Coursework Question

How does the use of mise-en-scene and cinematography create suspense in the pale man sequence from Pan's Labyrinth?

'The Shining' Analysis

Stanley Kubrick’s, The Shining, is a film filing under the psychological horror genre, following the Torrance family while they stay in the isolated Overlook Hotel and the effects it has on the father, Jack Torrance’s state of mind. Throughout the film, he descends into madness and becomes fixated on murdering his family.

At the beginning of the ‘redrum’ scene, a close-up of Danny on a sidewards view tracks him over to Wendy, when it switches to a mid-shot halfway with Danny only taking up a small amount of the frame, but in a way which abides by the rule of thirds and makes the shot look more aesthetically pleasing. The mise-en-scene of the knife is a common convention of the horror genre, found in the film, Scream, when being wielded by the infamous ‘Ghostface’ and also Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho during the shower scene. This popular item of iconography adds a sense of realism to the film and makes me feel dread as well as giving me a cause for alarm and panic. Watching a small child holding such a powerful object emphasises the unbalanced nature of the film and invokes a feeling of unease and disturbance. 

The diegetic repetition of the word ‘redrum’ is then constantly used by Danny as he stands with a knife in a long shot. The mise-en-scene of the slanted lampshade behind him represents his father’s descending mental state and how this has affected the entire family, in a sense, making them also mentally unstable. The mise-en-scene of the upside-down cross depicted in the door in low-key lighting further conveys this, as this is a common repeated motif throughout the film, suggesting sinister events yet to come and a connotation of evil and the devil. The door is framed within a large amount of the shot, foreshadowing its later significance when Jack attempts to burst inside.

As the camera tracks Danny back towards the door after he’s picked up Wendy’s lipstick, the non-diegetic sounds rise to a piercing sound, building tension and suspense. The camera captures a mid-shot of Danny writing the word ‘redrum’ in bright red, another convention of the horror genre, giving the connotations of danger and fear. His diegetic repetition of the word then reaches a crescendo to awaken Wendy. A two shot shows her pulling him into a hug and the camera quickly zooms in to show her shocked facial expressions. 

The shot then cuts to the mirror’s reflection, portraying the paradoxical narrative of the film and zooms in on the word ‘murder’ now visibly clear, also highlighting the main feature of the narrative and emphasising Jack’s purpose: to murder his family. A non-diegetic bang is then heard to alert the audience to danger and made me feel a pang of fear, making me physically jump. This is succeeded by Wendy’s diegetic scream, which is a sound often heard in the horror genre to show a physical manifestation of a person’s fear and enable this to be conveyed to the film’s audience. 

The shot then cuts to a mid-shot of Jack swinging an axe at the door and the banging sounds become diegetic. The use of an axe is another feature of iconography which is a typical convention of the horror genre. The camera quickly pans the action of the axe to convey the urgency of the movements and harshness of the reality Jack is inducing on his family. The loud diegetic sounds also portray Jack’s loss of mental stability and the sporadic nature of his thoughts. Parallel editing is used, cutting from Jack to Wendy and Danny to alert to the audience these events are occurring at the same time and add pace to the sequence, which arose a sense of panic in me whilst watching. 

Wendy and Danny are then tracked into the bathroom where the mise-en-scene of the cross motif is again repeated to suggest danger is yet to come and their safety is greatly compromised. When Wendy goes to the window, the shot then cuts to an extreme long shot of the outside of the hotel, completely surrounded by snow. Low-key lighting is used to symbolise the hopelessness of the situation and the harsh weather conditions portray the battle Wendy and Danny are undergoing. The way the surrounding make the characters seem insignificant and small also adds to the sense of vulnerability, emphasising that they don't seem to have an escape or anywhere to run to- a key feature which is commonly manipulated in the horror genre. A further sense of isolationism is also achieved by this same shot by conveying the lack of surroundings. They are, in fact, all alone in the middle of nowhere. 

