For a recent class assignment I chose to write a critique of American Horror Story’s penultimate episode “Birth”. Though this is a little different in style, feel free to see what I thought about the episode below:
Characters of the morality tale American Horror Story are trapped within “The Murder House” by regret, pain, and loneliness — the only commonalities spirits have with the living. Those men who pass away upon the property leave their spirits behind, unable to flee to the afterlife and held prisoner in order to fulfill The House’s desires. Through use of film techniques, editing styles, and mise-en-scene — specifically set design, lighting, and space — The House establishes itself as not only a character but also a protagonist and the dwelling place of the Devil.
During American Horror Story’s penultimate episode, “Birth”, Vivien Harmon, current resident with husband Ben and daughter Violet, wishes to escape The House, but her twin babies are prematurely on their way. A battle rages within her womb, and one twin, the potential Antichrist, grows strong by stealing the other twin’s nutrients. Simultaneously, a battle rages within The House as characters, dead and alive, argue over who will ultimately end up with the new babies. Despite the opposing positions, when The House decides it is time for the babies to be born, everyone rallies to Vivien’s side.
This author admits to a bias of thoroughly enjoying the show, and of being Catholic, hence any interpretations of Hell, The Devil, and the Antichrist, which may or may not have been the intention of American Horror Story’s writers. Throughout the entire season, mise-en-scene has stayed consistent. The House’s design — appropriately creepy but attractive — is an elegant Victorian Gothic-style filled with old, ornate wood, Tiffany fixtures, and elegant furniture. Strange murals of demons cover the living room walls, fireplaces are easily accessible to sleepwalkers, and the dust-covered cement basement is lined with former owners’ items. These elements, coupled with the perpetually soft lighting of candles, backlit windows, and dim lamps, obscure The House’s rooms and corners and give him an eerie personality. Reds, blues, and greens are prominent in clothing and décor though they are always dim in tone. No bright lights are ever used, and even the outdoors is perpetually cloudy. Shadows, developed with low-key lighting, hide characters either partially or fully, creating both physical and emotional depth. The dark mood within The House gives him a sense of vastness, mystery, and suspense as if at any moment a demon might lurch from the darkness. All of this is magnified in “Birth.” The power goes out when Vivien goes into labor, and the scene is lit entirely by candlelight. The flames dance across everyone’s faces, magnifying the dream-like quality of the scene and becoming yet another of the season’s long line of fire references.
In addition to the House’s sinister personality and dark secrets, filming techniques and editing styles repeatedly reveal him to be watching the other characters. Extreme angles and tilted shots create the appearance that characters are being observed through the floor, the ceiling, and even the air. This is specifically demonstrated when an overhead shot shows all the spirits circled around Vivien as she gives birth. Wide shots, quick pans, rack focuses, and unsteady camera movements also contribute to the appearance that another entity looks on as the characters interact. Many of these interactions are over the shoulder shots in order to show character’s emotions through their faces, but variation in techniques keeps the framing consistently inconsistent. For example, a subjective shot shows Vivien’s point of view while giving birth, a tracking shot pulling away from Vivien’s death bed down the dark hallway magnifies Ben’s isolation as the only remaining member of his family, and the use of real and subliminal flashbacks during the birth scene allows the audience to see Ben and Vivien’s relationship come full circle. The editing employs jump cuts, flash frames, and the occasional use of nonsynchronous sound to create a feeling of intense action and keep the viewer unnerved at all times within The House.
While the audience has understood The House to be a character throughout the season, housekeeper Moira O’Hara stated it explicitly in the premiere episode: “Have you ever owned a house this old before? It has a personality, feelings. Mistreat it and you’ll regret it.” If this statement coupled with an entire season of craziness is not enough, in “Birth”, psychic Billie Dean Howard implicitly states that The House has a paramagnetic grip and that “the force here in this house is larger than the many individual traumas, and it has a need. It wants to break through; it wants to move in our world. It’s using those trapped within this world and the next as conduits.”
“Using them” is indeed true, as many characters have been driven mad or possessed by instructions from The House shortly before their demise. For example, The House has an affinity for fire and convinces a mother to set herself and her two daughters ablaze in a grief-driven display. The House also causes Ben to walk around in a dream-like state, turn on stoves, and light fireplaces with the possible intent to harm himself or others. It is clear residents have not respected The House as they should have and sincerely do regret it.
Fire comes in many forms within The House, both as physical flames and sexual desires. This is no surprise, however, in a place where one spirit, Tate Landgon, may be the Devil, and his son, conceived of rape, may be the Antichrist. The House, full of despair, regrets, and the longing of trapped souls, is comparable to hell, if not truly Hell. Tate, a permanent resident of The House, convinces the audience through his love for Violet that he can change himself. The audience, somehow sympathetic despite his evil deeds, is fooled only until Violet turns on Tate, saying, “I used to think you were like me, that you were attracted to the darkness. But Tate, you are the darkness.” While this statement alone may not prove Tate to be the Devil, it is quite possible that Tate’s unknown father is instead. What other kind of man could father three monstrous children and one beautiful one with the heart of a cold-blooded killer? Unfortunately, this is a mystery never resolved. After Tate’s son is born, Miriam says “He’s the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen.” This statement triggers the audience to remember the early monologue of a high school girl who, when discussing the book of Revelations, says, “The devil is beautiful.” Only the final episode may tell the truth about Tate, his son, and whatever supernaturally-evil element is at play within The House.
Ultimately, the audience is led throughout the season to believe that because there is no single protagonist with whom to identify that the narration is unrestricted, and they know, see, and hear more than any single character. In fact, this is not true. A protagonist of the entire season is The House, and the audience is more often than not restricted to what he knows; it’s simply that he knows, sees, and hears more than most characters. Whether it’s coming to understand his killer personality through mise-en-scene or speculating that he is Hell, The House was the most important character of American Horror Story Season One because without him, there would be no “Murder House.”
American Horror Story 