The film was shot both in color and black and white. Black and white is used when reflecting on the past which is accompanied by blue and lavender filters.
Roger Corman's usage of light begins as natural light under the sun. Candle light appears a couple of times. minimal florescent.
Doors are consistently being opened and closed, and window like structures are created within spaces which carry you from scene to scene- within the house, as the plot continues.
Overlapping fades similar to the fade seen in "The Bat." Where one scene ends and it overlaps into another following scene. Dissolve fades are also seen where it begins dissolving at the edges of the frame and ends with dissolving the face.
Water crashing and abstractions occur to divide the portions of the story into individual segments almost like acts of a play. He not only uses water, but also uses flames flicking into and out of frames to further along a scene.
Scenery is important to help with the atmosphere of the film as the plot continues- this seems to be fairly important for horror and suspense films. Using repetitions of rooms within the castles, sounds, and the outside landscape of the mansion. There is a segment within the film when the characters are presumed to be asleep and the castle is explored through the footage- from room to room without people. Focusing a lot on how the figures move within the surroundings.
Corman's choices for atmosphere become important to add the eerie quality to the storyline. Fog appears at the beginning only around the castle while the sea is glittering under the sun, flames: candle and fireplaces become important repetitions within each scene. After finding out the truth of Elizabeth's death a sudden storm breaks through the area.
Corman will initially do a close up cutting off the individual just below the shoulders
He allows people to flow into and out of the frame independent of camera movement, which is striking. He has a few scenes where he shoots the figure moving through space on the other side of an ornate gate or window structure- this is interesting becomes it somewhat abstracts the figure and generates it's own atmosphere. There are other times when he allows figures to come into areas within minimal lighting as completely submerged darkened figures that "come into" the light. As we learn more about the truth surrounding Elizabeth's "death" Vincent Price's character is shown as a submerged darkened figure while the rest of the individuals in the castle are shown in light- the same device is used when Elizabeth's dead body is suddenly re-animated.
Sound is used quite a bit in the film. Classical organ and piano playing, sudden crashing interrupting an otherwise quiet scene- all to provoke the audience along in the film- to generate a furthering of plot.
Dialogue helps move the plot along and helps you to better understand the depth of each character and how they react to one another.
“...the agony of my soul found vent in one loud, long and final scream of despair.”
Edgar Allan Poe, The Pit and the Pendulum
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