As Jack is then back-tracked closer to the bathroom, the performance aspect of the mise-en-scene has him swaying from the centre of the frame, outwardly portraying his mental state and how he’s become corrupted by the whole experience. This is further emphasised by the psychotic grin he wears constantly. He then begins to swing the axe at the bathroom door, similar to one of the final scenes in Friday The 13th when Mrs Voorhees breaks through the pantry door with a sharp weapon to get to Alice. The idea of villains having to break down physical barriers to get to their victims seems to be another convention of the horror genre and in a way, symbolises Jack breaking down his entire identity. By breaking down the door, he loses his identity as a family man and becomes the psychopathic murderer his mental breakdown led him to be. 

The mise-en-scene of the splintered wood represents a broken man and the shot cuts to a close-up of Jack saying the infamous line ‘here’s Johnny’, still with the everlasting grin on his face. The sociopathic nature of this very shot captivated me and stayed with me a good length of time after watching the film. It invoked a fear from me that I never realised I had - the fear of madness. Insanity however, seems to be yet another convention of horrors, specifically linking to an ending scene in Scream when Billy Lumis claims, ‘we all go a little crazy sometimes’, which in summary, is the entire narrative of The Shining.

Group analysis The Bourne Identity

The sequence from the action film, The Bourne Identity begins with a long establishing shot to emphasise the set location of the street. The miss-en scène of the buildings highlights the bleak, grey environment around the protagonist and foreshadows a sense of uncertainty. The shot then cuts to a long shot of Jason Bourne holding the a red telephone, his red bag also clearly in the frame, specifically done to convey the danger and foreboding of the situation yet to come. The diegetic sound of the traffic corresponds with the urgent nature of his task.

There is then a cut to a traffic warden to portray Bourne's struggle with the authorities and the paranoia that surrounds him. At this moment, non-diegetic sounds of string instruments are used to create suspense and an aura of peril for him and makes me personally feel exposed and uneasy of what is about to happen. When the shot cuts back to Bourne, a red car then passes by, taking up the majority of the frame, yet again reiterating this sense of danger. In accordance with this, the camera then tracks Bourne in the direction of the aforementioned car, thus indicating his descent into danger. Meanwhile, the camera captures an extra in the frame, suspiciously staring at Bourne and both are positioned to the far sides of the frame, abiding by the rule of thirds to make the shot look aesthetically pleasing. 

As the camera tracks Bourne when he walks across the road, the miss-en-scène of the snow in the frame, covering most of the characters portrays a feeling of unclarity and blurred objectives. The diegetic sounds of the ambulance and roaring traffic allow for an edgy atmosphere for our main character and the flashing lights are a warning for him and the choices he's about to make. A swift pan back to Bourne represents the hurried nature of his movements. 

A long shot captures Bourne's close escape from the tram as he crosses the road, which foreshadows his escape from imminent danger. Bourne is then tracked as he walks to show his importance and superiority. A close-up, point of view shot then tilts on the American flag to convey a sense of safety and familiarity as he has reached his destination. The close up of Bourne's passport symbolises his independence and the sequence then cuts to a two-shot of him and the identity-checker. 

As Bourne stands in the queue, the editing creates an eyeline-match to the man in the suit staring suspiciously at Bourne, creating a sense of foreboding. There is then a close-up of the woman speaking to the receptionist and although she is taking up the majority of the frame, she is not in focus, which symbolises her inferiority to Bourne despite her voice being the only diegetic sound in the shot.

We see a close-up of the security camera, indicating to us his worry and anticipation of fore-coming 

events. After the suspension build-up of mostly silence, except for the woman still talking to the receptionist, Bourne is tracked by the camera out of the queue and into a separate room, passing a Christmas tree, which has usual connotations of happiness, juxtaposing to the dangerous situation Bourne is in. 

As the fight between Bourne and the guards begin, the shots quickly cut from one perspective to another, also including a bird's eye shot to make me feel omniscient and not just an onlooker in the sequence. The sequence constantly cuts between mid-shots and bird's eye views to quicken the pace of the fight and make it feel much more intense. The camera then pans to the civilians at a high angle to show their inferiority to Bourne and emphasise the control he has over the room.

