To what extent does editing and/or mise-en-scene help to reinforce key themes in the films you have studied?

To what extent does editing and/or mise-en-scene help to reinforce key themes in the films you have studied?

Both Pans Labyrinth (Del Toro 2006) and City of God (Meirelles 2002) have strong themes in the narrative, than are reinforced by various methods, including editing and mise-en-scene. Binary oppositions and metanarratives are explored via a variety of techniques to create a more cohesive message in both films.



Perhaps City of God's most plot driven theme is corruption, especially in relation to the character Li'l Ze. This is best highlighted in the 'Li'l Ze story' scene. In terms of editing, this scene is a collection of two montages with a scene in the middle. The brothel killing section is slow, with cuts not typical for a scene of such violence. There are no action matches on shots fired, the pace remains steady and slow, methodical like the killings taking place. This allows the spectator to experience the scene better as it allows us to see the enjoyment the character has in killing without the distraction of cuts, and so brings forward the idea that, to Li'l Ze (or Li'l Dice as he was known then), the killings are almost normal, not a surprise or a pivotal moment for him, although of course it is to the narrative and audience. Later in the scene, with the killing montage that sent the film forward in time, editing was also used effectively to reinforce this film. The quick montage used very short takes, and often cut in the middle of takes to create an even more shaky and frantic sequence that makes the violence seem even more gruesome and maniacal than it already is. There are also action matches on gun shots implemented, differing from previously, which are used to transition between times and to speed up one take, which makes the shots even more impactful and visceral. This all contributed to the theme of Li'l Ze's corruption, as it literally shows the spectator the timeline of the character's ascent to the most dangerous hood in the slum, which shows the corruption Ze has been subject to, and his growing potential to corrupt others, as Benny appears in the last shot. So the pace in editing in this scene, and the difference between the two techniques used in the montage, are effective in reinforcing the theme of corruption to the audience, both of Li'l Ze, and for him to corrupt others.


Mise-en-scene is also used in this scene, although to less of an effect, colour and costume specifically are used to show corruption. The 1960s has an oversaturated yellow hue to the whole section, and is especially used in the brothel part. The yellow lighting, yellowish shirt of Li'l Dice, yellowish walls and white-turned-yellow skin of his victims (ie lighting, costume and set/location) via the lights reinforce the colour into the minds of the spectator. Also, the yellow sand and orange bricks (ie location) of the Shaggy killing section is also drenched in the colour. This is important because after the montage, into the 1970s, the main colour palette is blue (the walls, the clothes, the lights of the scene), and the only holdover from the previous colour is Ze's vest. Not only does this create contrast shows the change in Ze - he's gone from the warm yellow to the cold blue, ie corruption, but he still has evidence of the past on him. This again reinforces the theme of corruption as it shows that, regardless of the change, Ze is still young (supported by the dialogue that states that he's 18), which creates an even more horrific idea in the audience's head - that he can be so young and so dangerous suggests a massive amount of corruption to the character, so much so that he's hardly identifiable.




Mise-en-scene especially is used in the Pale Man sequence in Pan's Labyrinth. The theme of Freedom vs Oppression/Fascism is explored in numerous ways throughout the film, and in this scene it's that that Ofelia and the Pale Man, and the things associated with them, represent Freedom and oppression respectively. The lair of the Pale Man is covered in a red and orange colour palette. The walls are red, the fruit (which is her downfall and is almost an enemy in itself) is a deep blood red, and the walls and metal of the set, and the lighting via the fire (and to an extent the Pale Man, as his white colour takes on the colour of the light) are orange, and meld well with the red. As seen later in the scene, this all represents the blood and violence of the Pale Man, shown by the remnants of the fairies that cover the character's face after killing them. It brings a dangerous meaning to the already sinister room, and so relates to the theme of Oppression in that he's a dominating force of death, much like the fascism of Franco's Spain where the film is set. The fact that the colour of the light makes the Pale Man the same orange also shows the spectator that he belongs in the environment of violence and monstrosity. The colour of the set and lighting, and of the Pale Man, are especially important as it contrasts so greatly with Ofelia's costume. The green of her coat and dress are opposite on the colour wheel to the orange and red of the set, showing to what extent that she doesn't belong. She, thematically,  represents everything the place doesn't - freedom to the oppression of the lair, innocence to the Pale Man's evil, and this is immediately clear to the spectator via use of colour, costume and set.
Also, the colour and set also show the age of the Pale Man, and so bring to bare the Childhood vs Adulthood theme, or even Old vs New. When the scene ends and she returns to her room, it's flooded in a high contrast blue/green colour, similar to her attire, showing that she now belongs there, in the real world, away from the oppressive place she just was. Her ability to escape and goes to where she belongs perfectly summarizes the theme, and is reinforced by the colour used.




