Micro essay 2nd draft

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 television 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 and the props used. This clip is set in the bedroom of a family house. The audience can see that the room is clearly lived in as objects are out of place and clothes are scattered around the room. 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 atmosphere 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.

One significant prop used in this clip is the television. From the beginning of the clip the television is on portraying different images such as grand American historical buildings, which are associated with unity and some that appear to have political importance. This allows the audience to understand the message of ‘unity’ making them aware this is perhaps a key symbol in the scene. A prominent image on the television screen is the silhouette hand grabbing out to the other hands below. The fact it's a silhouette creates a sense of mystery for the audience as they are forced to question and think about who the hand belongs to. The appearance of the silhouette hand on the screen also foreshadows what is about to happen, acting as a subliminal message to the audience of future events.  At the side of the television the time is displayed which is 02:37. This is an unusual time for the television to be on at, considering all the family members are asleep. Therefore, the audience begin to question why the television is still on in the early hours of the morning. 


Another significant prop in the clip is the helium heart shaped balloon which is on the wall next to the bed. At the beginning of the clip the heart balloon isn't visible to the audience, however when the negative energy is released from the television 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 togetherness. When the energy is released it begins to move the heart shaped balloon, however it struggles to fall. This could allow the audience to predict that there is going to be a struggle within the family. The balloon deflates and falls to the floor without being popped, implying that the energy is powerful and is there to disrupt innocent childlike fun. The fact that the energy takes the heart off the wall highlights that the purpose of the energy is to take the heart and soul of someone. This creates a sinister atmosphere for the audience as Carol Anne is very vulnerable.

-----Photographs are displayed around the bedroom allowing the audience to infer that they are a close family unit.

Lighting is a further aspect of mise-en-scene. To begin with, the room is dimly lit suggesting that 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 the audience 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 red cheeks. This is the typical innocent little girl which purely emphasises how sinister the energy is compared to Carol Anne. This triggers a nurturing emotion from the audience, making them want to protect her as they are aware she has now met with danger. 

The second micro element this essay will analyse is the use of diegetic and non diegetic sound. The scene opens with the diegetic sound of the National Anthem playing from the TV which suggests to the audience that they are a strong unit and a wholesome American family. The National Anthem is playing loudly not subtle. This acts as a warning to the audience that something is not right as it is strange that the family have fallen asleep with the TV playing loudly. The TV abruptly cuts to white noise, creating an element of suspense for the audience. The television represents 'family time' to the audience, however; irony is created as in this scene the television disturbs 'family time' and replaces it with something negative. This further acts as a warning to the audience that peace will be disturbed and allow them to expect some drama. 


The high pitched strings of violins creates an ear piercing sound, forcing the audience to physically jump and feel uncomfortable. The noise halts to complete silence which creates audience anticipation as it makes them wait for the next thing to happen. Carol Anne then says “They’re here” in an innocent, young voice, which highlights to the audience the contrast between the sinister energy and the innocence of the little girl. Carol Anne says this line slowly and clearly, this could suggest to the audience that she is used to paranormal activity around her as she isn’t panicking. 

Non diegetic sound is used when Carol Anne is crawling off the bed towards the TV where high pitched violin strings are used to constantly interrupt the melody playing, forcing the audience to remain on edge and stay alert. As the energy is coming out of the TV the music which is playing builds to a loud crescendo amplifying the impact of the energy and making the audience feel tense. The music then alters to a low pitch, which has connotations of threat, creating a sense of fear for the audience. 

The micro elements in this essay have provoked a physical response from the audience as well as creating an overall sinister atmosphere and sense of mystery throughout the clip. 

Messages and Values developed later in The Krays

Message - Ronnie is insane.
Out of control at times, no one attempts to control him. He does extreme things, shoots Cornell in the head in the pub and cuts into a member of his gangs mouth.

Message - Reggie smothers Frances (male domination)
Frances wears the gloves because Reggie likes them. Frances says she doesn't know what she likes anymore, she only knows what Reggie likes. She doesn't go shopping herself, Reggie buys her clothes that she doesn't chose herself.

Message - Mental illness and crime doesn't mix, can have catastrophic consequences.
Ronnie: enjoys harming others due to mental illness.
Frances: harms herself due to mental illness as she can't cope with crime.

