Research into mise-en-scene Miss Georgiou

In this blog i am analysing The shining. I feel this contain all the mise-en-scene features a typical thriller film needs and this is a typical thriller film. I'm going to look into 5 key features The shining possesses and analyse them in detail.

This is the opening scene and the setting is the first point in mise-en-scene. This shows the audience from the start that the film is set in the middle of nowhere however is very typical of what any family would do on a road trip so the audience can relate to them. This is a very conventional setting of a thriller film as it is in the middle of nowhere and creates the sense of isolation amongst the audience. The director uses isolation to make the audience feel lonely and to make the audience feel like they may be surrounded by fear.

This next scene is the use of iconography or props. Props are used to enhance the character and gives the scene an edge. Axes are typical of horror and thriller films as it is a weapon and this gives the audience an idea that danger is coming. The use of iconogrpahy in thriller films always connotes the fact that it could be a weapon. The axe is used as a weapon and the way the main character smashes through the door shows his determination and could send the audience into a sense of panic.

Makeup is very important in a film and one element of mise-en-scene is costume and makeup. This can tell us a lot about the audience and the film. This scene shows the main character frozen in the snow. Quite a horrifying image all created by the right makeup. This may of shocked the audience at first, however this engages the audience to add a sense of realism and allows them to see the effects that have been created.

 Another part of mise-en-scene is the facial expressions and body language. This famous scene portrays facial expressions very well and can describe the genre. This is the face of a psychopath and they are only normally found in thriller's and horrors. This face shows the audience that he is determined on achieving his goal which we know is to murder whoever is in the house. We can see his determination by the way his eyes are fixated on one element and his mouth is open to show that he is shouting. Shouting in a room or closed space normally means you are angry and this is how the audience can see his anger and start to become frightened at his state.

The next scene portrays the next element of mise-en-scene. This looks at positioning of characters and objects within a frame and this shows that very well. Looking at the positioning and objects, these all connote a typical thriller film. The use of the axe again shows iconographic and the positioning of the characters and blood on the walls strongly suggests this characters were murdered. This puts the audience on edge as the scene suddenly turns to this. This could of lead the audience into a false sense of security by having two girls alive one minute to being murdered the next. The positioning of the characters can also frighten the audience as showing them dead in a pool of blood not only makes them panic, but makes them curious leading to the audience nervous for the rest of the film as they don't know if this will happen again.



The final element of mis-en-scene is colour and lighting. I feel this scene shows both. Firstly there are no light colours in the scene. Even the white is a real dirty white colour. Dark colours usually occur in thriller movies to make sure the audience doesn't see to much of what is actually going on. The colour red is also a connotation of danger and danger is very much a key phase when it comes to horror and thriller movies. The lighting that was portrayed in the scene was low key lighting. This is used to keep the audience guessing. Questions that could arise amongst them could be what is hiding behind the blood. This keeps the audience in suspense. These two points allow the audience to remain engaged and curious. The less the audience know the more venerable they are to a surprise.

In conclusion, i feel this film portrays all 5 main mise-en-scene points. Setting and props, costumes and makeup, facial expressions, positioning and colour make The Shining the perfect thriller film. From these points, I have taken inspiration for my personal thriller film. The main thing I would take from these points is the element of surprise. If The audience are surprised, then this keeps them engaged and curious. The more curious the audience, the more they can become lost in the film provoking greater emotions enhancing their overall experience of the film.