An important theme in City of God is the idea that everyone living there, everyone in the film, is trapped - a victim of the circumstances around them. Location and iconography (within mise-en-scene) are massive contributors to this. For example, aerial shots of the slum in the beginning of the film bring to mind the image of rat runs or mazes - the inhabitants are trapped in a unnavigable, inescapable place that reduces them to animals. This relates to the binary opposition of Passivity vs Choice in City of God, which is also reinforced by mise-en-scene and editing. Rocket is the only character in the film who gets out successfully, and the only discernible difference between him and the others his inability to stoop to the violence and hood lifestyle that is the norm in the slum. This is represented in the film by his locations and their appearance in comparison to the slum. For example, the newspaper office he is shown in is characterized by muted blue and grey tones - of the walls, the computer screens, the costume of the actors (both Rocket and the journalists) are low contrast colour, creating a bland environment that brings about comparisons to the spectator of their own offices and jobs. It works in direct contrast with the high key colour used in the favela - there's even a scene pointing out the hood's penchant for gold jewelry, and most characters wear some variations of yellow or red at some point in the film. It shows the audience that Rocket has chosen a different path, a different way out, that leads to the normality that the average spectator can relate to, and so reinforced the idea that he can chosen the dominant version of normality. In fact, in the opening scene when Rocket is talking about choice while standing in the middle of a standoff, he is wearing the muted blue which is similar to the office, and the colour in the location is also muted, which makes the transition into the past with it's bright palette all the more jarring, and shows that he has already made a choice to live differently to the life being represented there - ie the Tender Trio.




In conclusion, both Pans Labyrinth and City of God use editing and mise-en-scene to reinforce themes to the spectator by using contrast of colour in set and costume, editing in tandem with camera work and the spectator's relationship with the characters for both editing and mise-en-scene to ensure a negotiated reading for the audience.

City of God

Directed by Fernando Meirelles
Based on real events
Set in Brazil 1970s
Look for key elements of film form + narrative themes - if we aren't talking about how things impact on the spectator we aren't analyzing


