Case Study; Mise En Scene :)

 The Quiet Place (2018) ; https://youtu.be/4CmmKmlXD9I?si=5pIefrX7jSg_d9px

This is my case study on a clip from the movie ‘A Quiet Place’! I analyzed the miss-en-scene of this clip.

Setting and Art Direction: 

The scene opens at an isolated train track in a forest leading to a lonesome bridge that immediately establishes the characters ' decision to keep moving forward, despite the fear of the unknown and after what was previously shown (people dying at any little sound made). The setting is deep in the forest , with multiple trees and branches fallen on the ground, and train tracks and bridges leading the characters deeper into the empty woods . The forest is indicated to be lonely by the different views used, which show no other background characters other than the main family (to visualize that the family does not know if they are the only ones safe or if other people are still alive around them). There are no houses, cars, or other people. The use of extreme shallow focus on the tread through the forest creates a mood of fear to build tension, disorient both the characters and the audience, and expose the characters' inner turmoil. The wide, open setting makes the family look small and exposed, sending the message straight to the audience's heart that there is nowhere to hide and no one to help. The openness of the setting means any sound travels far ; there's nothing to absorb or hide noise. The setting forces the audience to anticipate the feeling of terror due to silence breaking in an exposed space. 

Lighting and Color: 

The creator's use of natural lighting , with soft sunlight filtering through the trees and earthy and subdued colors like greens, browns, grays, and the pale blue of the sky, gives the scene a realistic and peaceful look. It is just the family walking down a quiet track with no artificial light, no bright costumes, or vivid contrasts. This warm, natural light from the sun connotes calmness, safety, and peace, but in reality, it is used to give a false sense of security. This comforting light is contrasted with the horror that follows, creating dramatic irony in the bright, open world, where it seems no danger can reach the characters ; death still lurks. It symbolizes that even nature is no longer safe. Usually, scary movies tend to use low lighting , but this use of natural light shows that even the light of day cannot protect them from danger. The natural light makes the moment feel painfully real ; there is no specified horror movie lighting, just daylight, which emphasizes the message the creator is trying to convey : the terror is part of ordinary life now. 

Staging and Performance: 

The actors ' movements and the way they are spaced out (everybody walking silently behind the other/one of the characters carrying another in the scene) is an essential way the creator uses to guide the audience's response. All the characters are shown to be barefoot, walking in a straight line into the forest, and they are not communicating with each other. They are also showing no emotions or even acknowledging each other, which helps create an uneasy, dreary type of mood. Further into the scene, the father smiles as they tread down the bridge , but he suddenly stops and has a look of fear on his face when he turns around to see their youngest kid making noise with a rocket ship toy. The mother also turns around and suddenly starts crying , but she covers her mouth so as not to make any noise. These expressions on the characters' faces and the mother silencing herself all create a heart-racing, fearful mood and make the audience wonder, "What is so bad that would happen if they made even a single sound? " The dad suddenly puts the kid in his arms down and starts running to the kid with the toy , with multiple close-ups of his horror-filled face. Then, the audience gets a moment of surprise as a big, four-legged alien-type monster lunges away with the kid before the dad can reach him. The prop toy in the kid's hand is a significant factor in creating the tense, fearful, and saddening mood the author wants to evoke, as it is what leads to the death of Beau (the kid), which is important because it symbolizes the death of innocence, as the kid has the human instinct to express joy, even in a world where innocence is dangerous. 

Costume and Makeup: 

The casual, everyday clothing the characters wear, such as puffer jackets and hats, but no shoes on any character , represents an intimate but confusing mood, as it shows the characters are regular, perhaps middle-class people, but they are not wearing shoes for some reason, which we later find out is because they don't want to risk making any noises. The outfits are not meant to stand out ; they are designed to blend into the environment to avoid drawing attention from the monsters. The makeup's main job is to make the characters look real, worn, and human to reflect the exhaustion, fear, and to show that everyone looks like they have been living without modern luxuries such as cosmetics and basic hygiene routines. This creates an empathetic mood for the audience towards the characters. This also immerses the audience more, as they feel like they are watching real people go through these situations , not movie actors because the characters look natural, tired, and imperfect.