Suspense in "Miracle Fish"

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Suspense and Curiosity: Miracle Fish In the short film “Miracle Fish,” there is an overwhelming feeling of suspense and curiosity. Both of these elements create an interesting contrast between the main character Jonah and the viewers. This contrast is fueled by the innocence of Jonah. For Jonah the desolate school building is a paradise. It’s a place where he has no enemies, no stressors. As he begins to explore a tone of suspense settles in for the viewer. The empty hallways and classrooms serve as an eerie backdrop that causes questions and uncertainty to flood the viewers’ mind. For Jonah, his exploration continues as a journey through solitude filled with unguarded candy and tranquility. Yet a string of oddities begin to occur that raise the levels of suspense and curiosity. First a sink had been left running apparently and as Jonah leaves the sink after turning it off the viewer is shown a bloody handprint on the door. Both the sink and handprint become the first objects that show something wrong either has or is going wrong in the school. Regardless, Jonah continues his travels through this newfound paradise. However reality settles in for both Jonah and the viewers when a cell phone is heard ringing through echoes in the lonely halls. The suspense heightens when Jonah answers the phone and speaks to a worried adult man wondering if he is ok and warns him to hide when another man’s voice is heard down the hall. Not only a man, but an apparent drug addict armed with a rifle. The gunmen has a an exchange with Jonah and makes some strange statements, however it ultimately leads to the climatic and shocking death shot by a police sniper. This is where Jonah’s innocence had left him and curiosity will now always be surrounded by doubt or fear. Suspense and Curiosity are two different themes, that when developed together create a very entertaining on-screen
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