Research into Mise-en-scene - Miss Georgiou

Mise-en-scene

The arrangement of everything that appears in the frame of a scene is called the Mise-en-scene, this includes the setting and iconography (props), costume, hair and makeup, facial expressions and body language, lighting and colour and the positioning of the characters within the frame. I have analysed this clip from The Woman in Black to see how it incorporates the different elements of Mise-en-scene. Arthur Kipps, portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe, is the only character featured in the clip. This alone creates tension as throughout the clip his character can hear noises coming from different rooms in the house, which suggests that he is not alone after all.

The setting of a thriller film can make important contributions to creating suspense and making the audience feel more involved in the scene. For example, a house connotes the idea of family and safety, which will result in the audience feeling more relaxed. In the clip from the film, Daniel Radcliffe is alone in a remote house that is surrounded by a graveyard, dead trees, both of which will make the audience think of death and the possibility that this is foreshadow the fate of Daniel Radcliffe. Therefore, instead of feeling relaxed, this choice of setting will make the audience feel on edge and tense. This is conventional to the thriller genre as the audience will be constantly anticipating what is going to happen to him and whether he is going to survive the night.

Certain camera shots used in the clip allow the audience to see that Daniel Radcliffe is holding an axe as he makes his way through this house. This is the most important piece of iconography that is used in the scene. This choice of weapon is more physical compared to a gun, for example, which makes the idea of death more personal. Usually, it is the antagonist who carries around a weapon and so the audience may see Daniel Radcliffe as a potential killer, therefore feeling less sympathetic towards his current situation. The iconography is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates tension due to the audience not knowing why he is going to need a weapon, they will be waiting on edge and waiting anticipation to see what is going to happen.

Usually in thriller films, the antagonist will be male and the victim female, however, this clip from The Woman in Black is completely the opposite to this. The costume that the characters in a film wear usually gives the audience an idea of what the era of the film is, or what type of society the character comes from. In this clip, Daniel Radcliffe's outfit consists of a suit and bow tie, both of which suggest professionalism, which is supported by the audience knowing that his character is a lawyer who is trying to sell the house that he is in. On one hand, the audience may see his character as wealthy and intelligent, therefore smart enough to protect himself and survive the events that are going to happen in the scene. Although, they may also view him as someone who has never been in a situation like this before and they will therefore sympathise with his character.

 

At the beginning of the scene, the camera zooms in on Daniel Radcliffe's face to give the audience a more detailed view of his facial expressions. By doing this, the audience can no longer see what is going on in the background or if there is someone else there. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates tension due to the audience
His heavy breathing and panicked expression continue to build tension as it tells the audience that he is frightened and in a dangerous situation that they do not know if he will get out of.

 

Directors use specific lighting to emphasise the most important aspects of the scene that they want the audience to focus on. For example, towards the end of the clip from The Woman in Black, the audience see a death like figure rise up from the graveyard and walk towards the house. In order to make the viewers aware of this new character, the surrounding background is a deliberate white foggy colour. This is known as low key lighting, an effect that allows the director to form distinct shadows and to create sharp contrasts of light and dark colours. Low key lighting is the most conventional to the thriller genre as it creates a darkness that will make the atmosphere more eerie, and will make the audience feel tense and aware when danger is present.

By analysing the elements of Mise-en-scene used in the clip from The Woman in Black, I have been able to develop a better understanding of what makes up each of the elements and how they are used effectively in order to make the audience feel a certain way, or to build up tension in a scene. This will be helpful when I am planning my opening sequence as I now know what I will need to include to make sure the Mise-en-scene in my sequence is complete. For starters, I will need to choose a setting that is relevant to my narrative, and use the different types of lighting to show a change in setting or character emotion. For example, natural lighting, or high key lighting will create a homely, relaxed feel, whereas low key lighting is more eerie, and will make the audience feel more on edge. By using different costumes I will be able to show the audience the age of a certain character, or what social situation they are in, or if they are the antagonist or victim. Mise-en-scene is an important part of any film as it helps to set the tone, emotion and value of a shot.