Message - The failure of police to control the criminal activity.
Ronnie shoots Cornell in the pub with many witnesses surrounding them. Nothing reported, no police action. The Krays don't hide, everyone knows where they live, police never go for them.

Message - Ronnie is jealous of Reggie.
When they are in the club and Ronnie lashes out to get Reggies attention, as Reggie is across the room speaking to a girl (Frances).

Message - Reggies loyalty lies with his brother.
When Frances meets Reggies family, he leaves Frances to go for a meeting with his gang rather than sitting with his wife. He then goes out with them and leaves her with his family at the house. Frances is clearly uncomfortable with this.

Message - The Krays are invulnerable.
They become more powerful throughout the film and aren't scared of anyone or anything. They don't face any consequences to their actions.

First draft - mise en scene and sound

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 this essay will analyse is the use of diegetic and non diegetic sound. The scene opens with the diegetic sound of the National Anthem playing from the TV which suggests to the audience that they are a strong family unit and a wholesome American family. The National Anthem is playing loud not suttle, which is warning the audience that something is not right as it is strange that the family have fell asleep with the TV playing so loud. The TV then cuts to white noise preparing the audience for something sinister to happen. A high pitched screech and the sound of violins play which makes the audience physically jump and feel uncomfortable.  The noise abruptly stops and goes to complete silence which creates audience anticipation as it makes them wait for the next thing to happen. Carol Anne then says “They’re here” in an innocent, young voice which shows the audience the contrast between the sinister energy and the innocence of the little girl. Carol Anne says this line slowly and clearly, this could suggest to the audience that she is used to paranormal activity around her as she isn’t panicking.

Non diegetic sound is used when Carol Anne is crawling off the bed towards the TV where high pitched violin strings are used to constantly interrupt the melody playing, forcing the audience to remain on edge and stay alert. As the energy is coming out of the TV the music which is playing builds to a loud crescendo amplifying the impact of the energy and making the audience feel tense. The music then alters to a low pitch, which has connotations of threat, creating a sense of fear for the audience. 

Messages and Values in the opening scenes of The Krays

1. Message - The Krays believed themselves to be invulnerable
Evidence - At a young age they have a fight against a crowd of children in the school playground. Also, as they get older and they are in the national service scene they decide to punch the drill sergeant and leave.

2. Value - When people fear you its good because you can do anything.
Evidence - When Ronnie is in hospital she decides she doesn't want him in there anymore as all he needs is Reggie, even though she isn't allowed to take him out of hospital she does as the doctor fears her.

3. Message - The east end was a place poverty.
Evidence - Housing is very poor, dark and dingy in the middle of a row of terraced houses. Women scrubbing door steps.

4. Value - High value is placed upon family.
Evidence - They all look after each other in times of need and are a close family. Violet tells the twins that no one will harm them when she's around.

5. Message - The community sticks together and looks out for each other.
Evidence - All the sisters come out in order to try and keep the constable away so that their father can hide.

6. Value - Women have had to work hard and struggle through the war in a male dominated world.
Evidence - Violet says to the police man 'If you find him tell me I've got hungry mouths here to feed' which shows the struggle she is going through. Also she says that 'Housework is a dangerous occupation'.

7. Message - The Krays never had a male influence/ dominant figure in their life. 
Evidence -  Lack of relationship with Dad. Furthermore, their Grandad leads them astray when they end up fighting each other. 
   

Female and male representations in The Krays

Males:

1. Outline some of the main male and masculine stereotypes that exist in the media broadly. 

There are both positive and negative stereotypical views of males. One of these stereotypes is dominance, some people believe men are in charge and have power over females. Men are also seen as more likely to cause disruption and be involved in anti social behaviour as they are expected to be more violent, which is a negative stereotype of men. Men are often represented as strong and also involved in business. 

2. How are Reginald and Ronnie ( and other male characters ) represented in The Krays.

In the Krays, Ronnie is represented in different ways. Firstly, he is homosexual and has a boyfriend within the film yet is still represented as a strong, invincible man. Ronnie carries out violence in order to satisfy his needs, whereas Reggie carries out violence for business reasons in order to achieve something. Reggie again is represented as a strong, invincible man. During the film he smothers his wife, Frances Kray, and makes her unstable.

