MovieChat Forums > The Taking (2014) Discussion > Why is everything so dark ??

Why is everything so dark ??

posted 9 years ago by mpboylanjr-54038
7 replies | jump to latest

I watched this recently for the 2nd time and although I think it is pretty scary and creepy compared to most of these type of found footage or "based on true footage" films it haas it's flaws. The thing I kept wondering was why everywhere they went or searched for Deborah it was always dark. Haven't they heard of turning on a light switch?? Even in the hospital while searching for her and the child the rooms they went into were in total darkness. In a hospital of all places there would be tons of fluorescent lights. I get it makes it more scary and you need to suspend belief to enjoy these type of films but I found that silly. All in all though it was fairly scary and creeped me out .

THERE IS NO ROOM IN MY CIRCUS TENT FOR YOU !!!!

[–] OccamsBarber 9 years ago

The dark part of the hospital was an abandoned wing. Often in those the main breaker has been turned off to prevent electrical fires from internal wiring meeting lack of repairs, water and animal damage = or just to save money. These breakers are usually in the basement.

If you take life too seriously it stops being funny.

[–] scottsteaux63-735-780576 9 years ago

The dark part of the hospital was an abandoned wing. Often in those the main breaker has been turned off to prevent electrical fires from internal wiring meeting lack of repairs, water and animal damage = or just to save money. These breakers are usually in the basement.

That's a good point, and one that I confess did not occur to me. It explains the hospital. Unfortunately there are far too many scenes in the house that take place in total and unnecessary darkness. I found myself wanting to yell "TURN ON THE LIGHTS!!" in more than one scene.

Oh God. There's nothing more inconvenient than an old queen with a head cold!

[–] OccamsBarber 9 years ago

That is an unfortunate trope of the genre. Makes me mad as well. Partially why I'm grateful when they think up a valid reason for the darkness.

Another is the faulty flashlight. I've never had any trouble with a flashlight, that started out working, my whole long life. Yet in nearly any horror movie a flashlight will always at the very least threaten to fail.

"I wasn't totally sure what was happening. But I knew I wanted to stab someone."

[–] scottsteaux63-735-780576 9 years ago

Makes me think of the Audrey Hepburn film WAIT UNTIL DARK. Hepburn plays a blind woman trapped in her apartment and terrorized by a rather nasty bunch of crooks. The final twenty minutes take place almost completely in the dark. And I do mean a totally black screen, which was artistically valid because we as the audience were supposed to be in the same boat with Hepburn's blind character. (When the lights do come on, the audience jumps out of their seats!) Darkness works in that movie precisely because it is what is needed to make the effect the filmmakers are aiming at.

There's a horror movie called THE KEEP which could have been great but suffers from the same problem: everything happens in the dark, which works in the Hepburn film for the reasons I stated but which ruins the horror film because there are things going on that the audience really needs to see, and the filmmakers chose to cover them. It was a major disappointment in what should have been a fine, scary horror movie.

Oh God. There's nothing more inconvenient than an old queen with a head cold!

[–] Dr_Pillepalle 8 years ago

Yes, they mention the movie that the abandoned hospital wing had no power. But the house? During the switchboard scene, when the phones first start ringing the crew wake up and turn the light on in their room then go into the hallway with flashlights and no switches are flipped after that. Why? Did I miss a power outage or something?

[–] praxis44241 9 years ago

The greatest fear of man is fear of the unknown. In darkness, you don't know what kind of evil awaits you, so it builds suspense.
I agree that it can be really annoying at times, but it is one of the cheapest ways to build tension in film-making.

[–] SquidChickens 9 years ago

In the scene where they go into the abandoned wing of the hospital, Gavin (the guy holding the camera), says as they are entering the door, "Be careful, there's no power in this part of the building."