To live in the 21st century means that the world is moving faster than some years back in time. Audiences have changed and the culture of wanting everything fast and now is something predominant in our society. Especially in action films, new ways of editing, and creating different sensations in the public are some of the main differences from classic Hollywood Films.

Steven Shaviro describes these action scenes with rapid editing of shots, unjustified jumps, in general, the idea of ​​causing some vertigo in the viewer. At the same time, the addition of sound effects and graphics (Shaviro, 2012).

One of the most popular series of this time is Stranger Things (2016), on which this writing will be based to give an example of Chaos Cinema in the 21st century. It will focus on Season 4 Episode 4, specifically the scene where Max’s character escapes from the villain Vecna.

How is this scene associated with Chaos Cinema? The fans of the series experienced different emotions with this specific scene. The characteristics of Chaos Cinema can be distinguished at the moment that Max escapes from Vecna, fast cuts, camera movements, objects falling on top of the character, a series of elements that intensified the moment and helped create a feeling of anxiety in the public.

During the scene, there are different moments of tension, the use of flashbacks that connect with the audience’s nostalgia, the special effects that recreate the world of Vecna ​​, and the music that plays a crucial role in the success of the scene.

In Stranger Things they found in music a way to connect with their audience, in this specific scene, the song Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush is listened to. It is important to highlight that this song is shown as the life preserver that Max’s character used to save herself and during the development of the season the song can listen to on different occasions. As a result, this song was very well received by fans of the series, becoming a trend and going viral on social media.

Shaviro argues that this new model focuses on intensifying sensations. This is the case of the scene in Stranger Things, the entire montage appeals to the emotions of the characters and therefore to the audience.

It can be seen that the last seconds of the scene are the tensest, the use of slow motion, the character’s desperation to get out, the failed attempts of the other characters to help her, and at the end a black screen, creating an unknown feeling that then it turns to relief when it becomes clear that Max managed to escape.

In conclusion, we can say that in the 21st century the use of different techniques is strongly related with create and intensifying emotions in audiences, and Chaos Cinema is an example. This new form of cinema adjusts to modern life, where everything must be fast, immediate, and intense.

By: Tianna Montes

Student Id: 33700373

Bibliography:

• Shaviro, S. (2012). Post-Continuity: full text of my talk [web log]. Retrieved 2022, from http://www.shaviro.com/Blog/?p=1034.
• Stranger Things. (2016). Duffer, M – Duffer, R. Netflix. Retrieved 2022.