SILENT HILL CHARACTER COMMENTARY

The story from which the horror originates.  Let's take another look at 
the significance given to the characters that appear in the game.

====

name:  Harrold "Harry" Mason
age:  32
sex:  m
job:  writer

profile:  A writer who lost his wife four years ago and currently lives 
with his daughter.  He takes Cheryl to Silent Hill in order to spend a 
long vacation with her.  With the occurrence of a sudden car accident, 
he finds himself involved in strange events.

creator's comment

When development first began on this project, because of his role as the 
doting, dutiful father he was given the name "Humbert Mason," which was 
referenced from the protagonist of Stanley Kubrick's film Lolita.  However 
since this is an uncommon name, it was changed by the English staff.
Actually, "Harry" was the nickname of the person who named the character.  
I thought, "They're the same," but...

====

name:  Cybil Benett
age:  28
sex:  f
job:  police officer

profile:  A police officer from Brahms, a town adjacent to Silent Hill.
Due to a sudden interruption of correspondence, she comes to Silent 
Hill to investigate.

creator's comment

Her last name is an allusion to Lawrencia Bembenek, a real-life policewoman 
who was a murderer.  It was slightly tweaked to sound more generic.  The 
first name calls to mind both the model Sybil Buck and the action star 
Sybil Danning.

====

name:  Cheryl Mason
age:  7
sex:  f
job:  elementary school student

profile:  Although she is Harry's only daughter, the truth is that they
are not related by blood.  It is because of her wishes that the two of 
them travel to Silent Hill.

creator's comment

Originally we wanted to call her Dolores for the same reasons as Harry's 
character, but this met with fierce opposition and was rejected.  The 
name originates from Sheryl Lee, but there is no particular significance.

====

name:  Lisa Garland
age:  23
sex:  f
job:  nurse

profile:  A nurse who worked at Alchemilla Hospital.  She was charged 
with nursing Alessa, who was kept alive even with her severe burns 
by means of an incantation. 

creator's comment

The name Lisa comes from an actress who plays a nurse and is a murderer 
in the movie Sanguelia.  Her last name is borrowed from Judy Garland,
who plays a character in The Wizard of Oz who has lost her way in a 
dreamland. 

====

name:  Michael Kaufmann
age:  50
sex:  m
job:  doctor

profile:  A doctor who works at Alchemilla Hospital.  Like Harry, he
struggles to escape Silent Hill but the truth is that he is closely 
connected to the disaster taking place in town.

creator's comment

His name is a combination of the names Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz, 
two Troma Studios producers known for many B-movies such as The Toxic 
Avenger.  There isn't a particularly deep significance.

====

name:  Alessa Gillespie
age:  14
sex:  f
job:  unknown

profile:  A young girl who carries God inside her body as a result of 
a ritual conducted seven years ago.  Cheryl was separated when the 
ritual took place, but in order for the two of them to return to a 
single body once again she was called back to Silent Hill.

creator's comment

In the initial stages of development we used the name Asia, which was 
taken from the daughter of the Italian film director Dario Argento.  
However, because it's an uncommon name, we decided to rename her.

====
name:  Dahlia Gillespie
age:  46
sex:  f
job:  unknown

profile:  A mysterious woman who is devoted to the occult.  She 
conducts a ritual to bring about the coming of God using Alessa, her 
real daughter, inflicting extensive life-threatening burns upon her.  
She is the person responsible for setting a series of events that take 
place in Silent Hill into motion.

creator's comment

She is named after a former wife of film director Dario Argento.
Argento has made many horror movies including Suspiria, and is a 
master of the genre.




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