The document discusses various elements of mise-en-scene in the film The Descent. It describes how the lighting is used to create a sense of claustrophobia and isolation for both the characters and the audience. The location is almost entirely within the confined space of the cave, adding to the feelings of entrapment and lack of escape. The costumes of the main characters and the creepers/monsters are discussed, noting how their designs contribute to the atmosphere. Several props used by the main characters, like lights and cameras, are analyzed for how they allow the characters to navigate the cave but also draw the threat of the creatures. Sound is identified as a key non-diegetic element that builds tension through
2. Lighting
In various movies lighting is one of the most looked and review
upon things during a movie by critics and is the one thing that the
director can never forget about when filming certain scenes. In
these scene in the Descent the lighting has been used to give a
certain effect to both the viewers and the characters a sense of
claustrophobia where they’re afraid of being isolated within the
cave, which is a special effect on movies like the descent can do
by having the audience having a similar situation. Trapped within a
confined area where you’re required to stay put and their only is
one exit the entrance. An example of the lighting in this movie is
the first screen shoot, by having the only “light source” coming
from above it grasps the audience attention and has them fixated
on that one single point of the scene until the cast advances with a
new place with a larger range of lighting.
3. Location
In the descent there are only a few scenes are where the
location isn’t the the cave and that is only at the very start
and the very end of the film, so in the film there are various
seems that might be considered repetitive, which tires into
the fear installed by the director is claustrophobia and
isolation which both eludes the cast (characters) into a twirl
of despair, wit no sign of hope. Am example of this is both
screen shots, they both represent the cave entirely every
stage becomes worse and worse and there is way to
escape, to back up with my point; each alternate route
taken by the remaining members of the crew all ends up
into a closer area towards the creepers, even to a part
where they fight in the toilet of the creepers and their
dining area of both humans and animals.
4. Costume
With costumes in the descent in these fames the notable two
are of course are the creepers and the main female cast ,
with the main cast their outfits consist of fear preparing
them for various adventurous activities allowing them to
explore the surroundings and areas of the cave, and to
connect to certain hooks and items laid before by former
explores whom are not longer alive inside the cave. Another
things I’ve to mention is the creepers costumes, with their
costumes done by the make up department they’ve a body
type that gives off a slimy vibe with no trace of hair, another
thing to mention about the creatures is that they have similar
body stance and limbs although they’ve web fingers and
toes, which draws the audience to the screen being more
invested into their design, which is done correctly because
Neil Marshall doesn't have them fully appear till two/thirds of
the movie.
5. Props
In these frames shown they’re the most notable items
available to the main female cast because each of them are
important to the story allowing them to advance through
certain scenes of the movie with less harm, even to the part
where it allows them to discover the creepers; and even
eating one of the members of the cast, the new comer holly.
All frames shown are great examples of what the descent
does to invest items shown prior to the advantage to the
“victims”; the lighter allows them to view inside of the cave in
short range, the camcorder allows the cast the cats to view
everything in night vision with drawing a massive amount of
sound for the creepers to find out, finally the flares allows the
girls to expanded to range of their sight in the larger scales of
the cave.
6. Mise-en-scene
Mise-en-scene - gives the impression that anyone can be killed off or die at
any second and these key things give the viewer a great amount or fear and
tension where people can lose them selves in the movie.
Diegetic and Non Diegetic- But with Diegetic it’s the physical and verbal
noise coming from the person it is. With non- diegetic it can come from
anything and can be anything including narrative and are noises that don’t
come from the person who is being filmed.
However with this scene the sound is mostly Non diegetic and it has strong
sounds of the water splashing as the crawlers are circling the cast, and
minus the main actors the most important diegetic noise is the crawlers and
how they are growling and making noises similar to animals. Which also
builds up the Mise-en-scene where the atmosphere is so tense with the
sound building up to a mass climax and gives the impression where anyone
of the characters could be attacked.