Binary oppositions:
Poverty vs Wealth, Passivity vs Choice (Rocket doesn't act like everyone else, everyone else is passive in that they act in the favela way, Rocket doesn't), Nature vs Nurture
Theme of escape - starts by chicken escaping - knives are out, people are trying to get you. Tender Trio one tries to escape but gets killed, Benny tries to escape but doesn't as he's a victim of the chaos of the favela and his past passivity/actions, Rocket only escapes because he sees another way
Poverty - the driver of the narrative (at least initially, turns to power) as people are trying to survive. It's a trap they are all trying to escape, then trying to escape by:
L'l Ze's Corruption- as poverty wouldn't be there without his corruption. Knockout Ned starts his war for noble causes, but soon corrupts to needless violence, with him quickly being able to kill. The light theme with the Tender Trio shows that they aren't corrupted, supported by their ideals of no killing and giving back. But the film progresses and gets darker as Rocket's view on life is corrupted
Talking about themes is describing, need to apply it to film form to analyze
Ie 'how does X film form help with character development in the film OR show spectatorship OR how is gender represented etc.' Plan both before you answer
Childhood - reminds us of how young they are at all times - Rocket and his obsession with getting laid, smoking weed, girls. When the kid gets kid he's looks incredibly childish
Victims of circumstance, total corruption, trapped - top shots make it look like a rat's maze
Editing used in creative ways
3 sequences:
Little kid being shot - pans over to the youngest kid, can see his stomach and chubby child legs, he's still a child and the audience and the character knows that. Both kids readily offered over their hands, facing the reality of the situation. Little kid is dressed in clothes too small, cries like an infant, brings the reality that they're children. Li'l Ze corrupts Steak. The scene itself has a narrative that's reflected in the whole film - only scene where we follow Steak but reflects other character's experience - shows Todorov's theory as it starts quiet, disruption is them capturing the runts, acknowledgement is when Steak realizes what's happening, solving disequilibrium is when he's deciding to shoot them, and the new equilibrium is him as a killer and the Runts dealt with. Self preservation, trapped in the situation, hangs about with them for want of a better life which he sees he can achieve through them. But contrasting with Rocket, who has strong morals, and Li''l Ze, who has none, Steak is in the middle as he recognizes that it's wrong but can't stand up against it. Steak represents the spectator as he's on the outside but is forced in. Doesn't focus on the two kids during the time before Li'l Ze comes so we don't know them, we judge them just as children. When the sequence starts it starts with him presented behind bars - he's already trapped in the situation. Calling them 'friends' shows his childlike need for inclusion and his naivety of the situation. Hoods are shot from low at the end and confrontation to show their power, but when travelling as a group they're short from high, showing that poverty is all around them and they're all trapped by their surroundings, never letting us forget that its there. Steak starts strutting in the scene, like he's one of them - confidence in ignorance. When we're shown the children it's shot like the documentary with the handheld camera little zooms to show detail, and immerses us via it, but when it suddenly cuts back to Li'l Ze and his crew it's steady, Resevoir Dogsesque. Kids have naturalistic dialogue, Marxist reading shows how the drug structure is similar to capitalism, and is almost a concentrated form of it. The fact that the two kids aren't shown straight away shows that it could be any kid. When the 2 kids are shown there's always something looming over them, ie the gun. Steak is shown from a higher angle than before to show that he suddenly loses power when he realizes. Ze giving the kisd a choice is symbolic as there's never a right one in the favela, like the start with Rocket saying that whatever you choose it's bad. Ze calls it 'the little hand' before he ignores his choice. Editing pace slows down as Steak makes his decision, and the fact that he' shown from a low angle but is towered around by the others shows his lack of power. Also goes from group shots to a two shot with Ze and Steak and then just Steak, showing how his yearning for inclusion ultimately lead to isolation. Steak closes his eyes when shooting to show that he knows that it's wrong, while Ze never stops talking to show his nonchalant attitude to killing, further shown by the congratulations afterwards - after which he's shown by himself even though he's being congratulated. Last shot most isolating - with Steak looking away with the dead kid in the background, like the spectator and Steak not being able to look. No music for the whole sequence adds to realism. Set in broad daylight, showing that it's not unusual
Showing Li'l Dice/Ze as he grows and kills people. Effective transition of time, clever editing showing them in the same position. Introduces the character dynamic of Benny and Ze, and establishes his notoriety through the brutal sequence that leaves the audience shocked - we still don't have time to recover from seeing him as a child on the rampage
Rocket attempting to turn to crime - good narratively - shows us that there's still good in the favela, positions us strongly behind him as we can relate. Bit where they find a body then drives past tricks the spectator, reminding us of our pessimism after seeing the previous sequences, and reminds us of the innocence of Rocket - he has a moral compass and can't do wrong (i.e. when arguing with the journalist, he goes in angry but comes out with a job). Whenever he tries to rob someone he gets something out of it - good is the only way out


Actors who aren't professional means you only see the character, and there are some very good performances.



Homework:
To what extent does editing and/or mise-en-scene help to reinforce key themes in the films you have studied?



Editing:
Opening sequence
Child death scene has long takes with little editing, more camera movement
Li'l Ze child-teenager, frame moves but the character doesn't - represents poverty etc.
Apartment, time changing, editing over time, again shows that the place, City of God, is holding them there, and while the people change the place doesn't
Benny's death - cuts on the strobe light

Vertigo and Classical Cinema

Martin Scorsese - Vertigo is cinema poetry


Classical Hollywood cinematic techniques


Martin Scorsese - Vertigo is cinema poetry


Classical Hollywood cinematic techniques:
The devices most inherent to classical Hollywood cinema are those of continuity editing.
Jump cuts are allowed in the form of the axial cut, which does not change the angle of shooting at all, but has the clear purpose of showing a perspective closer or farther from the subject, and therefore does not interfere with temporal continuity.
Classical narration progresses always through psychological motivation, i. e., by the will of a human character
This narrative is structured with an unmistakable beginning, middle and end, and generally there is a distinct resolution
Directors became more in charge of their films, as opposed to the studio controlled productions
Bazin - classical film is a photograph play, in which events existed objectively, and the camera is just getting the best angles
Little use of sound effects, and more so score and soundtrack


Martin Scorsese - Vertigo is cinema poetry


Classical Hollywood cinematic techniques


Martin Scorsese - Vertigo is cinema poetry
Vertigo has some new wave editing styles - the dream sequence, but still relies on the classical Hollywood day-to-day editing


