A Terrifyingly Personal Point of View

The movie Cloverfield premiered in 2008 and was well received by both average movie goers and critics. Like the movie Paranormal Activity, it is filmed from the point of view of a character using a digital videocamera. At the beginning of the movie, a message appears on screen saying that the following footage was found in an area formally known as Central Park. The movie is filmed mainly by a man named Hub, who was recording his friend Rob’s surprise-going away party when suddenly the building started shaking and they had to evacuate. The party goers quickly realize that something is amiss in New York -a humongous monster is on the loose. Hub continues to film as he and his friends try to save Beth, Rob’s love interest who is trapped at the top of a skyscraper, and get out of New York. The movie’s use of a handheld camera makes it much more believable. It allows the viewer to feel like they are involved in the action and gives them a better understanding of the characters’ situation. For example, you don’t see any birds eye view shots of the humongous monster stomping through Manhattan. Instead you see a tiny piece of the monster’s foot as it’s crossing your path, which emphasizes it’s size and the plight of those trying to escape it. Many movie goers complained that the shakiness of the handheld camera made them at certain times in the film feel nauseous and disoriented -a feeling that the characters probably shared with them. The use of the handheld camera also helps to draw you into the drama. The film spontaneously cuts from Hub’s footage to Rob filming he and Beth together on a date at Coney Island. Watching this film and recalling the ominous opening message makes you more aware of the tragedy these twenty-somethings are facing. You’re getting a very raw look into their hopes and dreams, knowing that it’s more likely that they perished opposed to them escaping New York and leaving the camera behind. Cloverfield is not the scariest movie you’ll ever see nor does it have a lot of surprise plot twists like most horror movies. However, it does inevitably draw you in emotionally and have you on the edge of your seat, hoping against hope that the ending won’t turn out the way you fear.