Mise en Scene in The Mummy
Jeffrey Shelton
#9920023
English 197 D
Essay #1 – Final Draft
Mise-en-scene in The Mummy
The horror genre of the 1930’s, although stylized in comparison to today’s present films are effective in their use of cinematic technique to portray emotions, ideologies, and personify characters. During this time period a wave of anti-immigration sentiments became mainstream ideals, a phenomenon that is present within The Mummy. It is apparent in the mesmerizing scene, where Ardath chants over the scrolls to beckon Helen that mise-en-scene relays foreign sentiments within the film. The dimensionality of Ardath and Helen is associated with their foreign background because their evil is represented as a one-dimensional attribute. This scene uses the close-up and lighting techniques to portray Ardath and Helen as foreigners as well as the dimensionality of their characters. The function of the foreigner within the scene plays an integral role in understanding the time period’s common anti-immigration sentiment. A member of society during this time period would view this film with prior conceptions about the role of foreigners in society. The use of the close-up within the scene is a function of fear in terms of the anti-foreign sentiments people of the time period held, as noted in Dr. Beans lecture. By enabling the audience a close look at Ardath’s face the film was able to play off of these common anti-immigration mind-sets. Society feared foreigners due to the mystery of the unknown they brought to the westernized world. The stereotypical view of the foreigner was that they were connotative with evil and that was their sole function in society. The shot not only brings up the debate over foreign immigration and ideological views but also functions to enforce the common idiosyncrasy that foreigners were associated with evil monsters and manipulated those in their path.
The close-up is a vital
#9920023
English 197 D
Essay #1 – Final Draft
Mise-en-scene in The Mummy
The horror genre of the 1930’s, although stylized in comparison to today’s present films are effective in their use of cinematic technique to portray emotions, ideologies, and personify characters. During this time period a wave of anti-immigration sentiments became mainstream ideals, a phenomenon that is present within The Mummy. It is apparent in the mesmerizing scene, where Ardath chants over the scrolls to beckon Helen that mise-en-scene relays foreign sentiments within the film. The dimensionality of Ardath and Helen is associated with their foreign background because their evil is represented as a one-dimensional attribute. This scene uses the close-up and lighting techniques to portray Ardath and Helen as foreigners as well as the dimensionality of their characters. The function of the foreigner within the scene plays an integral role in understanding the time period’s common anti-immigration sentiment. A member of society during this time period would view this film with prior conceptions about the role of foreigners in society. The use of the close-up within the scene is a function of fear in terms of the anti-foreign sentiments people of the time period held, as noted in Dr. Beans lecture. By enabling the audience a close look at Ardath’s face the film was able to play off of these common anti-immigration mind-sets. Society feared foreigners due to the mystery of the unknown they brought to the westernized world. The stereotypical view of the foreigner was that they were connotative with evil and that was their sole function in society. The shot not only brings up the debate over foreign immigration and ideological views but also functions to enforce the common idiosyncrasy that foreigners were associated with evil monsters and manipulated those in their path.
The close-up is a vital