Using concrete examples from a specific film, explain how the elements of mise-enscène helped to convey the film’s meaning
Write an essay of 300 to 400 words (with a typical font and spacing this will be
between 1 and 2 pages) on the following topic:
Using concrete examples from a specific film, explain how the elements of mise-enscène
helped to convey the film’s meaning
Mise en scène (setting the scene or staging the action) is an integrated design program that establishes the “look” of a film.
• **The setting** refers to the location of the action, which can be filmed on location or artificially constructed on a soundstage. Sets can be digitally enhanced. The spatial attributes of settings contribute meaning, often by developing characters and their conflicts.
• **The human** figure encompasses actors, including casting, acting style, figure placement and movement, and costumes, props and makeup.
• **Lighting** can affect not only the look but also the mood of a film. Hollywood’s standard three-point lighting produces bright images with minimal shadows, whereas the low-key lighting characteristic of film noir makes use of shadows and contrast to convey intrigue and danger. The dramatic low-key lighting schemes often used in horror films contribute to the audience’s feelings of shock and unease.
• **Composition** is the art of using graphic elements such as balance, line, foreground and background, light and dark, and color to convey information, emotions, and meaning.
German Expressionism and French Poetic Realism are different film styles that each depend on a distinctive mise en scène.
You can describe an appropriate setting for each of the following encounters;
• two young lovers are breaking up because one thinks (mistakenly) that the other is having an affair
• a married couple is breaking up after 25 years together because the wife can’t shake the feeling that she’s lost her sense of identity
• two young lovers kiss for the first time, pursuing their romance with discretion because of their different ethnic backgrounds
• an American spy accepts a bribe from a foreign agent to hand over classified documents
• a young soldier fritters about on her last night at home before shipping off to war
• an estranged father and son reunite for the first time in five years (the son is 16 years old)
• an estranged mother and daughter reunite for the first time in five years (the daughter is 16 years old)
• three gang members are holding a family hostage
• two inept burglars conduct their first heist. Things will go wrong.
• two teenagers find themselves hiding from a mad killer
Than you can consider asking yourself how the main character changes over the course of the film by supporting your interpretive claim by referring to at least two elements of mise en scène. Make sure you are prepared to provide very specific details (e.g., color, shape, size, lines, etc.) and to talk about the specific context in which these details appear (what scene? what is happening in the narrative at this point?). If you are screening Thelma and Louise, find two ways the film emphasizes the women’s increasing independence. You should easily latch onto any number of motifs: costuming, makeup, hairstyles, the use of mirrors, trucks, cigarettes, hats, Thelma’s habits when buying (or stealing) alcohol, and Thelma’s handling of the pistol, etc.
Good luck.
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