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Silent Hill: A Game Beyond Reality, A Movie Beyond Your
Imagination |
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Author:
st-MK
Translation:
knwlss, st-MK
I'd like to say first
that the movie is not for everyone. Phrases like
"Bullshit!", "I didn't like it!" say mostly those
who didn't get the meaning. And the matter is not
about whether you played the game or not, but in the
true will to comprehend the essence of the movie. |
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| Adaptation - so
loudly said. Despite all the persuasions of the
moviemakers that the movie is a game adaptation,
it's not. It can be even called an inspirational
movie. "Silent Hill" have to be seen rather as an
independent creative, as those same comics. This is
the most important thing to understand before
watching. Only in this way you can get rid of
prejudice, entering the cinema. |
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Do not believe
annonces media that assure you that "Rose is not
willing to accept that her daughter Sharon is dying
of the deadly disease" - it is a lie from the first
letter and until the last dot. Everything is much
more complicated.
Sharon suffers somnambulism, and it becomes worse.
In her nightmares she keeps repeating the name of
the town - Silent Hill. Sharon is adopted daughter,
and parents don't know the cause of her illness.
Perhaps this is her hometown? Rose decides to go
there together with her daughter in the hope that
she will remember something and the nightmares will
stop. On the way to Silent Hill they get into the
accident. After awaking Rose finds out that Sharon
has gone. All around is covered with mist. The misty
Silent Hill will never let them go... |
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| Silent Hill in the
movie appeared in several dimensions. One is the
"misty" town - a place of someone's lost memories.
Unlike real Silent Hill, the misty one is cut off
from the outside world. The life here seems to stop
to appear like it is always November 1974 when the
town was burned along with its residents. At first
glance it seems that the abandonment and destruction
is a consequence of the city fire. But it's not the
case. And you'll find out this later... |
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"Dark" or alternate
Silent Hill is another face of the town. Darkness
falls regardless of time of day or any other
external causes. Because dark and misty Silent Hill,
let's say, is another world. The world created by
human hatred to absorb the people themselves. They
have not died as it may be thought. They got into
this world alive becoming hostages to their fears,
their hatred.
Darkness transforms town in the rusty-metal world.
The world of Alessa.
From the end of the film could lead to the
conclusion that Rose and Sharon crashed to death on
the way to Silent Hill so forever gone in the
otherworld. This is mistaken opinion because their
bodies weren't found in either car, nor in the town. |
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The cult of Silent
Hill is not an ordinary religious movement based on
dogma. This is an independent religion with its
saints and its history. It has quite a strong
influence in the town; Silent Hill was founded
precisely by cult members. The Order tried to defend
their faith by any means, including condemning
unwanted people to death. The execution has always
been demonstrative, while the victim accused of
witchcraft and has been burning.
The stories of the cult can be found in the painting
"The first burning" in Grand Hotel (the burning of
Jennifer Carroll) and in the painting in the church. |
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The main idea of
this movie like the game is faith. It doesn't matter
what people believe in, the most important thing is
the power of belief. Eventually the ultimate truth
doesn't exist, but everyone has its own truth.
Despite their delusion, the cult's faith protected
people from the Darkness and even Alessa whose
hatred absorbed the town could not penetrate the
abode of the Order...
Also the Aim is the integral part of Silent Hill. A
person who has Aim can go through any obstacles.
Alessa's aim was revenge which kept her alive after
the fire... Rose's aim is to find her daughter, and
no Darkness can't stop her... |
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Unlike other Silent
Hill elements with symbolic significance, the movie
characters designed to show the real person in the
unreal world. Each of them has its own history, its
own "darkness in the heart" and the reasons to act
in a certain way.
Alessa Gillespie - nine-years old girl who
was burnt by the cult in 1974. Her pain and hatred
gave life to another Silent Hill, an alternate
reality which absorbed the town. She like the other
residents will forever remain in the alternative
world. Alessa's physical body is bound to the bed in
an isolation ward. Her soul (or it may be called an
astral projection) split into two personalities -
Dark Alessa, the "Demon", and light one.
