Hard Candy Direction

Hard Candy is a film about the consequences of a coffee shop rendezvous between 14-year-old Haley and 32-year-old fashion photographer Jeff who have previously met only online in a chat room. The film tackles the touchy subject of paedophilia head on. Starting the film with a close up of a computer screen and the names ‘thonggirl’ and ‘lensman’ typing back and forth to each other sets up the film perfectly. Playing on the audience’s preconceptions and worries of online chatting creates an unstable atmosphere when the two do meet up in person. However, despite his enthusiasm in meeting a girl half his age, Jeff comes off as slightly awkward and shy. It’s Haley who is unnervingly upfront in her flirtation. The film touches on paedophilia, the relationships between adults and children and today’s Internet communication and its dangers. My chosen scene is half way through the film where the typical adult and teenager roles have been reversed where Haley is controlling the situation. When reading the script you are aware that Geoff has unruly intentions on Haley, and are drawn into their situation by Haley’s provocative actions and comments, but the film twists as Geoff passes out from the drugs Haley has slipped him. The scene is tense but also casual. Haley is very at home walking round Geoff’s apartment and very confident in her abilities to keep him tied up and get whatever she wants out of him.


The Real Hard Candy :

The location the director has chosen for Hard Candy is a lot like the one I imagined when reading the script. Geoff’s walls are a dark maroon colour, very warm and trendy. The kitchen unit in the house is stainless steal and very clear. The house looks like an Ikea advert. Expensive furniture, art hanging on the walls and very minimalist.

Actions :

When Haley walks into the room for the first time to meet the drugged Geoff she has placed a jumper or towel over his head, as she comes into the room she takes this off in a brisk fashion and starts up a casual conversation with Geoff. This is a great addition to the film as straight away when you see Geoff with the material over his head, and nothing he can do about it, you know he is not in control of this situation. Haley’s nonchalant way off pulling this off reveals to the audience that she is in control very quickly. Other than that the only other action in the scene is when Geoff tries to scream for help. There is a very fast paced piece when Haley reaches in to grab him very aggressively and sprays the chloraseptic down his throat.


Camera Movement :

Most of the scenes camera angles are close ups of the face or from waist height. I like the waist height angles because it gives you a perfect sense of Geoff’s vulnerability. The shots in level with Geoff’s face at sitting position so Haley is always looking over him. All the close ups of Haley’s face are never straight on, they are always looking up, even if it is just a slight angle. Again, portraying her as the one in a position of power. There is some camera movement in the film. Tracking shots as Haley walks casually around the house, or zooms into Geoff’s face as he slowly realises what is happening to him. As Haley sprays the chloraseptic the camera starts to move and shake very fast giving a real sense of confusion to the audience as you do not know what Haley is doing, or giving, to him.


Comparison :

Hard Candy sets up the film by starting with a shot of the computer screen with Geoff and Haley talking. They talk about meeting "this afternoon about 11ish", already by only seeing the computer screen text you know the scene is going to be set in the morning. When Geoff and Haley do meet for the first time it is in a café with bright furniture and lots of bright windows, confirming the time and day. In the first half you are almost scared for Haley. She is obviously interested in this man who is saying all the right things to her and who is ultimately going to take her back to his apartment, albeit on her request. However, once Geoff is drugged the roles are switched and Geoff’s safety is now the audience’s main concern. Even when the drugs are starting to take effect on Geoff the audience is still confused because of Haley’s performance. She is worried for him and asking if he is OK and at one point even recoils from him when he raises his voice. The camera zooms in on Haley’s worried face as Geoff hits the floor and it is not until the shot is blurring out of focus that we see a tiny smirk on her face. From here on in the pace of every scene is decided by Haley. With Geoff helpless in the chair it is she who decides whether the scene is casual, intense or action based. The scene I have chosen to analyse is quite casual in pace until the point of Geoff’s cry for help. Later in the film things pick up in pace when Geoff escapes and a psychological and physical game of cat and mouse takes place around the house.

Evaluation :

I think my floor plan and shoot script was OK, but I think I need to learn more about keeping the audience asking questions and not revealing everything in the scene so early. The way DIRECTOR used close ups created suspense, whereas I showed the audience the whole room and Geoff tied up straight away. I also did not use enough shots, the film cut quite faster than I did.