Mise en Scene!

 Hello again!

So for this blog I will be discussing the Mise en Scene of the horror classic The Shining. I had recently watched this movie to get into the spooky scary mood for Halloween, and I am pleased to say that this movie is well done and I enjoyed it. I loved taking apart the movie and analyzing every scene, or time.

Setting: 

    The main aspect of the movie is that it takes place at the eerie Overlook Hotel, however at the very beginning of the movie, we see the contrast of the Torrance's house and the hotel, which contributes and foreshadows to the plot. The house is lively, from the use of natural lighting, which we will get more in detail, to the colors of the props around them. The house is alive and can be easily determined that it is perfectly normal. A happy home with a happy family. On the other hand, the hotel is dark, from the walls to the actual lighting. The purpose of it's structure is to describe how expensive and mature it is, but it gives a cold, sinister feel. The characters describe it as outstanding and luxurious, but the audience can quickly pick up the uncertainty and the "something is wrong here". 

Lighting:

One thing that makes the movie so remarkable is the use of lighting. Not a lot of people realize the specific types of lighting used to help tell the story. Wendy is know to have a lively, animated personality. In majority of the scenes, especially in the beginning, she is constantly in 'natural' lighting. For example, when she is talking to Danny at their home, there is light coming from their window with no use of the house's lights. This reflects her bubbly personality. Whereas Jack is constantly in man-made lighting. Yes, there are instances where he is in natural lighting, but that's when he is with his wife or before he lost his mind. As the movie progresses, the use of natural light becomes practically existent, while the hotel's lights are more in use. The lighting, as it gets darker, shows how Jack's own mind and thoughts are getting as dark. Beginning, shiny and bright, by the end, dark and scary. Danny is special, there is no doubt, so the lighting also speaks a lot on his character. Similar to Wendy, he begins the movie under more natural lighting, to emphasis his innocence and child-like-charm. However, when he speaks to Tony, his imaginary friend, or encounters hallucinations in the hotel, he is in man-made lighting or in dark areas. Towards the end, the hallucinations, events, and Tony have taken a toll to Danny. Having the dark lighting showcases how he has lost that child innocence and is a changed person. I also want to point out that the many scenes that contribute to the insanity the hotel holds, includes the hotel's lighting rather than outside's. It shows how the hotel has control over the family to the extent they are trapped in the hotel's lights.

Costumes:

    My favorite part about any movie is costumes. Why? It really tells a lot about the characters and their development on perspective on certain events. Wendy is by far my favorite character movie, not only she is played by Shelly Duval, but her costumes are unique, recognizable and important. At the very beginning, Wendy is twining with Danny by wearing reds and blues. Just in a minute, the audience can tell that Wendy is carefree and cheerful person. Also by having a similar color pallet to Danny, it shows how much she loves her family and how she wishes to have a part of her child where ever she goes. When visiting the hotel with Jack and Danny, she is wearing brown, now matching with Jack. It shows that she cares for her appearance and wishes to make a great impression to the hotel staff. It also shows her relationship with Jack, how, at this point of the movie, she loves and adores her husband.

Staging:

    From the very beginning, the audience can notice how different the hotel is compared to other places, like the Torrance house. The staging inside the hotel feels off… as if it is has this weird aura. It’s dark and the colors used to decorate the hotel brings a deep and rich feel. An example is the ball room. It’s gold, shiny and feels expensive, however it feels off as if it is overwhelming by its size. Another example is outside the hotel in the maze. When Danny and Wendy tour the maze it’s bright and green making it look lovely and welcoming. But then we cut to Jack looking at the model version inside the hotel. It doesn’t hold that same warmth but rather shows it as a dead version. I call many on the staging inside the hotel, or when the focus is on Jack, to be industrial, man-made in the sense it holds this unknown power that lingers in every part of the hotel. Whereas I use the word ‘comforting’ when the focus is on Wendy as it shows her optimism and love. As the movie goes, we see less of that ‘comforting’ staging but instead see more of the ‘man-made’ staging showing how the family, especially Jack, slowly losing their mind while staying at the hotel.

I really liked watching this movie and I loved dissecting the movie to pieces to see how they all fit to the story. I hope y’all enjoyed my take on The Shining’s mise-en-scene!