Film language: Mise-en-scene

The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976) 

1. What do we learn about the character from the way he relates to the environment?

The character seems shocked and confused, judging by his facial expressions, as he is unsure of where he has landed. Pathetic fallacy also plays a part in the mise en scene . 

1. What expectations do we have of the genre and narrative of the film?
   The film will most likely a hybrid between sci-fi and adventure as the iconography in the beginning shows us a spaceship landing on earth. The character in the scene will then go on an adventure, possibly with the women who found him and use her help to return back to his homeland. The beginning is an enigma as the audience are unsure of where the character is and what he is doing there. The scene also uses intertextuality as other movies that show similar scenes (an unknown ship landing on Earth) usually start off with the character exploring his new destination and is then followed by someone helping them find their original home. 

Activity 1
Mise en Scene Analysis- The Dark Knight

Costume

The mise en scene depicts a man who is standing at a crossing. His black suit suggests that he is a significant figure in the movie as it shows authority. The colour black is ambiguous as it could either suggest that he is stylish or professional or that he is a mysterious and threatening figure. The character is therefore an enigma because the audience is unsure whether or not he is the protagonist or antagonist. 

Lighting

 The scene is set in broad daylight which completely contrasts the mysterious figure on the screen. The brightness of the background puts emphasis on the silhouette of the character which suggests that the character's actions in this scene will play an important part of the movie. 

(Actor) Body language

The character is standing at the crossing with his head slightly tilted down. This could suggest that he is careless or unfocused as he is not paying attention to the road ahead. His posture could suggest that he is stressed or depressed.

Make up/Hair

The character's hair is unkempt which suggests that he is a reckless figure who is uninterested in his appearance. It could also suggest that he is in fact the antagonist, as conventions such as messy hair and a dishevelled appearance is usually seen on villains. 

Props

The iconography in the scene suggests that the movie's genre is a hybrid between crime and action. The character is holding a clown mask in his hand, which suggests that he is trying to hide his identity. It could also suggest that he is a thief as conventions such as a masks, are used in movies when the character is about to commit a crime (specifically a robbery). The duffel bag that the character is holding also supports this theory, as it could be used to contain the stolen items. 

Setting

The scene is set in a city, with only a few people in sight. This directs the viewers eyes to the main character in the scene,making him an enigma as the audience want to know what role he will play in the movie. The cityscape is purposely perceived as calm and normal, to contrast the characters intentions e.g a robbery. 

Activity 2

Comparisons from different genres

Horror- The Conjuring 2

 

The scene uses intertextuality as it shows a woman dressed as a nun. Conventions such as, a religious person e.g a priest, are usually seen in horror movies such as ''The Exorcist'', to make the movie more suspenseful. The colour black also connotes that the character is intimidating and mysterious. A bright light is also shown next to the character, to put emphasis on the characters silhouette like figure. The character does not have a specific facial expression- this makes the character an enigma as we are unsure who it is. The character has purposely stood at the end of the hallway to shock the viewers and make them feel worried. The character's make up adds to the eerie mood as it completely hides her identity. This may suggest that the character might kill the person who has spotted her. This therefore portrays her a femme fatale, which is usually common in horror movies as a woman is usually portrayed as ''haunting figure''. The wallpaper is covered with a floral pattern which contrasts the creepy figure that stands in the hallway. 

Sci-fi - Star Wars

The characters wear plain robes and long leather boots to add their futuristic fighting attire. The choice of colour could also help us distinguish between the protagonists and the antagonists as they are wearing contrasting colours, black and white. This therefore sets a clear binary opposition as the characters in the white robes are against the figure in black. Lighting is used in the scene to highlight the main figure (Liam Neeson)in the fight scene. The protagonists have a stern/forbidding facial expressions which could suggest that the figure in black is a hated character in the movie in which they have to defeat. The props e.g the lightsabers add to the futuristic aspects of the film as they reveal the unique weapons used in this alternate world. 

Comedy- Ace Ventura Pet Detective

In this scene, Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) shows of his whimsical personality, through his costume and facial expressions. His characters outfit consists of a hospital gown, a tutu, boxers and leather boots, all of which create an unusual outfit which reflects Ventura's weird and awkward character. The characters facial expression shows us that he is mesmerised by the sight in front of him. This whole image is an enigma as it makes the audience wonder who the character is. His body language suggests that he is careless and purposely over dramatic to make people laugh. The scene is a pastiche of typical comedy films where a character is slightly insane (in a humorous way). This attracts viewers as it creates a fan base in which members of the audience are expecting to see the character do stupid things. The scene is set in a large garden with the sprinklers on. This sets a playful mood as the peacefulness is eventually interrupted by Carrey's ludicrous character. Pathetic fallacy also plays a significant role in this scene as the sunny weather goes hand in hand with the joyous mood.