Mise-en-scene in Wes Anderson's Fantastic Mr.Fox

Mise-en-scene is the elements putting into the scene. According to Bordwell & Thompson in Film Art, there are 4 general areas which are setting & props, costume and makeup, lighting, and staging & performance (movement and acting). In here we are going to discuss the mise-en-scene of Fantastic Mr. Fox. 

Fantastic Mr. Fox is a stop motion animated film based on the book by Roald Dahl. The film is about a fox who steals food each night from three mean and wealthy farmers. They are fed up with Mr. Fox's theft and try to kill him, so they dig their way into the foxes' home, but the animals are able to outwit the farmers and live underground.

First of all, the movie setting on land surrounding three major farms/factories owned by the three wealthiest men in town. Mr. Fox (voiced by George Clooney) and his wife Felicity ( voiced by Meryl Streep) are both young and stealing chickens together as nature intended them to until they reach a point in there lives where they get caught. 

Secondly, the lighting of the film is setting which gives off the classic yellow/orange tint. With this lighting, along with the canted shots of their trap, as well as close ups of both of their faces when fearing death and the arrival of a child you begin to relate and feel for the characters despite their animalistic qualities.

Lastly, the staging and performing carry out the characteristic of the characters. Those of the characters performing very well even though it is stop motion. The character talking way and expression as similar as human, they can perform with emotional such as happiness, sadness, anger and so on. This make them seem like human instead of animals. 

  

Aesthetics of Asian Cinema - Chungking Express

Asian cinema refers to the film industries and films produced in the continent of Asia, and is also sometimes known as Eastern cinema. More commonly, however, it is most often used to refer to the cinema of Eastern (HongKong, China, Korea, Japan), Southeastern (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand) and Southern Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh). Today, I am going to discuss about the aesthetic of Asia (Hong Kong) cinema by selecting a few examples from the film, 'Chungking Express'. The aesthetics of Asia (Hong Kong) cinema are mostly the kong fu part, the reality of Hong Kong, the story of particular occupation, Hong Kong style's comedy, love story, and etc. 


Chungking Express is a film directed by Wong Kar Wai (a famous Hong Kong director) in 1994. The film consist of two stories told in sequence, each about Hong Kong policeman and his love story. The first story is about a cop QiWu who waiting her girlfriend back until his birthday. During his birthday, he approaches a woman in the blonde wig at Bottom Up Club. This woman help him to moving on instead of waiting. The second story is also about a policeman who waiting her flight attendant girlfriend back, he like to talking to himself to express the sadness, however he don't know that a snack bar worker Faye was falls for him.      

In order to discuss the aesthetics of asian cinema, let's talk about story in first. Hong Kong film like to telling story related with particular occupation such as police, doctor, fire fighter, pilot and etc. People who familia with Hong Kong film will see the trending of film which is Hong Kong people like. In Chongking Express, the story also focus on the love story of two policeman.

Secondly, Hong Kong films like to talk about life, issues related contemporary Hong Kong society. They like to putting the society issues by using film and cinematography. In Chongking Express, the policeman reflect the loneliness of Hong Kong people. In the film, we can see that both of them love to talking to themself instead of disclose to others.

Thirdly, Hong Kong films like to include love element into the story. Most of the Hong Kong film will consist of love element. (some kung fu's film may not have) Love story can consider one of the topic most of the director love to play with it. Wong Kar Wai is one of the director who can handle this topic very well especially in different kind of relationship and background. In Chongking Express, he bring up the relationship between policeman and drug seller; policeman and snack bar worker. Both of them are different background and he try to link up them together. 

Wong Kar Wai love to using object, lighting, self taking to show the inner of the actor. For example, he like to using cigarette to show loneliness, using neon light to showing how's the society and intra communication of the actor to showing inner conflict of the actor. 

Mise-en-scene and cinematography in Yasmin Ahmad's Sepet (2005)

Sepet (Yasmin Ahmad, 2004) is a Malaysia film directed by Yasmin Ahmad. It's follows a love story between Orked, a young Muslim Malay girl and Loong (Jason), a young Chinese Malaysian who engages in selling pirated VCDs on a street market. The plot revolves around the two young lovers from totally different background, cultures and how they cope with their families and social pressure throughout the film.

There were several important issues highlighted in the film that I would like to discuss about. These include the mise-en-scene and cinematography. 