Sharon Da Silva - adopted daughter of Rose
and Christopher. The light side of Alessa. Taking in
account the age of Sharon we may assume that
physically Alessa died nine years ago.
Rose Da Silva - Sharon's adoptive mother.
She's ready for everything for her daughter. Her aim
- to find Sharon - helps her to go through any
tests.
Christopher Da Silva - Sharon's adoptive
father. Together with officer Gucci he went to
search for Rose and Sharon, but he couldn't see
nobody as he's in real Silent Hill.
Cybil Bennet - policewoman from the neighbor
town of Brahams. A "die hard" in real life, she
can't find an explanation for what's happening in
the misty town. Two years ago she saved a boy thrown
by a maniac into an open mine vent. She stayed with
him for three days before the rescue team could
arrive. A policewoman by vocation.
Dahlia Gillespie - mother of Alessa
Gillespie. She was deceived by the cult and as the
result her daughter was burnt. She couldn't do
nothing and when she brought help it was too late.
Dahlia couldn't forgive herself and never saw Alessa
afterwards. When Darkness falls over the town, only
Dahlia could stay outside the church. "Mother is God
in the eyes of a child" and God is immortal in the
world created by this child. Even if His guilt is no
less serious than the fault of ordinary people.
Christabella - the head of the Silent Hill
cult. Unlike the Order fanatic followers,
Christabella is also an outstanding leader who can
manage the crowd. Any dissent is suppressed with
ostentatious brutality, but by other cult members'
hands. Christabella takes up a weapon only twice:
she torches a fire with Cybil and strikes Rose with
a dagger. The first case shows her domination over
others (the cult members arranged the campfire but
she's the one who started it!). The second one shows
that Christabella felt that she's loosing control
over the people and she's left with nothing else but
to eliminate Rose physically by herself.
Anna - a girl from the cult who came outside
the church in search of food for her mother
(Eleanor). She's raised with fanatical belief of the
Order, that's why she believes Dahlia is cursed, and
aims to throw stones at her at every opportunity. =)
Officer Thomas Gucci - policeman, one of the
first arrived at the place of fire. He removed still
alive Alessa out, having received burns on both
hands.
Lisa (Red Nurse) - a nurse who was caring for Alessa
at Brookhaven Hospital. She's also trapped in the
world of Alessa.
Colin - janitor in the Midwich School. From
the memories of Alessa we may presume that he raped
the girl for what he was condemned to eternal
suffering in her world.
Margaret - mother superior from the girls
orphanage where Sharon was abandoned.
Members of the cult have got into Alessa's
world, but retained their human appearance. They're
convinced that the End of the world has come and
only their faith saves them. They leave church in
search of food while wearing miner suits and taking
birds in cages with them (birds sense the fall of
Darkness). They were chasing Rose in the School. One
of them was crucified in the alley. Their common
clothes are grey (probably because of the ashes). |
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There are no
monsters in Silent Hill at all. As there are no
clearly bad or completely good characters. Those who
are used to be called "monsters" are people who were
punished for their sins - creatures of alternate
Silent Hill.
Gray Child. Grays attack Rose in the alley.
Symbolize Alessa's fear of her classmates.
Lying Figure. Attacks Cybil. Symbolizes
Alessa's agony.
Janitor - janitor Colin doomed to eternal suffering
in the alternative world. In the girls' bathroom
Rose could hear a child's cry from the cabin. It's
the memory of Alessa about her injure. In the cabin
Rose finds a crucified man who comes alive with the
fall of Darkness...
Cockroach. Cockroaches attack cult's members
and eat them alive. No miner suit can protect from
them. These are also people punished for their sins.
Nurse - reminds of Alessa lying in the Hospital.
Nurses confront Rose at Brookhaven Hospital.
Red Pyramid. Pyramid Head - a creature with a
metal pyramid on his head equipped with a Great
Knife. His appearance and symbolism repeats
appearance of the executioners of the ancient times.
Alessa - 40-years old Alessa Gillespie.
Position of her body looks like crucifixion. |
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Locations of Silent
Hill are no less important, and interesting part of
the movie. Navigation around the town is shown in
such a fascinating way you can't notice sometimes as
one location is changing by another.
