One of the most notable features of Robert Weine’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is the plot twist at the end, where it is revealed that Francis has been an asylum patient the whole time. Though this may come as a surprise to many, a closer analysis of the mise-en-scėne of the first scene in the film reveals foreshadowing of the twist at the end. At first glance it appears to be a normal conversation between two men, but a closer look at several elements reveal details that hint that something is wrong.
Perhaps the most obvious clue comes from the setting itself. Francis and the old man are sitting on a bench in a garden. A garden is usually used to create a sense of peace and security. However, the foliage within the garden tells a different
Rather, the even lighting reveals all details of the characters’ faces. Thus the audience can see every wrinkle on the old man’s face and the distorted expression on Francis’s face when Jane comes into view. The even lighting allows the audience to study the nuances of the characters’ expressions. Whereas low-key lighting would call attention to the darkness of the scene, high-key lighting works in tandem with the subtlety of the rest of the scene. It is also unclear what time of day the scene takes place. This is yet another unnatural element in the setting that makes the audience
Although the characters are depicted in open framing, Jane is the only one who moves in and out of the frame. In all of the shots showing her movement, she appears to be wandering aimlessly, with her eyes fixed ahead almost unblinkingly. The shots of only Jane show the cement wall and dead trees in the background. The characters appear free to move, but it doesn’t look like they have anywhere decent to go. Even though the scene is filmed using open framing, there is still as sense that the characters are trapped in the garden, and subsequently their own
One way the filmmakers did this is with the on location shots of rubble in many scenes. The characters in these shots are carefully placed to make the rubble stand out behind them. Lighting is carefully placed to illuminate the rubble and make it stand out. However, the carefully planned cinematography also plays into the overall meaning of the film and not just how it looks. The lighting, for example, influences our feelings for certain characters. Susan Wallner is always filmed in light. This is a drastic difference from how we see Hans Mertens. Hans is usually filmed with low light and is very dim. This helps show that Susan is optimistic, while Hans is pessimistic. Another way lighting is used in this film is to create shadows. Shadows are very prevalent in the last sequence of the film. Hans has confronted Bruckner and as the camera cuts back and forth to each of them we see Hans shadow keeps growing bigger and bigger behind Bruckner. We can interpret that as the shadowing is growing bigger so his Bruckner’s fear, because the dialogue coming from Bruckner is getting faster and we can also hear the fear. There are many times in the film where close ups are used to make the storyline more dramatic. One scene that comes to mind that makes use of quick cuts and close ups is in the end of the film: Susan ran in, stopping Hans from killing Bruckner. At this point we
A very important stage direction is the colour and brightness of the lighting, Priestley used this dramatic device very well. At first the lighting is described as ‘pink and intimate’ this shows a ‘warm’ and ‘joyful’ atmosphere. Although the audience get the idea that there is just a screen covering up their secrets, so they are actually looking through ‘rose tinted glasses’ and that there’s more to it than what meets the eye. This is shown when the inspector arrives at the Birling household and the lighting changes to a ‘bright and harder light’ this gives feeling of exposure to the truth.
The sudden change in luminance, occurring as Cheng lights the lantern, also conveys the effect that light has on a scene. A key part of mise-en-scene, directors utilize lighting to emphasize certain emotion or aspect of the scene (127 Bordwell and Thompson). In the case of the third segment, the use of low-key lighting emphasizes the contrast between lighter and darker areas, drawing even more attention to Lucy. Paired with the change in filter color, the lantern also represents Cheng’s newfound spiritual inspiration. Covering the room in colored light as it illuminates, the lantern mimics Cheng Huan.
...ates that he does not want to be seen and the shadow over his eyes make him appear as if guilty. A person would feel guilty if they do or did something that is not right. On the other hand, Badham has high-key lighting throughout the scene, including before she started talking, with no shadows on her face. The full light on her shows that she has nothing to hide and in a way displays her innocence.
The majority of Das Kabinett des Doctor Caligari is told through a series of flashbacks, with the scenes having expressionist-inspired set design and deformed locations to emphasize the unreliable and deluded state of mind of the storyteller. The young protagonist Francis tells the...
The setting gives the reader a sense that terror awaits. This story shows this by talking about the lighting
High-key lighting is typical in use with musicals, and Oz is no exception. The technique of brightly lighting the set to rid the film of dark shadows injects a happier feel, a lighter tone to the movie. Excellent use of low-key lighting in the film can be seen when the characters meet the wizard for the first time. The use of low-key lighting and the play of shadows here creates a sense of suspense in the viewer. The tone is dark, and the controlling color is
The lighting in this movie is very effective. It helps to establish the characters very well. The audience is helping in distinguishing the bad and the good characters through the lighting. The movie overall is very stylized. There are some other strange lighting patterns brought out by Hype Williams, but by far the most effective lighting patterns are ones that help to characterize the main players in the film.
