Reservoir Dogs Mise en Scene Analysis

Reservoir Dogs Mise en Scene Analysis

by Kyle Jennings

In this extremely gory 1992 neo noir film directed by Quentin Tarantino, Reservoir Dogs, audiences get a great look at the inside of a crime operation. When a bank heist goes terribly wrong, the thieves know there must have been a rat. In this scene one of the criminals, Mr. Blonde played by Michael Madson, tortures a police officer, played by Kirk Baltz, they took hostage in order to find information about who the rat could possibly be. This scene is quite possibly one of the most gory scenes in the entire film. Quentin Tarantino makes this scene even more horrid by using situational irony with the music. While this police officer is getting sliced up with a straight razor, Mr. Blonde is dancing to the song “stuck in the middle with you” by Stealers Wheel. Although this scene is gruesome and hard to watch, Tarantino uses very interesting visual design elements, camera techniques, and editing techniques in order to amplify the horror of this scene.

Quentin Tarantino uses many common visual design techniques in subtle ways in order to make this scene even more horrid than it would be otherwise. The set design of this scene has a very cold feel to it. The walls of the warehouse where this scene takes place are stone bricks. There are chains dangling ominously from the ceiling. The scene is lit very dimly with only a few cold metal lights. These aspects of this scene make it actually feel like a torture chamber. The cold, hard walls; dangling ominous chains; and sparse, dim lighting make the audience feel uncomfortable, like they are with the torturer and the “torturee” in this evil, cruel warehouse. Another aspect of this set’s design that creates a dark and depressing feel is the color palette. Tarantino uses a specific dark color palette for this scene. The only colors you can see inside this warehouse are either dark or bland colors. The walls are grayish white, there are shadows all over the dark gray cement floors, and the items in the background are all brown, black, or white colors. The only color that stands out in this scene is the bright red blood on the face of the police officer, and on Mr. Orange’s body and face. This blood could be symbolic of either being a rat or being innocent. Although the other criminals do not know it yet, Mr. Orange is actually the rat. Mr. Orange is an undercover police officer. Mr. Orange and the police officer are the only things in this scene that have any sort of bright color on them. This is most likely symbolic of them both being innocent police officers. The dark colors in the background contrast the striking red of blood on the two men. This makes the warehouse feel cold and unforgiving and makes the audience feel uncomfortable-as if they themselves were being tortured.

Tarantino uses camera techniques, or cinematography, in order to create a feeling of hatred towards Mr. Blonde, and one of sympathy for the police officer. Tarantino positions the camera in specific ways in order for us to feel sympathy for the police officer in this scene. He uses the same technique that our class saw in the scene from Finding Forrester. At the start of this scene, you see this technique used very effectively. You get a close-up shot with the police officer so that you can see the fear in his face. On the other end however, Mr. Blonde is shot from a long shot perspective to make the audience feel like he is distant and not relatable. This makes the audience feel closer to the police officer because they can see his emotions and are literally closer to him than Mr. Blonde. Another camera technique used in this scene is the use of low angle shots. When the camera is behind the police officer, it is pointing up looking at Mr. Blonde as he stands taller than the police officer. This helps the audience understand that Mr. Blonde is in a position of power in this scene, and that he will have power over the police officer.

The final technique Tarantino uses in this scene is editing. In this scene Tarantino uses some extremely long takes in order for us to feel hatred for Mr. Blonde. From 2:05-3:28 is just one scene. This is an extremely long take that really gives the scene almost a relaxed feel, despite what is going on. The camera’s slow, smooth movements in a scene almost a minute and a half really makes Mr. Blonde seem very relaxed. The fact that he can be so relaxed while doing such an evil, cruel thing portrays him as a psychopath. Any normal person could not cut an ear off of a living creature and joke and dance while they do so. This makes Mr. Blonde seem distant and even more cruel than we initially thought, just because of the slow and long camera movement. Another camera technique Tarantino uses is a panning technique. When Mr. Orange is shooting Mr. Blonde at 4:29, the camera does not sit still, but rather it moves from one side of Mr. Orange to the other. This adds motion to the scene and makes it seem much more intense than it actually is. If the camera was sitting still watching Mr. Orange shoot Mr. Blonde, it wouldn’t be nearly as exciting as this panning shot. This technique adds motion to a scene that has almost no motion at all in it. Mr. Orange is shooting the gun while he is laying on the ground in one spot. Mr. Blonde is being shot while standing still. Although this scene has no movement in it, this panning technique gives the audience a sense of excitement and motion. This technique really gets the audience more into the movie, because most audience members don't want to watch a completely still action scene.

