I chose to use the movie Weapons for my comparative essay as they reflect each other in numerous forms; Both Sinners and Weapons are a blend of many genres with horror, implements visual techniques to amplify the storyline, and they use grief as a motivator of the story.
The story of weapons follows the tragedy of 17 missing children from the same class who ran away in the same night. Only one kid from the class remains, Alex Lilly. Sinners is a period piece that blends genres, mainly supernatural and musical elements. Set in 1932 the story follows two crime boss twins, Smoke and Stack, and their younger cousin Sam, who is an aspiring singer. The twins come back to their hometown to open a music joint for black people, as the Jim Crow laws were in full effect during this time.
Weapons has a muted palette of pale blues, expressing the somber tone of the film. The camera often lingers to the point of discomfort, or switches unexpectedly, often as a form of comedic relief or to scare the audience. The film plays with the audience’s emotions as it creates tension that often amounts to nothing, developing a false sense of security that is slowly ripped away. This movie is sensible with regard to the characters’ reactions to the tragedies.The fear in the audience is drawn from the anxiety the characters are experiencing, rather than the scares itself.
Sinners have a warm palette often extenuating a deep crimson, perhaps to tie in the blood, that persists in the film. Every scene is shot as if it is an old photo, every element visible will be interesting for the viewer, forcing the audience to search every frame. When characters are singing, the camera will move to a low angle to emphasize the idea that they are beyond human, the film also uses this tactic with the vampires.
Weapons follows a chapter structure, each chapter named of a different crucial character and how the story changes from their influence, fostering a slow reveal of the storyline. The film allows the audience to fully take in the horror of their reality, by watching it through many eyes. Through their lenses we see how grief distorts, as the characters risk their careers, values, and reputations trying to find the missing kids. This emphasizes the value western culture places on the safety of kids, as to protect their innocence. We see a community collapsing as pure beings are made to be weapons under the control of Gladys. Even Alex Lilly who isn’t in a trance is being manipulated by Gladys, as everything important to him is to be taken away should he fail to do her bidding.
In Sinners when the juke joint opens an Irish vampire, who pretends to be a traveling minister, arrives with two KKK members. This portrays the marginalization black people in America had undergone for years. He uses religion as a tool of control, religion plays a significant role in this movie, as Sam’s father is a preacher and tries to convince him that his music is a way of the devil. He feeds on the poor black people of the area, while also exploiting black art. Similar to weapons the element of grief distorts the characters choices as the characters will put themselves and others in danger for the ones they love, such as grace letting the vampires in to save her daughter. In Sinners Remick takes control of everyone he turns into a vampire, and uses the love to manipulate the people inside of the joint. Sinners is less on how the individual reacts to a tragedy, but rather how a group of oppressed people can come together in music, and family.
Weapons uses the breadcrumbing technique throughout the film as the chapter structure makes it easier. Hair is used as a ruler of how close the audience is to understanding the mystery. The idea of stealing hair comes early with the teacher sleeping outside of Alex’s house to ensure his safety, and in her sleep his mother steals some of her hair. This is the first time viewers see someone under the control of Gladys that isn’t just running. When Gladys takes control of the principle, we see how hair is used to create a target for those she controls, further revealing the mystery. Finally, we see Alex use Gladys’s hair making the victims, she turned into slaves, literally tear her apart. The use of people’s hair in this story is both the evil, and the resolution of the film.
In Sinners reflections breadcrumb the emotional turns of the story, as they are used to create moments of contemplation for the characters. The idea of sin being a catalyst for the movie, is balanced with the constant shame of the characters. We often see glimpses of the twins having moments of moral struggles while fixing their fancy clothes. In a major scene Sam’s fight with Remick, who is literally the object of his sin, the fight is reflected in the pond water. When the sun rises killing all of the vampires, it too is reflected on the water as if to represent hope.
A decisive point in Weapons is when Gladys uses the principle to kill the teacher. The teacher is the character who is most concerned with the state of Alex’s life. She demands that the principal conduct a welfare check. Upon learning this Gladys uses the teacher’s hair to send the principle after her. The significance of this arises from the fact that this is the first time in the film where Gladys uses someone under her control to attempt to kill another rather than use their bodies as sources of strength. This also works as an instigator for the partnership of the teacher and the dad as, previously he had thought that she was the reason for the missing children, then working together ultimately aids in the resolution of the movie. In the scene the teacher is trying to fill her car with gas, and for the first time the dad attempts to confront her. With their bodies acting a frame, we see the principal covered in blood, running with his arms out, just as the children who ran away did.
A pivotal scene in Sinners, is when Grace lets the vampires into the juke joint. This is a catalyst for many deaths, character developments, and confrontations. Before this moment the characters who are still human discover the hive mind that the vampires experience, when Remick tells Grace he knows how she likes to be licked, decimating the intimacy she shared with her husband, then he tells her they will go after her daughter if she doesn’t let them in. The grief of her husband being so fresh invites the vampires in. The barn doors fly open as two opposing sides face each other. What follows is sacrifice.Smoke is forced to kill his love before she turns into a vampire, as he had promised. However, when he is faced with the decision to kill his brother he, instead, makes him promise to leave Sam alone. He is unable to kill the person he has protected all of his life. This serves as a moment of reflection, as well as, the first humanization of the vampires.
Aesthetically, these movies oppose each other almost completely. However, in genre blending, the use of visual devices that reinforce and extend the central themes, and how the films use grief to influence the characters choices.
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