Closer

The Closer is a common monster in Silent Hill 3. Excluding Heather Mason's dream sequence, this is the first type of monster she encounters. It is seen in a clothing store as it feeds on a woman's corpse. Heather shoots it to death as it approaches her.

Appearance
Its brownish body seems to mock the female form, as its entire face resembles a pair of lips; it also seems to be wearing a miniskirt and dark boots resembling Heather's. The Closer is a tall, menacing creature, with thick, all-encompassing arms. Some sections of the creature's arms seem to be stitched together and bandaged up. The Closer's lips rotate and twitch relentlessly, emanating a wet sound. Two sharp protrusions are held inside the creature's arms and can be extended outwards much like one uncurls a finger. When attacking, they extend one of these "blades" and thrust it forward rather sluggishly.

In the Order's chapel, Closers become infested with animated, dark globs moving along their skin, and they are also notably faster. They seem to have a green tinge.

The Closer shares similar characteristics of the Mandarin. According to Masahiro Ito, the reason they look similar is because the Mandarin was one of the most underrated monsters of Silent Hill 2. His intentions by them both having similar designs was to imply that their appearance was not just dependent on the person, but that the power of Silent Hill also had some input on the "design" of the monsters.

Character


Closers move slowly, but their massive size and reach make them very dangerous, as is their tendency to appear in tight spaces that prevent Heather from getting around them unscathed.

They attack by hitting Heather with their club-like arms or extending a blade-like bone fragment from the tips of their arms, something that throws Heather back and, especially without the bulletproof vest, can drain most of her health. They emit a series of grunts and groans when Heather is nearby.

Following Brookhaven Hospital, the Closers become significantly more dangerous. If the player gets too close in an attempt to attack them, they will defend themselves by swinging their arms in a circle, a move that, while rather sluggish in mid-action, is executed very suddenly, allowing for an extremely minuscule reaction time.

Symbolism
According to the Book of Lost Memories, its name is derived from its ability to obstruct a path with its gargantuan proportions.

The Closer may be a manifestation of Alessa Gillespie's memories of her mother's abuse, hence the enlarged arms. The Closer's arms also seem to resemble punching bags, further alluding to Heather's repressed memories of being abused. It is also similar to one of the monsters Alessa used to draw as a child; the drawing is found in a corner of Alessa's room, near the locked door leading to the final boss fight. The "outfit" the Closer wears is similar to the dress that Alessa wore in Silent Hill.



It could be a distorted interpretation of real people: mall shoppers. This is supported by the fact that it first appears in the Central Square Shopping Center. It is reminiscent of a figure holding a shopping bag in each hand. The arm could be seen as being "fused" with the bag, unable to let go and being burdened by its heavy weight. Its mouth is the most prominent feature on the face, possibly reflecting the idea that mall shoppers talk too much and are annoying.



The Closer may symbolize ideas of one of the seven deadly sins; in this case, greed. Greed can extend to consumerism and materialism; their feminine form may symbolize women who go to shopping malls and relentlessly shop. They are encountered in a women's clothing store feeding on a woman, which may symbolize how "greed/consumerism/materialism feeds on women". The instruction manual for Silent Hill 3 claims Heather enjoys shopping every weekend, so the Closer may be a warning to Heather about her attachment to "worldly" things and objects.

There is a running theme of maternity and femininity in Silent Hill 3 and many of its monsters due to the central conflict of the game centering on impregnation in the the Order's attempts to force Heather to birth their god. The Closer's face can be thought of to look like labia (vaginal lips), which correlates with this theme. Also connecting the Closer to the theme of impregnation or maternity is the sounds it will emit when fallen; the Closer will make very primitive and high-pitched moaning noises, while writhing about on the floor. This can be seen as reminiscent of a female's reaction to coitus or maturbation, or to other forms of sexual stimulation. Such sounds are also heard during the birth process.

The Closer may also be related to Claudia Wolf in some way. As mentioned previously, the Closer's arms may represent physical abuse, and Claudia was beaten by her father. Also, the Closer may represent how Claudia views other women: contaminated by greed.

Trivia



 * If the game code is hacked and the gore is removed from the corpse that the first Closer is eating, the corpse is revealed to be a modified model of Angela Orosco.
 * Akira Yamaoka, the sound director for the series, took the sounds of a rhinoceros and digitally altered them to create the sounds of the Closer.
 * A Closer may appear in Hazel Street Station. To spawn it, the player simply has to use the nutcracker on the gate and descend the stairs. If the player returns up the stairs, a Closer will be patrolling the corridor. The reason most players miss this encounter is due to not turning back after they've unlocked the gate, as there is no need to return.
 * The Japanese message "南無妙法蓮華経" is written vertically on the top of the Closer's head. This is a chant in Nichiren Buddhism, a reference to the Lotus Sutra.
 * The Closer has unused animations showing it to be able to climb to higher areas with the nail-like extensions that protrude from its arms.
 * A mouth on the Closer's face is inspired by the figure in the center drawing of Francis Bacon's Second Version of Triptych 1944.
 * Despite the obvious feminine design, the Closer's towering stature and bulky physique gives the monster a much more masculine impression, giving the creature a rather androgynous feel.

Gallery
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