Although these examples are just scraping the surface of what symbols and film techniques Tarantino puts into his films, these three big aspects of this scene really make it what it is. It is an exciting, emotional, cringeworthy, bloody, action packed scene that is created using these special film techniques. Although you may not notice these aspects of the film while watching it, these aspects have an effect on your subconscious. They may make you dislike one character or sympathize with another without even realizing why that is. Reservoir Dogs has many of these small details that make a movie wonderful.

Visual Design Analysis

Visual Design Analysis

The Sixth Sense is a 1991 supernatural thriller directed by M Night Shyamalan that follows a child psychologist who helps a child troubled by his ability to see ghosts. When we meet Dr. Malcolm Crowe (played by Bruce Willis), his house has been broken into by one of his former patients who then shoots him in the stomach. We then meet Malcolm’s current patient (1 year after the incident), Cole Sear. Cole has seemingly the same issue as the patient who shot Malcolm, the ability to see ghosts. The story then progresses on with Cole using his powers to help the spirits move on from this world. In the end we find out that Malcolm has been dead since he first was shot in the beginning of the film. In the end, Malcolm finishes his own unfinished business by helping Cole with his gift, and thus moves on from this world. In this clip (1:35:40-1:43:58), Malcolm and Cole go to the wake of a little girl who died unexpectedly. The little girl’s spirit visited Cole so he could help her deliver her final message to her father. This scene shows the depth of detail used by the visual design crew to create a very realistic and symbolic scene.

The setting of this scene really sets the mood of the scene right from the beginning. When the scene begins, it shows Malcolm and Cole walking into a wake for a little girl. Everybody is wearing black and there are mourning people everywhere. The set designer (Douglas Mowat) placed bouquets of flowers all around the room, and included various pictures of the family on the walls and tables. Candles are lit around a picture of the deceased girl. These pictures are there to show the incomplete family that has been torn apart by this death. The camera goes around the room to show each family member except for the girl that died. These pictures and flowers are there to create a somber mood. After Malcolm and Cole go into the little girl’s room, placed around the room are dolls and puppets. These items are here to not only show that this was the little girl’s room, but the dolls give you the creepy feeling of being watched. In truth you are being watched by the spirit of the girl. These simple objects create the feelings of creepiness and sadness by giving us knowledge of the situation.

The color palette used by Douglas Mowat helps set the mood also. All of the clothes that are worn at the wake are black. Except for one person. The black clothes tell us that this is a formal event and that this could be a sad event. All of the colors used in this scene are dark ones. The walls are white with a dark blue wallpaper. All of the clothing being worn is black. Even a lot of the pictures are black or have black frames. This sets a depressing mood for the scene and helps the audience understand that this is a sad event. The one person not wearing black is the mother. We find out about the mother poisoning her daughter later in this scene. Her wearing red is symbolic of the evil thing that she did. Her lack of black clothing also shows that she is not mourning the death of her child. The bright red dress makes her stand out in the dark room with all of the black colors and almost makes her look sinister. The black colors that were chosen for this scene help set the somber mood and gets the audience feeling depressed just like the characters; while the red dress was used to symbolize the evil deed performed by the mother.

The lighting of the room in this scene is used to make the set seem dark and depressing. The lighting used is very low key. When we first enter this home, it seems very dark. In fact, if you pay attention to the lights, every single one of them is off. The only light source in the room is two candles around the girl’s picture. In the background you can even see that the shades are pulled shut, allowing no outside light in. This lack of lighting makes the scene depressing and dark. When Malcolm and Cole go upstairs to the girl’s room, once again the room is extremely dark. This lighting however, is not used to set a somber mood, but rather one of fear and suspense. This scene is meant to be scary, because you know that the spirit is somewhere hiding in the room. This low amount of lighting strikes fear and sadness into the hearts of the audience. Douglas Mowat used lack of lighting in order to create a very depressing and scary scene.

This scene from The Sixth Sense uses a large amount of items, colors, and lighting in order to create a somber and fearful mood. When we first enter this home, we are shocked by the dark colors and low lighting-creating a depressing feel. When we go upstairs with Malcolm and Cole, the low lighting and puppets on the shelves create a mood of fear. Whether it’s the setting or the colors or the lighting, Douglas Mowat makes this scene altogether dark and depressing.

