Mise-en-scene
Setting
The film begins with black screen titles with the background being a maze. This is effective as it indicates the back story of the film. The titles also look grim and mysterious.
The beginning scene shows Dom Cobb lying on a beach with the waves lapping over him. This causes the audience to ask a lot of questions such as ‘Who is he?’, ‘what is he doing on a beach?’ and ‘how did he get in this situation?’
The waves crashing onto the rocks are dramatic as they look dangerous and hard. This is contrasted with the innocence and virtue of the young children playing in the sand around him. This reflects the back plot of the story.
Body language
At the beginning of the film Cobb is lying on a beach with the waves tumbling over him. This indicates to the audience that this man is semi conscious as it is strange behaviour. It is also shown when a man with a gun comes up behind him and he still lies there with no reaction to this man.
In the second scene the old Mr. Saito looks frail and hunched over the table where he sits. However he obviously still has dominance over the guards who work for him. This evokes to the audience his superior nature in this film and shows he is of a high standing in society.
Cobb is huddled over his bowl of food at the table. This could imply that he is in need of warmth and comfort and has come in search of it from this man. His expression looks worn and tired and looks confused while Mr. Saito talks to him.
Cobb is then seen at the same table but when he is a lot younger: this shows that the scene is in the past. This makes the audience ask how he managed to get himself in the state he was in at the beginning of the film as he looks a lot different now. His body language is more open and confident as he converses with the men around the table. He then stands up which shows his dominance and power: this is shown through his posture and hand signals.
Young Mr. Saito seems inexpressive as he talks to Cobb at the table. He seems uninterested as he looks down a lot throughout the scene. At the end of the scene he makes eye contact with Cobb as he talks about dreams and this makes the audience concentrate on Cobb also. He then stands up and walks out of the room quickly; this demonstrates his dominance and power over Cobb.
Lighting
The first scene is in broad daylight which adds to the innocence of the children and makes Cobb look all the more dark and enigmatic as his face is in shadow. This shadow is caused by the man with the gun. The dark shadow cast in broad daylight suggests that the man is an evil presence.
The next scene is a contrast as it is set in a dim and gloomy room in which the old Mr. Saito sits. Both his and Cobb’s faces are half shadowed by the light. This could demonstrate that they aren’t sure of their identity and are confused about what has happened.
The scene then changes to show them again but in the past. Their faces are clearly lit as they sit around the table. This could suggest their knowledge and awareness and also that it is a happier time for them.
Costume
In the first two scenes Cobb is wearing quite dirty and worn clothes. This emphasises how old he looks and his state of mind. The clothes show to the audience that he is in a bad condition.
This is then impacted by how in the next scene he is smartly dressed in a suit. This shows the audience that he somehow gets himself into this condition later on in the film and shows them what is to come. Mr. Saito is smartly dressed which adds to the impact of Cobb’s disreputable state.
The end scene shows that this is a formal event as they are all smartly dressed as they are having a meeting with Mr. Saito. This indicates that he is high in society and is very important.
Camera shots
The first camera shot seen is an establishing shot of the sea crashing on the rocks; it then changes to a close up of the man, Dom Cobb, lying in the sand. This clearly shows where he is and his state.
The next shot shown is a mid shot of children playing on a beach. This again is contrasted with the crashing and dangerous waves which are close to them.
There is a low angle shot of a man with a gun. This suggests that he has authority and power as the camera is looking up at him. This could make the audience feel weak and defenceless as we are in the position of Cobb.
There is another low angle shot of a building which is on the rocks high above the beach. This increases the size of the building and makes the audience feel overlooked. It also links the next scene in well as it demonstrates that this is the building they are going to take him to.
One of the first shots shown in the second scene is a close up of a significant object which belongs to Cobb. This introduces it well as it causes the audience to question its power. It is also close to the gun which lies next to it. This also belongs to Cobb and implies that the object could be dangerous.
The camera uses a mid shot which switches between the main characters in the scene. This enforces how bad Cobb looks and how well the other character is dressed. This highlights the man’s power and authority over Cobb.
In the next scene the camera switches quickly between the characters as they are having a conversation. This means that the audience can see the expressions on their faces and introduces the new characters in the scene.
Another shot which is shown in the scene is a low angle shot as Cobb stands and the camera is looking up at him. This is when he starts to dominate the conversation and take over. These two factors together indicate his authority towards young Mr. Saito to the audience.
Editing
The first shot seen has been cut straight from the black screen titles to crashing waves on a beach. This shows the audience clearly the location in which Cobb lies and is a powerful change of scene which is striking.
There is then another cut to the next scene. This causes the audience to feel that the scenes are dramatic and action packed which makes them feel on edge as they don’t know what will happen next. These fast changing scenes also make the audience feel confused as the location and age of the characters changes quickly before the audience understands what is happening.
Sound
The music which is played over the black screen titles increases the sound as the notes get louder and stronger. This creates a good atmosphere as the film begins.
The scene begins with synchronous diegetic noises of the waves which sound quite tranquil and calm. The non diegetic music then begins with the image of the children playing in the sand. The music sounds dramatic and builds the tension. This creates an atmosphere of unease and causes the audience to feel that something isn’t right. This is then followed by a diegetic high pitched scream from the child who is playing in the sand. This puts the audience on edge and increases the ominous feel as nobody understands what has happened.
The next scene has dramatic music in the background although it is quite quiet so the audience will concentrate mainly on the characters’ dialogue, but it does add to the ambience in the room.
When the strange object which belongs to Cobb is put down on the table for the old Mr. Saito to look at the non diegetic music becomes uplifting, but still dark and dramatic. This again suggests that the object symbolizes something important in the film.
In this scene the old Mr. Saito is the only one to talk as he is talking at Cobb. He speaks very slowly and quietly: this builds the tension and causes the audience to listen carefully as they want to know what is going on and want to find out what he is thinking about the object. He says, looking at the object ‘I know what this is, I’ve seen one before’. This demonstrates that Cobb and Mr. Saito have some sort of connection and have somehow known each other in the past. This gives the audience an idea of what is yet to come and who this old man could be.
A sound bridge between the scenes is then used by hearing Cobb’s voice say ‘what is the most resilient parasite’ as the time scale changes. This brings continuity and causes the scene to run into the next well as it is uninterrupted.
No comments:
Post a Comment