known to be unwittingly following a script, it’s harder to become invested in the product. You can still keep watching the screen of course, but you may lose all concern for the characters that you’re watching. After all, the actors are playing pretend, and if they do their best to remind you of that, you’ll realize the plot isn’t important.
As a general rule, this series of articles isn’t about criticism. However, I am still allowed to have an opinion. If the goal is to create a worthwhile experience, the choice to break from convention in this way, is a risky proposition with little reward. Some people aren’t going to have the desired reaction and you will divide your audience as a result.
If you check rottentomatoes.com, you’ll see that this movie is critically approved. You’ll also note that the audience score is just as satisfactory. The only thing that disappoints, is the box office performance; Wikipedia claims it’s the worst grossing film in the series. I have little doubt that the narrative style is partly to blame.
Perhaps the intention of the movie was to equate films with dreams. You can’t always escape a nightmare, even if you’re lucid. The issue for me, is whether or not we care for the cast’s well being. If you watched “New Nightmare” terrified, about the lives of an actress and her child, then I have no doubt that the story worked for you. Unfortunately, the rest of us were left out in the cold; we can’t sink into the warmth of an environment alien to us.
Trailer Here.
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See “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare”, on Netflix!
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