Jaws Film Critique and Analysis

“We’re gonna need a bigger boat.” Jaws has been known around America as one of the best and most frightening movies for 40 years. But why is this? Jaws has been at the top of thriller films for 40 years because of its use of development of suspense, character development through external action, and character development through use of foils.

The development of suspense in Jaws is one of its best aspects. One suspense technique used by Steven Spielberg is the use of point of view shots. These point of view shots are used in suspenseful scenes such as the shark attacks. The camera is in the point of view of the shark, so we know when the shark is going to strike, but the characters do not. This makes the audience feel very uncomfortable because they want to warn the characters, but they cannot do anything but sit there. Another suspenseful technique that these point of view shots create is dramatic irony. Because of the camera being placed in the point of view of the shark, we know where the shark is and what is about to happen while the characters do not.

Steven Spielberg uses character development through external action in order to make us care more about the film. Through external action, these characters become more real to us throughout the movie. In one scene, chief Brody is with his son at a table and they are making faces at each other. This really makes us care about him so much more because we realize how committed and loving he is to his family. If this scene was here, the audience would not really care what happened to Brody at the end. Now that we relate to him however, we want him to survive and come out on top. Without this character development, the audience is less involved in the movie.

Spielberg uses character foils in order for us to better understand the characters. The movie Jaws has many characters, but two characters in particular are almost exact opposites of each other. Quint and Hooper are foils of each other because of their experiences. Quint is a country man that has spent his days at sea and fought in the war. He is a very harsh and rough individual. He also has experience with hunting and killing sharks. Hooper is a city man that spends his days in a lab studying sharks. He is friendly and not very tough. He has some experience with sharks, but he has not hunted them before. As you can see, these two characters have completely opposite traits. This foil highlights the traits of the two men, and makes Quint seem all the more mean, while making hooper seem all the more soft. This makes the audience more interested in the movie because of the interactions between these two characters.

Jaws stands the test of time as one of the best thriller movies of all time. Not only does it have a great story line, but it also uses some very powerful plot techniques. Steven spielberg does a great job not only developing the characters through external action and foils, but also by developing suspense throughout the movie. When people watch this movie today, they are still frightened by it and they still love both the movie and the characters. Jaws will continue to be a popular movie until these film techniques die out (if they ever do).

Suspense Blog Post -Kyle Jennings

The Shining Suspense analysis
"Come play with us Danny. Come play with us. Forever and ever and ever." This scene in The Shining, one of the best and scariest movies of all time, is etched into our minds as one of the creepiest and most disturbing scenes in all of film history. But what about this scene makes us feel this way? The Shining is a horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick that intended to frighten audiences. Kubrick uses many suspenseful techniques throughout the Shining such as point of view camera, and the use of sound/music.

The use of point of view or POV camera in the Shining makes the film all the more terrifying to watch. In this scene, one of the most famous film scenes ever, Danny is shown riding a big wheel through the halls of the Overlook Hotel when he comes across two little girls in blue dresses. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMbI7DmLCNI These girls are seen through the point of view of Danny. Kubrick uses the point of view technique in this scene to make us feel more afraid. The camera first shows us Danny's face (0:35), then cuts to the girls' mutilated bodies (0:50) then shows Danny's reaction to seeing this (1:01). Being able to see what Danny sees makes us feel like we are inside the movie- as if we were Danny. This technique makes the film seem that much more real, and thus makes it that much more scary for the audience.

Another technique used by Kubrick is the use of sound in the film. One scene where sound is used especially well to frighten the audience is the maze chase scene. In this scene Jack is chasing Danny through a maze trying to kill him with an ax. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfpKXa-AhPE The scene starts with almost no music, but you can hear the wind howling in the background giving the scene a very creepy feel. After Danny covers up his tracks and starts running away, the music immediately becomes frantic and harsh. Because the violins have an almost scraping noise to them and they are not in tune with each other, it makes the audience feel uneasy. The random pattern of the music makes the audience feel unnatural and uncomfortable. This random chaotic music makes its appearance in other scenes in this movie, but is used most effectively here.

The use of different in film techniques in horror movies to build suspense is certainly an art. Stanley Kubrick uses these techniques perfectly. By using camera views from the POV of the character he can create the feel of being in the movie. By using a chaotic and frantic musical score mixed with creepy sounds of howling winds creates a feeling of unease and distress within the audience. Stanley Kubrick has done these things and more in the movie The Shining.