The guards then proceed to chase Jason and the camera tracks him as he runs away - still keeping the attention focused on him. An extreme close up is used when Bourne finds a walkie talkie in a soldier's jacket, expressing to the audience his new-found ability to track his enemies' movements and give him the upper-hand.

Parallel editing is then used, showing the soldiers selecting their weapons to suggest this is happening at the same time as Bourne's escape and give the audience a sense of spatial awareness. The diegetic sound of the alarm is a warning, which I am especially aware of, to make the scene more urgent and tense.

When Bourne then runs out into the corridor, high-key lighting is used to juxtapose the dangerous situation he is in, but also to show a sense of hope for him and also foreshadow his later escape. This is highlighted further when an extreme close up shows an evacuation plan, suggesting Bourne is looking for his way out and is soon to find it.

Constant, quick cuts are used between Bourne and the army whilst they make their way up the stairs to show their closeness and immediate danger. Furthermore, an over-the-shoulder shot is then also used, with Bourne taking up a minimal section of the frame, and the camera focuses on the narrow hallway in front of him, symbolising his upcoming narrow escape. As he approaches a fire exit door, the miss-en-scène features a sign reading 'danger', an obvious foreshadowing of the situation he's about to be put in but also a summary of the whole sequence's major theme.

Seeing Bourne outside on the fire escape, the camera shoots a bird's eye view, point of view shot of the ladder below the escape, putting me in the shoes of the character, making me feel vulnerable and uneasy at the sheer height of the drop. This is then further exacerbated by an extreme long shot, making Bourne seem tiny and insignificant in comparison, and then a high angle which establishes a sense of vertigo for me and anyone else watching.

An extreme close up of Bourne's foot is used to show tension and the friction between the surfaces and the shot then changes to a bird's eye view when the bag slips from his hands, the red colour contrasting with all of the white snow in the frame - a symbol of chaos surrounded by peace, almost a representation of the character himself.

When Bourne's safety is confirmed and he climbs down from the wall, a high angle is used to show him and the bag to suggest all is not quite over for him yet, although the surrounding of white snow indicate some peace for him for the moment and that for now, the struggle is over.

Reflective Analysis

Stalk

• As a group, we chose to produce a short sequence falling under the thriller/horror genre, containing conventions of both throughout. My intention was to create a sequence which would create a tense atmosphere for the audience and manifest a certain aura of suspense. In order to do this, we had to use a realistic setting which could then be subverted to manipulate norms of everyday life to withdraw a specific response from the audience.

• The target audience for this piece is the members of the film studies class who have a good knowledge about film and can identify aspects of film representative of metaphorical and symbolical imagery. They must be attuned to violent scenes and films of a distressing nature. 

• As far as conventions go, the generic, 'sinister-music-to-establish-an-eerie-atmosphere' is definitely an aspect frequently used in my sequence and conveys in more depth the sinister atmosphere, emphasising to the audience, the actions taking place in the shot. Slow-motion is used as a tool to highlight the thriller aspect of the sequence and add a sense of abnormality often seen in this genre. A low angle of the victim is used ironically to juxtapose the inferiority he has which is a theme often used in the horror genre. I also use this technique again with the seemingly 'upbeat' non-diegetic sound over the shot of two men fighting one another. 

V for Vendetta sequence analysis

V for Vendetta is a drama film, following the story of V, a freedom fighter who draws inspiration from Guy Fawkes and attempts to take down a tyrannical government power. In the final fight sequence of the film, V solidifies his actions against the government officials. 

A long shot at eye-level, depicts V, surrounded by men with guns led by Inspector Creedy in a low-key underground location. The mise-en-scène of the armed men facing V shows the harsh probability of V’s fate and that he is clearly outnumbered. The low-key lighting creates an uneasy and sinister atmosphere, and the torches being pointed at V is the only light, other than small amounts of natural light, in the scene which represents V’s strength and foreshadows his victory. The mask V wears contrasts to the dark background and suggests a sense of hope for him. 