Classical Hollywood cinematic techniques:
The devices most inherent to classical Hollywood cinema are those of continuity editing.
Jump cuts are allowed in the form of the axial cut, which does not change the angle of shooting at all, but has the clear purpose of showing a perspective closer or farther from the subject, and therefore does not interfere with temporal continuity.
Classical narration progresses always through psychological motivation, i. e., by the will of a human character
This narrative is structured with an unmistakable beginning, middle and end, and generally there is a distinct resolution
Directors became more in charge of their films, as opposed to the studio controlled productions
Bazin - classical film is a photograph play, in which events existed objectively, and the camera is just getting the best angles


Vertigo production context: Shift to new wave techniques


Blade Runner production context: Societal opinions - fear of Cold War, growing globalization, computers and rise of tech fear and tech revolution


Could end up with a question comparing classical Hollywood to new wave - editing and lighting are good ways in

Project notes

Brief explanation of film - introduction

Inspiration from short films we've seen
How film is different to short films we've seen
Director's inspiration


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I made my film, 'Don't Ask Why', with a postmodernist approach to the narrative twist choice for the stimulus. As such, I aimed to include the postmodern traits to my film, including most notably parody, playfulness/lack of seriousness, intertextuality and breaking the fourth wall and style over substance. Including montage and monologues, I wanted to create a stylized film that creates satisfying feeling to the audience, instead of any sort of thought provoking message.


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By far the biggest inspiration I had for my film was the short film About a Girl (Brian Percival). The walking monologue is informative but filled with personality, setting up the character, film genre, story and establishing the use of fourth wall breaks in the film. Although my use of monologues is only at the beginning and end, they still fulfill the same function. In addition, the use of the emotive montage interspersed in the narrative to create a connection with the character is also something I took inspiration from for my film, as the combination of a character's commentary and the reality of the situation (which may differ from the character's analysis) is an effective and entertaining way to present a narrative, which presents the spectator with a lot of information through interpretation rather than overtly telling them what's happening.


The dialogue seemed realistic due to the use of slang and reliance on her regional accent, but in reality the nature of the conversation between her and the audience and the random jumping around topics actually makes it experimental. I aimed to write the Killer's monologue dialogue in a similar way - the character almost having conversations with themselves, and also the audience, with jokes and commentary of the events of the film creating a fourth wall smashing, humorous beginning and end which contrasted heavily with the dark appearance of the Killer and the sad montage and accompanying imagery at the start of the film. This is similar to About a Girl as it also contrasts the bleak reality of the girl's life with her upbeat, characterful monologue.


In addition, the cinematography for my film and this are also linked. In this, the shots of her life are bordering on voyeuristic, for example when showing her sitting on the side of the football pitch or walking with her family. It represents her trying to hide or ignore her real life, but is intruded on anyway. Similarly, my film's first montage in particular uses handheld camera movement, low angles and little lighting to create a voyeuristic experience, as if we're intruding into the character's depressed state. Working with this idea, I contrasted my second montage with this by including more close ups, steadier footage and lighter imagery to show that he is more accessible, both with the camera's perspective and the character's personality. However, I included voyeuristic shots, such as the conversation between the Girl and the Witness being partially obscured behind a wall, to remind the audience of the state he was in, and that as the Killer is still around he is still potentially in danger. It brings about the idea that he's being watched, stalked, vulnerable.


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The Swimmer (Lynne Ramsay) inspired me more from a thematic perspective. The choice to focus more on aesthetic than overt message is a concept I used for my film and relates to my title. The cause for the conflict, is the killer aware of who he is and how she affected him, what's her goal? All of this is never stated, instead I focused first on the aesthetic, similarly to The Swimmer, with the plot being present but not taking precedent, leading to a negotiated reading which was my intention. Although my film is still more obvious than the more experimental The Swimmer. The narrative structure is non-linear


Music is also used in The Swimmer to evoke emotion, particularly at around the 5:00 mark, the 1940s vibe immediately creates feelings for the spectator, but are reliant on their individual experience, and so interpretation, of the music to create meaning, for example the nostalgia of the music and the slow pace creates a calm scene that possibly represents that the swimmer is looking at his past in the narrative structure. I aimed to do this in my film, particularly with The Doors' Alabama Song at the beginning and end. The quirky rhythm acts as a musical motif for the Killer, but the audience's interpretation of the music's quirkiness and lyrics creates connotations of the Killer that are unique to the individual. As this character was written to be an enigma of sorts, with no evident goal or motive, this was what I wanted to achieve; to create an ambiguous character that was up to the interpretation of the audience to define, which the music helped do similarly to The Swimmer.


