Research into Mise-en-scene - Miss Georgiou

Mise-en-scene

Introduction

Everything that goes into a film is Mise-en-scene, it is everything that makes up a scene and everything that supports it to fit a certain genre. Aspects of the mise-en-scene could be the scenery and stage properties or it could be the surroundings or settings in a clip.

Shutter Island Analysis

Teddy is portrayed in a white gown, that almost resembles to a hospital/mental institution suited uniform. This causes the audience to associate him with looking 'unwell' or 'mentally unstable'. In addition to this he is wearing white which could portray that he is in fact the innocent protagonist and the other two characters are in fact the darker antagonists. This contrast between good and evil, is often presented through the use of colour in thriller films. Chuck and Dr. Cawl are dressed very smartly, in suits that appear tailored and expensive. This use of costume indicates that their the powerful and educated characters within the scene. This is a typical convention of a thriller as in normal physiological of crime thrillers the detective is normally dress in more expensive clothes to show that the character is far more education and in control, compared to the weaker mentally weakened character in more scruffy clothes, which make him appear not very put-together.

The Iconography in the film is demonstrated by the use of different props in the scene. We see the character Teddy grab the gun and hold it up to the other too. The gun represents danger and adds a sense of foreboding to the scene. The use of guns are not normally stereotypical to the thriller genre but in this care it represents the power Teddy believes he has over the other two. In contrast to this Teddy is able to break the gun, which can portray his mental instability. He is beginning to crack in this scene, almost as if he is coming to the realisation that he is no where near stable and actually needs some sort of help. The blood that Teddy imagines after shooting Dr. Cawl, states that death could be near, as the deep, red blood represents death and danger. In addition to this Teddy is shown pictures of his supposedly dead children. This could portray his loss of innocence as children initially are represented as pure and good. It could also show how disturbing Teddy's mind actually is. The confusion of Teddy's mental capability leads the audience to question all the characters in the scene. All of this is supported by the iconography as the gun although can do alot of damage in fact breaks just like Teddy's mind.

The scene begins with what appears to be a abandoned light house. The use of setting is very erie as it is high out of sight and all that is seen is the blue sea from a distance, showing us that there is no escape for Teddy. Isolated locations are very common within thriller films as it shows the impact the events that are about to unfold will have on the character. If there is about to be a murder seen we know that there is no escape for Teddy is not able to run as he is trapped within the lighthouse. His only escape would be to jump and this would consequence in his death. The gloomy setting with grey undertones are also stereotypical colours of a thriller film. Bright and vibrant colours are usually more conventional to a cartoon genre where as colours in a thriller remain dark and gloomy.

The lighting is set up so that Teddy is the focus of the scene.  The key light is set up behind the camera facing Teddy so that his body is highlighted. Behind the character we see small candles and trinkets to block out heavy shadows. A lot of natural light is brought in through the windows to portray to the audience that in realisation he is not who he thinks he is and the light is now focused on him because he is the main focus in the scene. This is conventional to a thriller opening as it resembles the fact that the main characters are in focus and the background is dark to build anticipation and expectation, as you are unable to know what is lurking there.

The characters; Chuck and Dr. Cawl are assembled in a way that makes them stand as equals they are both stood next to each other facing Teddy, this shows the audience how they are almost trying to 'gang up' on Teddy. The way they stand shows that they are making Teddy feel very hostile. By the way Teddy stands and the body language he uses shows how attacked he feels. His posture is very defencive and aggressive. His facial expression appears to be very shocked and confused and the other two may almost be described as manipulative. Overall by the positioning of the characters Teddy is portrayed as the weaker character in the scene. This is conventional to a thriller as the victim in the scene is often cornered or over powered by the antagonist in the scene. This is portrays the dominance that the antagonist has over the victim.

Conclusion

Analysing the Mise-en-scene of a thriller has helped me to evolve my own ideas of a thriller. I know now that the way a character is dressed can portray there personality and mental stability, for example. If a character is dressed in white they are being represented as an innocent character. Also, things like the abandoned setting and dark lighting can lead an audience to feel isolated themselves which would reflect on how the characters feel too and what there future holds. The positioning of characters is one aspect that can determine how powerful or dominant a person is. This is a useful method and will be used to show the protagonist and antagonist in my thriller opening.