Alley - here the first time Rose is overcome
by the Darkness. Chasing a phantom of a little girl
looking like her daughter Rose runs into a dead end
where she's been attacked by Grays.
Bowling Club. After the attack of Grays Rose
recovers in the bowling club. It may seem that it
was just a dream... but where's her cloak?
Midwich School. Perhaps Sharon liked school
very much so that Rose thought she might be here in
the first place. Alessa's school memories are
painful: her persecutions continued there as well.
Her mother couldn't help her either....
Grand Hotel. There is a secret room 111
hidden by the painting "The first burning" in the
hotel. The room leads into the burnt-over cult's
place. By the fact that the whole room was given to
the cult we can conclude that the hotel belonged to
the Order as well.
Church - the last refuge of people in the
alternate world. Their faith as well as convictions
of Alessa din't let the Darkness to get inside.
Brookhaven Hospital - the hospital where
burnt Alessa Gillespie was brought to. Despite her
burns, incompatible with life, the girl managed to
stay alive for a long time. She lived for revenge. |
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| As it was already
mentioned, a lot of things in the movie including
dialogues may seem incomprehensible, or even foolish
at first sight. But if you'll try to understand,
everything is not like this. Of course, the
impression seriously worsens by the dubbing. Any
redubbing, any interference in the original develop
is loss not only of style, emotion, but very often
the original meaning of words. That's why it's
always recommended to watch movies in their original
dubbing subtitled. |
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Have the heroes
leave the town? When Sharon was faced with Dark
Alessa they reunited in the original purpose and
joined their memories. Alessa has never left her
hometown - that's why the roads from Silent Hill
were cut off. However, now the subconsciousness of
Alesse became wider because of the memories of her
light side, and the road to the town materialized
once again.
Even after homecoming Sharon and Rose didn't find
anyone. Only mist is all around. They remained in
Silent Hill forever. |
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| The best screening
of the computer game to date. As the game Silent
Hill movie provokes mixed and sometimes
contradictory feelings. What is, in my opinion, the
main advantage of the movie. |
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According to the
movie Silent Hill is located in Toluca district,
West Virginia (next to Washington on the map). In
fact, there is no such district in reality as well
as there is no town called Silent Hill.
In the beginning of the move we can see the
inscription: "Do you not know that we will judge
angels? Do you not know that the saints will judge
the world?" The symbolism of the phrase is the
folloing: "will judge angels" - here Sharon's meant
as the light side of Alessa (angel); "saint will
judge the world" - martyr Alessa will deal with
sinners.
There are four dimensions in the movie - two
temporal (Silent Hill today, flashback Silent Hill
(30 years ago)) and two spatial (misty and alternate
town).
Rose's car is Jeep Liberty.
Cybil's badge says "BRAHMS" although the road sign
were clearly visible as "BRAHAMS".
Rose's dress changes its color from brown to pale
gray and then to bloody red. It's not a goof - it
was intended this way.
Cybil's pistol is SIG-Sauger P226.
Pyramid Head has not a skirt but an apron of human
skin. This becomes evident from set photos and
documentary feature.
Pyramid Head and Janitor both were played by one
person. Roberto Campanella also was the
choreographer for all creatures in the movie.
Inscription in Latin above the painting in the
church says: "DOMINE DEUS OMNIPOTENS IN CUIUS MANU
OMNIS VICTORIA CONSISTIT".
Janitor is the only original creature not taken from
the games.
All creatures except cockroaches were played by
actors so that spectators could feel not only their
realistic appearance but also their suffering.
There is almost no hidden ads in the movie - most of
the props are self-made. Even trash cans haven't the
logos of the garbage disposal companies, but the
writing "HELP KEEP YOUR CITY CLEAN - Silent Hill
Beautification Association".
The world premiere was occurred on 21 April 2006.
Quite a symbolic date for Silent Hill fans: 21 -
number of Walter Sullivan's victims (Silent Hill 4:
The Room), 4 - number of death in Japan. The game
has many allusions to this (or example, the fourth
floor in Alchemilla Hospital in original Silent
Hill). |
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