According to Bordwell & Thompson in film art, mise-en-scene including settings & props, costume and makeup, lighting, staging and performing. In Sepet (2004), the story setting use multi languages and races actors to show the uniqe of Malaysia society. Those actors using Mandarin, English, Malay and Cantonese to communicate in the film, just like what Malaysian did in daily life. 

Secondly, the costume and makeup of the actors represent them from different background and cultures. Base on the costume, audience can easily know that those actors is from what background, such as races, religion and culture. In the film, Orked wearing baju kurung, speak Malay to show that she is a Malay girl and Loong wearing normal T-shirt with jean and speak Mandarin to show that he is a Chinese.

Moreover, audience can see different kinds of lighting in the film. When Orked meet Loong, the lighting is slightly soften compare to other scene. In another hands, when Loong facing dangerous, the lighting is more dim and dark. The different kind of lighting applied in different situation to bring the different feeling to audience.

Lastly, the performance of the actors show that the realism of society. Malaysia is a country form by multi races such as Malay, Chinese and India. However, the society still very tradition especially in relationship. The people still cannot accept or even refuse their friends, family and children in a relationship with who are different culture, races with them. In Sepet (2004), the director Yasmin try to bring up this issues to audience and the community. She feel that we do not have to understand someone to love them; we should love someone for who they really are as we need no reason to love. 

In Sepet (2004), various type of shot were using, such as long shot, medium shot, close up and so on. Furthermore, Yasmin Ahmad also play with different kind of angle. One of the angle can find in the film is from up to down. When the gangster chasing Jason, the angle is from the top view.     

          

To sum up, Sepet is a film that recommended to watch. Not only the story, the technique of filming and the cinematography can consider one of the best in Malaysia film history.

Aesthetics of Asian cinema - 3 Idiots

Asian cinema refers to the film industries and films produced in the continent of Asia, and is also sometimes known as Eastern cinema. More commonly, however, it is most often used to refer to the cinema of Eastern (HongKong, China, Korea, Japan), Southeastern (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand) and Southern Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh). Today, I am going to discuss about the aesthetic of Asia (Indian) cinema by selecting a few examples from the film, '3 Idiots'. The aesthetics of Asia (Indian) cinema are mostly the singing and dancing part, the Indian traditional costumes, the traditional ritual ceremony, the typical plot of rich meets poor, distinct dominance, and etc. 

3 Idiots (2009) is an Indian film directed by Rajkumar Hirani started with the point of view of the narrator, Farhan Qureshi, telling a story of him and also a great friend he and Raju knew from university.  Farhan and Raju have been searching so hard for their best friend Rancho who has disappeared after the graduation. When they received clues of his whereabouts, they start a road trip to find their best friend back. 

First, let’s discuss about the performance art. In “3 Idiots”, there are scenes of songs and dancings, which are significant in Indian drama, no matter what genre or story plot it is. According to David Courtney (2012), most of the Bollywood film would be complete with a song and dance between the hero and heroine. When Pia falls for Ranchoo, she imagines herself singing and dancing in duet with Rancho. Meanwhile, having a group of dancers dancing the classical or folk dance with the main characters is also a signature part of Indian films.

Secondly, the Indian costumes are also the important part of Indian films. In India, even though western style of contemporary clothing like gowns, jeans, shirts tops can be seen in most Indian films, due to the influential of western culture, Indian film producers still maintain their traditional clothing for some scenes, and contemporary film like ‘3 Idiots’ is no exception. Indian traditional clothing is essential as different types of clothing represent the status and ethnicity of a person. Traditional clothing is also essential for different types of rituals, like wedding ceremony or funeral. For example, when Pia is getting married, she wears traditional Indian wedding dress instead of western style of wedding gown. Another example would be real Rancho's father funeral, all of the friends and families who attending the funeral were wear pale white clothing. 

Thirdly, the plot structure of Indian films is very much different from other films that follow the Three Act Structure. Most of the films have their climax somewhere at the second half of Act two or Act three in Three Act Structure. But for Indian films, they divide the story into few parts, and each part with its own climax. So the whole structure of Indian film is like continuously up and down until the ending. For the story of ‘3 Idiots’, it is divided into few parts telling different stories of each characters and how the three best friends get into one trouble into another one, and they solve them one by one.