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The Wasp (Andrea Arnold) is similar to my film in that it uses a world firmly placed in reality while maintaining the dependent-on-spectator ending, as nothing is told to the audience in regards to what happens next for the characters. I liked this approach to filmmaking as it kept the interesting trope often utilised by short films, but kept the story linear and grounded in reality. While I used imagery in my compilations (which this film lacked in favour of literal story telling) to evoke an emotional response and show the feelings of the character, it was still overt, especially in comparison to films such as the Swimmer.


The dialogue is realistic, especially for the demographic it was aiming to portray, which contrasts with my film in part, as I used both realistic and stylistic dialogue.


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The Grandmother (David Lynch) effectively uses imagery via colour and film speed to create a feeling of shock or unease, which is something I aimed to replicate. For example, in Grandmother, the extreme white of the boy’s face contrasts with the impossibly deep black, as does his lips, to draw the eye to him while creating connotations of him not belonging, being out of place, which along with the experimentally jarring visuals achieved via mise-en-scene create an unending feeling of dread that doesn't subside throughout the film. Although I only aimed to achieve this with the mise-en-scene of the mask, I still took the alien visual, and its contrast with the surroundings, to tell the audience immediately that something is wrong - the character is dangerous. In addition, the use of blackness or shadow in Lynch's film adds to somber tone of the picture. Although this isn't revolutionary, the extent to which the darkness is exaggerated forces the feeling upon the audience, and I also wanted to include such an effect in my film, for example with the text section, when the character is surrounded in darkness it shows his isolation, and the darkness that defines the first montage also shows that his overwhelming feeling is depression, supported by the dialogue in the police interview scene.


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The stylized works of Quentin Tarantino were a significant cinematic inspiration in particular for my film. His oeuvre is often described as, in typical postmodernist fashion, having 'style over substance' - evoking a feeling of thrill and tension while usually lacking any metanarrative or intrinsic message, and that was something I aimed to achieve with this film. Often (student and short) films get so bogged down with the message attached to it, that it forgets to be exhilarating or even subtle, and can feel preachy instead of enjoyable. Because of this, I wanted to create a film that was fun to look at, listen to, and experience, for the audience to come away with a feeling of 'coolness', not a thought provoking idea, which is a concept that I discovered and took from Tarantino. The dialogue of the Killer is playful, humorous, as if they aren't taking the situation seriously, which is an attitude that defines the film in its ending moments and is a key aspect of Tarantino's work (for example in the 'square' in Pulp Fiction) and postmodernism. The randomness of the gun shot, the intertextuality and pastiche of the opening line, the immediate break of the fourth wall all contribute to the postmodern ideology I used to create the film, which was inspired in part by Tarantino.


Furthermore, the use of '60s pop and rock is also reminiscent of Tarantino's work (again in line with postmodernism), and I decided to use it to create a stylistic work that would create the desired stylish feeling via the audience's perception of the music as well as the tempo and lyrics adding to the scenes they were over. While one goal of the music was to encourage the audience to attribute their interpretation and experience of the song to the images they were over, it was also used to evoke themes reminiscent of classic noir. I also held my takes for a long time (especially in the end monologue), in part to allow the song to play out more and so conjure more of an atmosphere, which is also common in Tarantino's work, for example for the Reservoir Dogs torture scene.


Also, the costume of the killer was inspired by similar characters in his works. I wanted something striking, stylized and memorable, and the mask in particular works as a memorable part of mise-en-scene, much like the yellow jumpsuit in Kill Bill or the suits in Reservoir Dogs.


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Of course, the opening line of the film plays off the cliché trope of 1980s films and the animations of Disney and Pixar - and as this trope is so recognisable that my intention of immediately going away from it via the jarring gunshot and killing of the assumed main character was intended to present the audience with the darker, more stylised alternative while still maintaining the whimsical aspect of the trope with the dialogue and performance of the Killer. My postmodern approach to film lent itself well to the self-referential aspect of the beginning of the film, with the first line and the Killer's following monologue creating a playful aspect to the narrative which defined the character immediately.


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My inspiration for the faceoff scene was classic westerns, for example the classic face off in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Using the postmodern ideology, I wanted to spoof the concept comically, which I intended to shock the audience and show that it doesn't fit into the expected narrative. As my intention was to include a narrative twist, and as well as unmasking the Killer at the end, I aimed to present twists in genre expectation throughout, i.e. by parodying the trope.