The Orphanage Mise En Scene Analysis
Guillermo del Toro's 2007 Spanish horror film "El Orfanato" or commonly known in English, "The Orphanage," makes great use of the concept of mise-en-scene. del Toro's feature encompasses many aspects of mise-en-scene in order to create a unified film filled with raw emotion and meaning. del Toro's use of mise-en-scene has reaches its peak in the film at a particular scene where the main character Laura, is searching inside a furnace in the shed of her home for her son (see Appendix A). For months on end Laura has been searching for her adopted son Simone who is sick with HIV. Laura fears his disappearance was linked to a former worker at the orphanage Benigna or the ghost of her disfigured son Tomas. This scene offers an effective window into
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Noticeably, in this particular shot as well as the majority of the scene's duration, the camera is placed inside the furnace in order to capture the expression of Laura. Although camera positioning is an element of cinematography, it plays a critical role in the mise-en-scene of this scene since the film positioning captures the emotions of Belen Rueda, the actress whom plays Laura in the film. This creates an emotional experience for the audience since, rather than the camera positioned through Laura's eyes or point of view, the audience has a chance to see the raw expression on Laura's face as she makes the discovery of finding the bodies of the children Benigna had murdered. The audience is presented with a clear view of the body bag set in front of Laura. The body bag partially obstructs the view of the camera and the audience as well as creates a noticeable distance between the audience and Laura. This perceived distance further reiterates the idea Laura is alone in her quest of finding her son despite the assistance and support of others. People who try to help Laura in her search, such as her husband Carlos and Aurora the medium, are unable to fully help Laura find Simone. The shot's overall composition and use of lighting techniques, draws attention to the facial expressions and reaction of
Noticeably, in this particular shot as well as the majority of the scene's duration, the camera is placed inside the furnace in order to capture the expression of Laura. Although camera positioning is an element of cinematography, it plays a critical role in the mise-en-scene of this scene since the film positioning captures the emotions of Belen Rueda, the actress whom plays Laura in the film. This creates an emotional experience for the audience since, rather than the camera positioned through Laura's eyes or point of view, the audience has a chance to see the raw expression on Laura's face as she makes the discovery of finding the bodies of the children Benigna had murdered. The audience is presented with a clear view of the body bag set in front of Laura. The body bag partially obstructs the view of the camera and the audience as well as creates a noticeable distance between the audience and Laura. This perceived distance further reiterates the idea Laura is alone in her quest of finding her son despite the assistance and support of others. People who try to help Laura in her search, such as her husband Carlos and Aurora the medium, are unable to fully help Laura find Simone. The shot's overall composition and use of lighting techniques, draws attention to the facial expressions and reaction of