Saving Private Ryan: the aspect of mise-en-scene in film analysis - Essay Example

“Saving Private Ryan The Aspect of Mise-En-Scene in Film Analysis Mise-en-scene, is a French word that literally translates as “placing on stage”, it has been used by film makers to denote the design of a film (Prokow, p 64). In cinema, it refers to all the happenings on the camera i.e. settings, actors/actresses, costume used, composition and the lights. It`s this aspect that brings out the true picture in conformity with the reality upon which the film is based. Mise-en-scene as an aspect of film contains the following main areas that shall be critically considered in this paper in the analysis of the film, “Saving Private Ryan”: 1) Setting This is the place in which the movie is staged. This location plays an important role in movie making since it can heighten the dramatic effects, increase emotions of a character or break the monotony of the movie and put in place the different aspect of the characters. ``Saving Private Ryan`` is set in the Normandy and portraits the invasion in 1944 on the Omaha beach, the Americans are in combat with German soldiers while in the US war department, there is a message that three members of the same family have been killed by Germans. Commander of US soldiers is ordered to bring the only surviving person-Ryan, back home. In France, the commander assembles a team of six men and with no trace of Ryan, they set on a search; however, one of them is wounded and dies. They find Ryan`s friend who tells them that he is in Ramelle. In the town, they find Ryan and the martial combat begins as they escape in which three of them are killed and Miller, one of the combatants, is wounded but saved by a US chopper. Miller later dies and Ryan with his family visits the Normandy cemetery for World War II memorials (Lamoore, p16). In this film it is clear that there is martial combat between the Americans and Germans in France, as there is use of fire arms and bombs. 2) Costume and make up These are the clothes that the characters in the film wear during the shooting. When different colors and make ups are used, then there will be a clear line between the characters, it also shows changes in the moods of the characters. In this movie, there is a lot of investment in the weaponry-pistols, machine guns and bombs. This brings out cruelty of the soldiers and their determination to kill the enemy in an attempt to save their own life. The use of bombs brings out the element of realism in the movie as if it is happening in reality. Soldiers in the film are dressed in the 1944 attire, the boots and jackets which enable one to easily identify the time of the film’s events. The color, design of the clothes, military trucks and the use of choppers give the impression of a real military combat. 3) Lighting This is a very important aspect of a film for without lights, one is not able to see the characters or even the setting of the movie, therefore, the quality of lighting is paramount for a good film production. It affects image perception in line with texture, mood, distance or season. In a movie bright lighting draws attention to a particular area of focus while darker images can create suspense. At the beginning there is a bright light at the Omaha beach this give enthusiasm and realistic view of the beach. In some cases the light is bright to depict fire from bombs which in actual sense is true; this shows the authenticity of the movie. At some points the lighting is darker to show the agony, fear and pain that the soldiers have to go through during such operations. 4) Staging performance In cinema, the motion of the human body is not confined to that which they do in their day to day activities but can be manipulated to produce the desired motion, for example, a character acting a “robot” in a film may be denied some facial expressions such as a show of laughter. In the beginning of the movie at Omaha beach, we see the characters showing a happy face and a bit scared: happy in the sense that it is the beginning and all seems right, however, scared face is used to indicate the future war that is looming. The soldiers’ bodily movement shows the eagerness to move to some place that is still not evident. During battle, there are quick bodily movements of soldiers; this is shown when Americans attack Germans as they approach Ramelle and as they escape with Ryan. All this shows the urgency and fear of the enemy’s attack on them. It is important to note that performances include gestures and sounds (voice) used in the film, it gives the movie its tone, be it harsh or soft depending on the type of voice, in Saving Private Ryan the characters-soldiers, use harsh tone and this depicts their cruelty during battle. Voice of command is used to show interaction in the military. An example is when the commander is told to bring Ryan back home. There are also shouts from the soldiers and this is to bring the reality that bomb explosions produce great sounds that make it difficult to communicate, so are the sounds of explosions from grenades, bombs and gun shots that depict the real situation in a war zone. In conclusion, the film depicts war battles between two nations through their military personnel who are in full combat uniforms. The character and their emotional expression shows pain incurred during war and lives lost. However, at the end the sound used restores hope and peace in viewers after the war. Works Cited Lamoore, (2009). Analysis Of Saving Private Ryan. Upload & Share PowerPoint presentations and documents. Retrieved April 30, 2012, from http://www.slideshare.net/lamoore/analysis-of-saving-private-ryan-2096755 Prokow, S. (n.d.). Aspects of Mise-en-Scene - Film Art: An Introduction by David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson - Movie List on mubi.com. MUBI: your online cinema, anytime, anywhere. Retrieved April 30, 2012, from http://mubi.com/lists/aspects-of-mise-en- scene-film-art-an-introduction-by-david-bordwell-and-kristin-thompson Read More