As Creedy and V exchange words, cuts are used to transition the focus from one to another, but while Creedy is captured with mid-shots, V is portrayed all the while by long shots, showing his whole body and giving him an air of superiority over Creedy, representing his importance. The non-diegetic sound of eerie music plays quietly in the background in the lead up to the men attempting to remove V’s mask which creates a growing suspense and as the men grow closer to V, the lighting becomes much more prominent on his face, emphasising his power of these men, which is then shown when the camera quickly cuts to a close-up of him disarming them and swiftly killing them. 

After his first murder, the camera quickly tilts from V’s midsection to his face, showing authority and the camera cuts to the other men backing away. The scene falls into an almost dead silence to signify the realisation of the other men, facing something they certainly weren’t expecting. The diegetic sounds of the mens’ footsteps as they regain their footing displays their nervousness and unease. Contrarily, the soundtrack is then sped up and the volume is increased, which is almost a representation of V’s actions and thoughts and his willingness to make his next move. 

The sequence then silences again, only the sounds of simultaneous gunfire able to be heard to convey the rage and anger of the government again the terrorist V. The short bursts of light emitted from the guns momentarily light up the room and the men gain almost a glimmer of hope. This is soon crushed when an extreme close up zooms in on V’s mask, the only light in the frame against the dark background, still representing his power over the others and the diegetic sound of his breathing, proof that he is still alive. 

He murders every man, beside from Creedy by using his knives, which are tracked by the camera in slow motion to show the heavy implication they’re about to have on the scene, and then holds Creedy by his throat against a gate. A low angle is used, aimed at Creedy ironically, suggesting he should be more powerful than he is, but then the camera cuts to a close-up of his feet dangling off of the ground, showing desperation and a clear inferiority to V. The scene ends with a shot of V standing behind the gate, symbolising his one last barrier that must be cleared before he can complete his uprising. 

Why 'The Fault In Our Stars' was a box office success

One of the main reasons the massively famous ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ managed to become so successful so soon after its release, was the huge following the franchise already had prior to the film being released. The loyalty of the best-seller’s fans to the film gave it a head-start at the box-office over other films being released around the same time. The readers of the book were dedicated to the film and there was hyped anticipation for its impending release. The film was crafted to meet the expectations of those devoted followers and its success confirms their overwhelming contentment with it.

            Obviously, the film also needed to be advertised in order for many people to hear of the upcoming blockbuster. The film producers made contact with an Instagram company named ‘the Amplify’ to select five participants to go to a screening of the film and then share their experience watching it. One hashtag created by one of the five comprised 1.6 million posts and the film was soon being discussed throughout the site. The campaign allegedly managed to gather over 350,000 engagements on Instagram, whether it be likes or comments.  The comments made about the film, shared by these five Instagram-users, had apparently reached over sixteen million people.

            Similar to all other films yet to be released, ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ had a trailer which was played strategically before other films in cinemas, on television during advert breaks and also on sites all over the internet like YouTube and Facebook. The trailer on YouTube alone gathered more than three million views in the first 24 hours. However, it wasn’t the only advertisement, as  many posters were also placed around public places and images were used as pop-ups online also. This grasped the attention of potential viewers and sparked their interest in this new film, making them want to go and see it.

            Another reason for the film’s success is the notoriety of the author and the emerging cast members in the film industry. The author of the book-to-film adaptation has 2.1 million subscribers on YouTube alone, making him a man in the limelight. Any message he sends out is going to be read by millions of people – many more who can be persuaded to watch the film. Moving on to our two protagonists in the film, Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, it is clear that the two are becoming increasingly popular with the young adult audience after their appearances in other recent hit films such as Divergent and the remake of Carrie. The promise of already-esteemed actors makes the film much more appealing to people debating whether or not to see it.

            Finally, the added persuasion of a good review can be a tipping point for films to become so successful, and ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ definitely received its fair share of good reviews. The Internet Movie Database, (IMDb) has given the film an amazing 8.3/10, while other popular reviewers like Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic have given the film 4/5 and 3.5/5 stars. The film has been the most successful contemporary drama for the last nine years and soared to the top of the box-office charts from the day it was released.

