The Role Of Mise-En-Scene In The Film M
Briley Belling
In the film M, mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound are used in many ways that may influence the audiences’ perception of the characters and events in the film.
In M, the apartments in the beginning of the film and the streets, play a significant role to the mise-en-scene of the film. There are several props in the film that are significant as well, such as the noisy clock that dings on every hour, the blind man with the balloons in the street, cigarettes, cigars, knives, the little girl playing with the ball before she was taken, the police sleeping on the bench in the office, and much more. The cigars and cigarettes develop perception of characters, because the group of criminals smoke the cigarettes and the inspectors
smoke the cigars, giving the audience an idea of their level of class in the society. The ball the little girl plays with, gives the audience a sense of the innocence of this character. The prop of the man holding the balloons, develops an influence of events in the film, being that he is the only one who notices the man’s whistling, and he is the last person to have known where the little girl was. He is also the man who finds M later, by recognizing his whistling. The streets in the film also give the audience an influence of events that take place in the film, because this is where the main action is. The girl is taken from the streets, the man lurks in the streets, and the streets is where the blind man discovers the man by his whistling.
As to the cinematography in the film, the camera is always set in one place at a time and is very still. The audience may tell that the camera is never hand held. The camera is set in the place of the shot being filmed, and the actors are working within this frame. The film also is in black and white, and any differences in lighting is hard to tell. The edits used in this film are used to jump from one scene to another (jump cuts). Because the camera never follows the characters, the scenes cut from one to the next to show different characters talking. Also, this film also shows a variety of placement of the camera. For example, in the beginning of the film, the camera is sitting high, looking down below at the children playing. Shortly after this scene, the camera is sitting below, looking up at the lady telling the children to stop signing the awful song. The cinematography and editing of the film develop a sense of seriousness of the events and the characters.
The sound plays a significant role in this film to the perception of the characters and events. There is no musical soundtrack in the film, there is only sound effects to the action of the characters. For example, the woman washing clothes in the beginning of the film. More importantly, the clock that dings on the hour, the bell that dings on the hour later in the film, footsteps, the song being sang by the children in the beginning of the film, and silence in the moments when nothing is happening. The most important, the whistling of the man M. The sound of the clock and the bell, gives the audience an influence of events in the film, by tracking time throughout the film leading up to the climax. The sound of the dings is significant, as if time is getting closer to the event of catching M. The whistling in the film, develops both a sense of character and events in the film. The whistling lets the audience know the bad guy is here, and the whistling also leads to the event of him being caught in the end. Mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound all tie together to influence the audiences perception of the characters and events. Mise-en-scene and the sound of the film are most significant when developing a sense of character and events in this particular film.
In the film M, mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound are used in many ways that may influence the audiences’ perception of the characters and events in the film.
In M, the apartments in the beginning of the film and the streets, play a significant role to the mise-en-scene of the film. There are several props in the film that are significant as well, such as the noisy clock that dings on every hour, the blind man with the balloons in the street, cigarettes, cigars, knives, the little girl playing with the ball before she was taken, the police sleeping on the bench in the office, and much more. The cigars and cigarettes develop perception of characters, because the group of criminals smoke the cigarettes and the inspectors
smoke the cigars, giving the audience an idea of their level of class in the society. The ball the little girl plays with, gives the audience a sense of the innocence of this character. The prop of the man holding the balloons, develops an influence of events in the film, being that he is the only one who notices the man’s whistling, and he is the last person to have known where the little girl was. He is also the man who finds M later, by recognizing his whistling. The streets in the film also give the audience an influence of events that take place in the film, because this is where the main action is. The girl is taken from the streets, the man lurks in the streets, and the streets is where the blind man discovers the man by his whistling.
As to the cinematography in the film, the camera is always set in one place at a time and is very still. The audience may tell that the camera is never hand held. The camera is set in the place of the shot being filmed, and the actors are working within this frame. The film also is in black and white, and any differences in lighting is hard to tell. The edits used in this film are used to jump from one scene to another (jump cuts). Because the camera never follows the characters, the scenes cut from one to the next to show different characters talking. Also, this film also shows a variety of placement of the camera. For example, in the beginning of the film, the camera is sitting high, looking down below at the children playing. Shortly after this scene, the camera is sitting below, looking up at the lady telling the children to stop signing the awful song. The cinematography and editing of the film develop a sense of seriousness of the events and the characters.
The sound plays a significant role in this film to the perception of the characters and events. There is no musical soundtrack in the film, there is only sound effects to the action of the characters. For example, the woman washing clothes in the beginning of the film. More importantly, the clock that dings on the hour, the bell that dings on the hour later in the film, footsteps, the song being sang by the children in the beginning of the film, and silence in the moments when nothing is happening. The most important, the whistling of the man M. The sound of the clock and the bell, gives the audience an influence of events in the film, by tracking time throughout the film leading up to the climax. The sound of the dings is significant, as if time is getting closer to the event of catching M. The whistling in the film, develops both a sense of character and events in the film. The whistling lets the audience know the bad guy is here, and the whistling also leads to the event of him being caught in the end. Mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound all tie together to influence the audiences perception of the characters and events. Mise-en-scene and the sound of the film are most significant when developing a sense of character and events in this particular film.