In conclude, “3 Idiot” presents a story which is very much like other Bollywood films by putting the singing & dancing, and love story on the screen. The only thing there are different with other Bollywood films is the language using in the film. 3 Idiot mainly using english in the film rather then Hindi. 

The Happening (2008)

The Happening is an America sci-fiction thriller film released in June 10, 2008. It is written, directed and produced by M. Night Shyamalan; distributed by 20th Century Fox. The film is talk about a science teacher, his wife and his friend's daughter struggle to survive a plague that causes those infected to commit suicide. On starring, Mark Wahlberg cast Elliot Moore (the science teacher), Zooey Deschanel cast Alma Moore (science's wife), and Ashlyn Sanchez cast Jess (Julian's daughter). 

Plot

Elliot Moore is a high school science teacher who quizzes his class one day about an article in the New York Times. It's about the sudden, mysterious disappearance of bees. Yet again Nature is doing something inexplicable, and whatever science has to say about it will be, in the end, only a theory. Scientists will bring out more theories, but no explanations, when a more urgent dilemma hits the planet. It begins in Central Park. Suddenly and inexplicably, the behavior of everyone in the park changes in a most bizarre and horrible way. Soon, the strange behavior spreads throughout the city and beyond. Elliot, his wife, Alma, and Jess, the young daughter of a friend, will only have theories to guide them where to run and where to hide. But theories may not be enough.

Analysis 

The Happening is a postmodernism film as it is mixing fewer of genre in one, such as thriller, science fiction, road-trail journey and drama. A high school science teacher and his wife along with his friend and his friend's daughter. They get out of the city, inevitably get stuck in the middle of nowhere, the characters begin to do and say things which make no sense whatsoever and the whole movie falls apart as we watch people try to run away from the wind. 

Theme

Every M. Night Shyamalan movie also have presented a similar theme which are death and family. These not only presented in The Happening, it were also presented in others Shyamalan's film, such as Signs (2002), and The Village (2004). In Signs, the story is begin from a farmer family. One day, they found that fewer mysterious crop circle appear in their farm. While, they also notice that those mysterious crop circle are a signs of alien invasions. In the film, the death theme appear when the pets dog is trying to attack Bo and her brother Morgan forced to kill it. It is also appear when the beginning of film which a woman scream. In The Village, the story start from a family as well. The story is about a villages family and the creature live in the woods. The death theme was also appear in this film, such as a boy funeral, and murder cases happened in the village.  

Authorship

Authorship knows as the creativity and idea original from a personal. Authorship is important not only it is an intellectual property, it is also represent the original idea and thinking of the author as well. M. Night Shyamalan authorship was clearly presented on his film. He not only work as a director on the film, he also take the role of scriptwriter. Base on the story, idea, theme and directing style, those 3 films (Signs, The Village, The Happening) reflected the authorship of him clearly.

References

IMDb. (n.d.). The Happening (2008). Retrieved June 24, 2016, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0949731/

R. E. (n.d.). The Happening Movie Review & Film Summary (2008) | Roger Ebert. Retrieved June 24, 2016, from http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-happening-2008

The Village (2004)

The Village is a America psychological thriller film written, produced, directed by M. Night Shyamalan and released in July 30, 2004. Starring by Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, and Joaquin Phoenix. The film is about a series of events tests the beliefs of a small isolated countryside village.

Plot

Covington is a 19th-century Pennsylvania village that is isolated from the rest of the world. The woods that surround the village are off limits to all the villagers because mysterious creatures live there. Many years earlier, the town elders and the creatures reached an understanding that the villagers would not go into the woods, and the creatures would not enter the village. A boundary was set up around the village, along with warnings on etiquette and colors to wear regarding keeping the creatures at bay.

But after one of the villagers, Lucius (Joaquin Phoenix), is injured, the blind daughter of the chief village Elder (Bryce Dallas Howard) is permitted to seek help in “the towns” by passing through the forest, where she learns the secret of where she actually lives.

Analysis

The Village have two themes which are death and family. Death and family often present in Shyamalan firm. In the Signs, the story start from a farmer's family, and many of people die in Alien attack incident. In the Village, a villager's, son were die in nameless disease. This show that both of the film were consist the same theme. Moreover, the camera angle and filming style were also similar. Long take, and controller mise-en-shot can find in both films like the scene when the protagonist fall into trouble. This make audience feel familiar with if they have watched both of the film. Another thing which is similar is the color tone of the film. Both of the film also have the unsaturated  color tone. This series of elements are authorship of the director M. Night Shymalan.