The Horror Genre

The Horror Genre

A conventional horror has everything you’d expect is needed to scare an audience — the jumps, the darkness, the sinister music and obviously, some kind of villain fighting against our ever-wary protagonist. Over the years, horror movies have progressed and transformed exceptionally, each new film being released attempting to shock the audience in a new, unseen way. The fight to create a unique horror film is ongoing in today’s media, although they’re not always well received. 

One of the films considered a milestone for the horror genre is Wes Craven’s ‘Scream’ (1996), which reignited the love of the slasher genre and opened up a whole new era of teen horror flicks. By creating a villain who is just as human as us, a horror can truly thrill its audience with the seemingly realistic nature of the film. ‘Scream’ takes this to a whole new level and takes the well-known ‘horror conventions’ and subverts them completely. In the first scene of the film, one which will always be ingrained in my memory, we see Drew Barrymore, a well-esteemed actress, milling about her home like any other teenager on a normal night. What we don’t expect as an audience, is for something to happen to such a high profile actress; surely she’s our protagonist? With expert lighting and sound, we hear the first call which triggers a phrase which will be well known in horror movies for years to come: “What’s your favourite scary movie?”

The single line, spoke in a raspy voice with nothing but silence echoing it, became a mantra for the film and audiences worldwide shaking with anticipation. The moment I heard the voice of our famous, ‘ghostface killer’ for the first time, I soon realised that heart palpitations would be a common feat for any viewer of this film.  

Another great thing that, ‘Scream’ manages to do is alert the audience of the so called ‘rules’ of the horror genre.  It picks up on the many things which have been overdone by past films and assure them they won’t see the same cliches in this film, such as saying, “I’ll be right back” or being sexually promiscuous, as obviously, these are ways to your certain demise. 

While considered sadistic by many, the purpose of a horror film is to shock and frighten the audience and many people actually enjoy this sensation of being scared and having their worst fears come to life. There’s something addictive about the adrenaline you get when watching scenes of depravity and senseless violence, for example the popular film from Wes Craven, The ‘Hills Have Eyes’ (2006). Personally, the film left me feeling disgusted and unsatisfied because it lacks the psychological aspect I think horrors need to really connect to the audience. However, the film does deliver on its promise and undoubtedly shocks the audience with its immense amount of gore and physical violence. Shot in a desert scene, the film certainly gives the audience that well-known feeling of isolation used frequently in horror movies to place the audience into the lives of the characters and enable them to empathise with them. 

Unlike the isolationism, Gore Verbinski’s ‘The Ring’ (2002) features scenes of claustrophobia and entrapment. The well-known Japanese adaptation is most popular for its well scene, which I had the misfortune of witnessing when I was much younger, and it was a memory that never left me as I grew. The horrifying visual of Samara emerging from the well from the television set was done in such a way that I was afraid to ever be alone with a television at night again. The lighting set an eerily dark scene and the lack of light from the girl herself suggested something much more than sinister emanating from her. I’ll never forget the almost dead silence that made my heart pound and the way the camera hung in a way which made me feel totally immersed in the set. 

By using female villains, horror films can successfully create a character who is unpredictable in action and script. Jaume Collet-Serra takes perfect advantage of this by creating a film with not only a female villain, but one who is also a child — the epitome of innocence at that, in his film ‘Orphan’. He uses child-like sets like playgrounds and classrooms to give the audience a false sense of security which lures them into the film and alarms them all the more when the inevitable happens and the film turns on its head, exposing the child for what she really is. 

To see how far horrors really have progressed, I recently went to view the new film, ‘As Above So Below’ (2014), and was enlightened with the reality that with the sheer amount of horror film which have been made in the past one hundred years, the element of surprise and shock the horror genre is so well-known for, is beginning to fade. As creators attempt to introduce something new in order to scare audiences with things never seen before, horrors are shying away from the thrill and heading far more towards gore and relying on disturbing sights in order to frighten. Films like The Human Centipede (2009) are clear displays of this. The new film did successfully create a dark atmosphere and while I did see people in the cinema jumping out of their seats from fright, it failed to frighten me in any way personally. I definitely won’t be staying awake at night thinking about scenes from this particular film.