3. How do these representations challenge or reinforce these stereotypes. 

The fact that Ronnie is homosexual yet represented as invincible challenges the stereotypes of homosexuals as they are thought to be passive, gentle and friendly towards men however Ronnie is the complete opposite as all the people he shows violence towards are men. Although in other ways the homosexual stereotype is reinforced as he is represented as very fashion and image conscious in the film. Reggie smothers his wife, Francis, this reinforces the stereotype of dominant males.

Females: (completed by Ellie) 

1.Outline some of the main female stereotypes that exist in the media broadly

There are both negative and positive stereotypes of females, however most broadcasted in the media tend to be rather negative. Such as; women are seen as sex objects and their purpose is to provide for men in the home by doing the housework, cooking and cleaning etc. Furthermore a very typical stereotype of women is that they are inferior and may need a man to 'look after them'. However in modern society there are much more positive messages and stereotypes being broadcasted about females, such as: feminism, many females are strong independent and believe heavily in girl power.


2.How are Frances and violets (and her sisters) represented in the krays? (give specific examples) consider how their gender affects their experiences.

Frances (Reggie's wife) is represented as an unstable person, she's not suited to the limelight lifestyle that she is thrust into by Reggie. She has her individuality taken away from her as Reggie metaphorically suffocated her with affection to the point where she didn't even know what she liked herself- only what reggie liked. She is a weak character and completely in contrast with violet, Reggie and his family attempt to mould her like Violet however it became too much as she was a completely different type of person. Violet and her sisters were completely different to Violet. Violet Kray was the matriarch of the Kray family, she mollycoddled the twins and instilled a sense of vulnerability into the twins, furthermore made them extremely close. She represents the 'rock' of the family, as the Kray's father wasn't very involved or much of a strong character in their life. Therefore violet actually took on both roles and was very well respected. Also the Kray twins Aunt Rose was another main mother figure in their life, much like Violet she was also a strong independent women who cared for their twins as though they were her own and empowered them by telling them that they're invincible.


3.How do the representatives challenge or reinforce these stereotypes? (or do they?)
Frances very much fits the old stereotype of females that they are inferior to men and need to be 'looked after', Reggie seems to think that showering his wife with so much love and affection and gifts that it will keep their marriage strong, when in matter of fact it actually weakens it, and actually weakens her, to the point where she actually takes her life. In comparison to Frances, violet is the complete opposite and challenges this stereotype as she is a strong matriarch in a patriarchal time era.

However she does fit the stereotypical housewife, violet covers both the female and male roles in the household, whilst bringing up her children and doing household chores she also raises the children single handedly and covers everything that a father figure should have done for the twins.

The Krays Opening Scenes

What words would you use to describe the atmosphere/setting/environment in the opening scenes?
The setting in the opening scenes seems to be very dull which reflects the period of time as the war was taking place.

How is a sense of community represented in the East End of London?
A sense of community is represented through the Kray family. It is set during the war meaning that the family don't have much and purely live by supporting each other. All of the family, even the aunties, have close relationships with each other as they need to stay together in order to get through the struggle of the war and make the most of what they have. A sense of community is also shown in the opening scenes when one of the women from across the road is cleaning her doorstep and within seconds all the other women on the street are out and commenting on it as though they are shocked. Another part of the opening scenes which represents a sense of community is during the air raid when all the women and children are down in the tube station crowded round whilst listening to Cannonball Lee tell stories.

How have the Kray Twins personalities been shaped by events/circumstances. Consider:
Their closeness to each other
Their attitude towards weak and vulnerable people
Their feelings of strength and invulnerability

The twins from a young age have been close to each other and throughout the film we realise that they are like one person and need each other to survive. This is also shown in the opening scenes when Ronnie Kray is in hospital and his mother, Violet Kray, takes him home stating that Ronnie doesn't need any hospital treatment, all he needs is his twin Reggie. This shows the strong bond that the twins have. From birth, Violet Kray has looked after and protected the twins. During the air raid we hear Violet say to her twins that no one would dare touch them while shes around. This attitude that she had towards her twins clearly instilled a sense of invulnerability into them which is why they have grown to be not afraid of anyone or anything. Also, after the boxing match has occured and the twins are sat at home with their mother she tells them that they don't fight each other, they fight the people outside. This is another event which has shaped their personalities, they are being taught to fight those who are on the outside otherwise known as the weak and vulnerable people.