Opinion

In my opinion, I feel that The Village is good movie as it related with superstition. The villages fear to the creature as they are not dare to seeking out the truth, to find out what actual the creature is. If they can cross the woods with a big group of people, they sure will leave the village without harm by the creature.(as we know that the creature is cast by one of the mental ill villager)  This also show that people fear to something they unknown, and most of the people try to escape rather then face it. 

Reference  

IMDb. (n.d.). The Village (2004). Retrieved June 17, 2016, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0368447/synopsis

M. Reynolds . (n.d.) M. Night Shyamalan Plot Twists, Ranked by Twistedness. Retrieved June 17, 2016, http://www.vulture.com/2015/09/m-night-shyamalan-plot-twists-ranked.html

Signs (2002)

Signs is an American science fiction thriller film written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan in 2002. This film produced by M. Night Shyamalan, Frank Marshall, Kathleen Kennedy and also Sam Mercer.  Starring by Mel Gibson, Joaquin Phoenix, Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin.

   

Plot

The story start from a farmer Graham Hess (Mel Gibson) found a few of mysterious pattern, lines and circles in his corn farm. While he investigating the crop circle with the local law enforcement, Morgan is forced to kill one of the family dogs when it turns violent against him and her daughter Bo (Abigail Breslin). Graham found that all of the animals in town become aggressive. They hear reports of crop circles appearing around the globe, and there are reports of strange lights over Mexico. Later they found the farm and the house being watched by unknown creature. Moreover, they received unknown noise and signal form a baby talkie. Various of signs showing that something serious going to happen soon.

Analysis

Signs is sci-fiction thriller and drama's film. Science Fiction Thriller incorporates hypothetical, science-based themes into the plot of the film. Traditionally, a Science Fiction film will incorporate heroes, villains, unexplored locations, fantastical quests, and advanced technology. These elements can be used in a Science Fiction Thriller to create anticipation and suspense. Often, this sub-genre will explore the “future-gone-bad” theme, including plots that revolve around alien invasions, dystopian scenarios, and super-diseases. 

In the film, alien(sci-fiction) going to attack earth, some signs appear before this such as crop circle, animals turn aggressive, strange light over the sky, and unknown signal and noise. For horror/thriller, which are the scene Graham hear some unknown noise and seeing a green long leg in the corn farm at night and the scene which is aliens intend to enter Graham house. The directed style, filming's style and also the sound effect tends to bring tension and panic to the audience. 

Drama film is a genre that relies on the emotional and relational development of realistic characters. While Drama film relies heavily on this kind of development, dramatic themes play a large role in the plot as well. Often, these dramatic themes are taken from intense, real life issues. Whether heroes or heroines are facing a conflict from the outside or a conflict within themselves, Drama film aims to tell an honest story of human struggles. 

In Signs, Graham show that how he face the alien invasions incident and against them. As a human, he need to protect his mother land from outsider; as a father and older brother, he need to protect his children and also young brother. In the end, alien give up their invasion plan and leave the earth as their weakness(water) had been found by human.  

Style and Opinion

In Signs, the filming style keep the audience alert and on the edge of their seats. In the beginning, the alien only show some body parts(finger, leg), shadow and sound/noise. It play around with fear and mysterious sense to attract audience stay on their seats to keep watching. In my opinion, I feel that Signs is good movie as it relate imagination with reality(crop circle). Crop circle is a pattern created by flattening a crop, such as cereal and corn. It first recover by people in 1678 England, and the number substantially increased to current time. Although, some people admitted crop circle is created by them but still have many people believe in crop circle created by natural phenomena or alien.  

  

Reference

TSL. Thriller. (n.d.). Retrieved June 09, 2016, from http://thescriptlab.com/screenplay/genre/thriller

B. R. (n.d.). Crop Circles Explained. Retrieved June 09, 2016, from http://www.livescience.com/26540-crop-circles.html

R. E. (n.d.). Signs Movie Review & Film Summary (2002) | Roger Ebert. Retrieved June 11, 2016, from http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/signs-2002