The lighting played a major role in setting the tone for both the theatre performance and the movie. In both the film and play, the lighting was dimmed and the non-important elements, such as background elements, were often hidden in the shadows. In the film the murky lighting also hid Todd in the shadows, in order to increase the suspense and further emphasize his intimidating demeanor. In the play,
As the reader knows, Jane does most of her sneaking around at night when her husband is not around because she knows he would not approve. Jane begins to make it her life’s mission to free the woman trapped behind the pattern of the wallpaper, which could be interpreted as society holding the woman back from freedom. Jane becomes rather obsessed with the wallpaper and taking it down from the walls. She becomes very sneaky and secluded to the room where she watches for the woman to appear behind the
The rooms where the action of a story takes place are also very important. Some the rooms used in the book are bedrooms, the dining room, the parlor, and the enclosed garden patio. The first room we see inside of this old house is the garden patio. This room is interesting because the smell from the patio is always associated with the title character. Felipe looks for her in this garden; he smells the patio plants in her hair. Symbolically, the garden can be associated with the mind, with the unconscious, or it may give you clues to your own inner state. The plants, flowers, and fruit found in the garden may also enhance t...
The night sets used in the film are important to setting the mysterious atmosphere and sense of danger that the movie thrives in. The filmmakers utilized lighting fixtures of the time to amplify the sets. As Lincoln’s mother dies in his wooden cabin, the single light from a candle flickers illuminating the horrid scene. The light amplifies the sense of unease that a lone cabin sitting in the woods generates within modern people. Next, lanterns are used to illuminate key parts of the set during Lincoln’s first fight with a vampire. Only fixtures such as slave shackles, dark boat moorings, and a slowly breaking wooden dock are shown. The light cast drives the viewers focus onto objects that would cause a sense of dread and fear and make the fight much more powerful. Objects that would be considered frightening and strange today but common during the Civil War period are also used to generate an aura of danger and horror. During a fight, Lincoln stumbles into a basement filled with rope, porcelain bowls, and a straight razor. At the time these all would be common household objects, but immediately after it is revealed that this was the scene of multiple murders. Each of those objects symbolizes death in popular culture and generate a dark atmosphere that foreshadows the horror Lincoln was about to stumble upon. The combination of accurate lighting to focus the viewer on certain objects on the set and the symbolism that these objects represent generates much of the atmosphere the film
In addition, the elements of lighting can be a supplement to a visual story with alluring amount of light and darkness. Firstly, light versus dark is a complex theme in the film. It is looking at terms of the film’s images with use of lighting, day and night, and use of color. Second, is the way the film examines the dark recesses of the human mind and its dimensions of evil. For example, in one scene in the film, Marion Crane gets to know Norman Bates a little too well. Norman states, “Well a boy’s best friend is his mother”. There is an alluring shadow behind Norman Bates, as a shadow is not seen from Crane. It was implied in the film that Bates was deranged and had multiple personal...
The producer was aiming to create mystery and fear. The dark of the night and the description of the house as feeling dead in the protagonist’s narration sets a suspenseful scene filled with fear and tension. The young girl is followed by the camera as she explores the mansion. When entering the room suspected to be that of her aunts the camera leaves her side to pan around the room. The darkness doesn’t reveal everything but one becomes aware of a search. The revelation of little secrets leaves the viewer with many questions. The room is familiar to the protagonist as she finds items symbolic to her and familiar photographs. This familiarity however does not retract from suspicions that something sinister has been hidden. The producer has successfully captivated the viewer. The protagonist is being followed throughout the scene and has thus allowed for the viewer to bond with them. They are engaging with the audience through narration and have in return enticed the viewer to follow them along their journey. One feels nervous for the young girl however through tension in the scene one does not want them to discontinue the journey as too many questions have been left unanswered. One has been drawn into the world of which the protagonist dwells and is intrigued as to how the drama is
Forth are Lighting and color. In case of Lighting, this film uses High key light that makes this film look like natural light and feel warm. In the case of color, some scene of this film use warm color to express love and warmth to audience such as in the wedding scene or some scene use dark color to express about sad feeling such as funeral scene and in scene that Rosie knows her dad was died. I think in some scene if you watch it in HD, it’s very beautiful such as in scene that Rosie drinks a cup of coffee and thinks about the past in sunset time because Lighting and color of sunset time is very