The opening of this film begins with a black screen and a child singing. This is something that would usually be cute but here becomes sinister. An image of a Christmas reef with the emblem “Silent Night” in traditional white font. The last line of the chant is “Turn out the light” and then a loud, twisted note which is not really music but a mess of unsettling noise plays, and a spatter of blood goes over the screen, when this blood drips away the words “Deadly Night” are written underneath “silent night” This is shocking and jumpy, it also taints the previous image of a cheerful holiday decoration.
The loud note fades very suddenly, and Is replaced with yet more twisted music, this time in the form of organ playing. As the credits continue this music has more instruments added, but becomes no more tuneful than it was already. The credits themselves are quite simple, black background with white font, possibly “cooper black”
After the credits there is a panoramic shot of a mountain range, with a road in front of it. The camera follows a single car moving along the road, and the viewer knows that the car is of importance. You can hear the car radio playing, and the final text on the screen reads “Christmas Eve, 1971”.
The camera shows the two adults in the car, the radio makes a comment about there being “good weather for Santa Claus” it then switches to a young child in the back of the car, around the age of 5-7. He is reading “The Night before Christmas” and looking at colourful, traditional photos of Santa Claus, but somehow these photos seem sinister. The car continues it’s motion and Christmas music plays, the camera shows all passengers in the car.
The child asks his mother questions about Santa and what time he will come, this is a typical, normal situation on Christmas Eve. The mother goes on to say that “Santa Claus is gonna give you a big surprise tonight, you just wait and see.” This is also a very normal, friendly statement, but seems to have a sinister meaning. All of this is done in order to give a normal situation an abnormal feel. It is designed to make the viewer feel uncomfortable in a situation they would normal be at ease with.
The car pulls in to the car park for a building; the camera lingers on the sign outside the building and zooms in on it, drawing attention to it. The sign reads “Utah Mental Facility.” This is key because it typically creates an image in the viewers’ mind of homicidal maniacs, serial killers and psychopaths; it gives the viewer a twinge of unease about the family going into the building.
The family visit the grandfather, he is completely silent and pays them no attention. He just stares, this symbolises not only his insanity but also the condition some people are found in after suffering a terrible ordeal. The parents have to talk to the doctor alone, so they leave the child alone with the grandpa. It then becomes clear that people in the centre have made an effort to decorate the room, but it remains bleak and cheerless. This symbolises that insanity is incurable.
The child stares at his grandfather, and a long, continuing note on piano music begins. The grandfather remains still for quite some time, then his eyes move to look directly at the camera. A sinister smile spreads his lips, and there is a high pitched tingle of the piano, meant to send a shiver down the spine. He grabs the arm of the child, and tells him to shh in a rasping voice, which hints that he has not spoken for a long time. He warns the child about Christmas Eve, and the piano tingles again.
The grandfather talks about what Santa will do, and the child innocently defends him. The grandfather has a crazy rant about how Santa will punish him, and then laughs, when he laughs the tone of the music becomes manic and disjointed again, much like what is going on in the grandfathers head.
The parents come back, the grandfather is still again, and as they leave the child tells the grandfather he promises to be good from now on, Grandfather does not respond, he just sits and stares again.
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