First draft - micro essay

Explore how mise-en-scene and sound are used to construct meaning and provoke audience response in 'Poltergeist'.

This essay will analyse how the use of two micro elements, mise-en-scene and sound, create meaning and provoke audience response in an extract from the film 'Poltergeist' produced by Tobe Hooper in 1982. The clip the essay will focus on is the TV Scene 'They're Here' which centres around an American family, in particular a little girl called Carol Anne.  

One aspect of mise-en-scene is setting. This clip is set in the bedroom of a family house. The room is clearly lived in as objects are out of place and clothes are scattered around the room. Around the bedroom photographs are displayed which suggests to the audience that they are a close family unit. The setting is dark and not everything is visible which creates a sense of mystery for the audience. In the corner of the room is a window where the curtain is blowing, a bedroom is normally a peaceful place however this creates a sinister feeling for the audience and acts as a warning that something is going to happen. The bedroom also contains a lot of white objects and furniture which has connotations of innocence, this contrasts with the unnerving atmosphere caused by the dark lighting in the room.

Another aspect of mise-en-scene is props. The significant prop used in this clip is the television. From the beginning of the clip the TV is on and is showing different images which are associated with unity. At one point the TV shows a close up of a silhouette hand grabbing out to other hands. The fact it's a silhouette creates a sense of mystery for the audience as they don't know whos hand it is. The appearance of the silhouette hand on the TV also foreshadows what is about to happen and gives out a subliminal message as it puts the idea into the audiences head without them realising. After this the TV screen goes blank and turns to white noise. This creates an element of suspense for the audience as they are waiting for something to happen. It is ironic how the TV is going to disturb family time when it is usually something which is used for family time. This acts as a warning to the audience that something is going to in fact disturb them and break them apart. At the side of the TV the time is displayed which is 02:37. This is an unusual time for the TV to be on at, considering all the family members are asleep. Therefore the audience begin to question why the TV is still on in the early hours of the morning. Another significant prop in the clip is the heart shaped balloon which is on the wall. At the beginning of the clip the heart balloon isn't visible to the audience, however when the energy is released from the TV it makes the heart visible. This allows the audience to see it is a deep red colour which suggests that they are a strong family unit as red has connotations of love and family unity. When the energy is released it begins to move the heart shaped balloon, however it struggles to fall. This could highlight to the audience that there is going to be a struggle in the family. The balloon then deflates and falls to the floor without being popped. This shows that the energy is powerful and is there to disrupt innocent childlike fun as balloons are normally associated with children. This creates a sinister atmosphere for the audience. The fact that the energy takes the heart off the wall could highlight that the purpose of the energy is to take the heart/soul of someone. This heightens the fear for the audience as Carol Anne is very vulnerable.

Lighting is a further aspect of mise-en-scene. To begin with the room is dimly lit which suggests something sinister is going to happen. The light starts to flicker which acts as a warning to the audience. The room then becomes light and clear which highlights to the audience that the family are asleep besides Carol Anne. This heightens the threat and suggests to the audience something is going to happen. As the energy is released chaos is caused to the setting and the lighting changes again so that we cannot see what is going on. This creates a dusky atmosphere and keeps the audience on edge.

A final aspect of mise-en-scene is costume and make up. Carol Anne is dressed in pyjamas with bright blue eyes and rosy cheeks. This is the typical innocent little girl which purely emphasises how sinister the energy is compared to Carol Anne. This makes the audience feel scared for her and in some way empathise with her.

The second micro element which I will be analysing in the Poltergeist TV scene clip is sound. This involves both non diegetic and diegetic sound.

 verisimilitude - creation of the illusion of reality

Dances with Wolves

Dances with Wolves is set in Southern and Western States of America during the 1860s, these states consist of prairies, deserts and wide open spaces which are all typical of a Western film. There are many signifiers that show it is a Western, for example the characters and the themes throughout the film. In the film there is a Sioux tribe, a Pawnee tribe, a soldier who is a loner, a cowboy and calvary soldiers which are all typical characters for this genre. One theme which permeates the film is discovery. The soldier,  John Dunbar, wants to discover more about the frontier and to find out about the Sioux tribe. He is successful in this as he results in becoming part of the Sioux and discovers a new way of life. We also see the theme of discovery when Another theme which is present in the film is betrayal. John Dunbar feels betrayed by the White American soldiers as he realises how they are ignorant of the native way of life.

The representation of the Native Americans in Dances with Wolves challenges the stereotype that many other Western films set. Stereotypically, the tribes would be savages and have no loyalty. However, in this film the Sioux tribe are portrayed in the opposite way. They are presented in a positive way as they are willing to learn to communicate and allow John Dunbar to become part of the tribe. They are very family orientated, friendly and forward thinking which is not expected for the Western genre. Although, in the film there is another tribe called the Pawnee who are represented as the typical stereotype of savages. This recognises that the Native Americans are split into different groups that have different ways of life and are not all the same.

The representations of different cultures and conflict hold messages that could apply for us today in modern society. Firstly, in Dances with Wolves we see the Native Americans respecting their environment as they use the natural resources when they need it, they don't exploit it. This could be a message for our society today as the world is in danger of running out of certain natural resources. Furthermore, in the film John Dunbar has a spirit of discovery as he goes to the frontier to find out about the Native Americans and how they live. This spirit of discovery is needed in our society today so that things can be found such as the cures to diseases and the discovery of space. Also, John Dunbar breaks down the barrier of ignorance with the Sioux tribe by showing an interest in them. They learn to communicate and discover each others different ways of life. If this could be done in our society today it would release tension that is set between different ethnic groups and religions. One final message that can be found in Dances with Wolves is when John Dunbar goes to the frontier expecting the Native Americans to all be savages, as they are stereotypically made out to be. However, after meeting the Sioux tribe and learning to communicate with them he realises that they are in fact the opposite of their stereotype. This could be a message for our modern society today to get to know people and their beliefs before judging them on their ethnic group or culture.

Dances with Wolves represents the three constitutive contradictions that Rick Altman discusses. The first constitutive contradiction is individual freedom and community action. Individual freedom is represented by John Dunbar as he goes to discover the frontier on his own and the community action is represented by the Sioux Tribe. The second contradiction is respect for the environment and industrial growth. In the film the respect for the environment is shown through the Sioux tribe respecting their land and only killing buffalo when they need it. The industrial growth is shown when the Whites kill the buffalo simply for their pelt in order to make a profit. The third contradiction is reverence for the past and the desire to build a new future. The Native Americans have very traditional ways such as their clothing and ways of living for example living in Teepees/Wigwams. They also make references to the past during the film. The White Settlers come with the desire to build a new future and introduce new ways to replace the Native American way of life.