Mise-en-scene:
Mise-en-scene:
In this essay I will be analysing how the mise-en-scene in The Hunger games represents the characters and how it helps to "set the scene" in particular parts of the film.
At (0:16) Katniss and Peeta are on top of the cornucopia. At this point there is lots of suspense due to the fact that one of them may have to kill the other in order to survive.
The fact that the only prop on set at this moment is the cornucopia itself alludes to the idea that there is no hope and that nobody is going to save them as they are in such a desolate area. In addition, the lighting is quite gloomy and blue which connotes senses of sadness and loneliness, the scene has both bright and dark areas in the frame - therefore, seemingly utilizing the chiaroscuro technique which unnerves the audience as there is such a strong contrast between the lighting which makes the situation situation seem harsher. Moreover, both Katniss and Peeta are wearing dark leather clothes, they almost seem to blend into the darkness of the scene, if the cornucopia was not lit up by the natural lighting - presumably from the moon they would blend in.
Yet again the director wants to create a thrilling scene full of suspense and tension at (0:28) as Katniss is running through the forest as a fire spreads in the background. The contrast between the bright orange of the fire and the dark green canopy underneath Katniss emphasizes how serious the elements of danger and fear are for the protagonist in this scene. Furthermore, the fact that katniss has her bow and arrows on her back and is dressed in leather clothes suggests to the audience that she is a survivor and provides some hope that she will get ahead of the fire.
At (0:39) the main lighting in the scene is dark and light blue, this gives the scene a somewhat electronic and very modern appearance, especially as the characters are strapped into glowing seats. This may appeal to the audience as it is very different from the desolate scenes we were introduced to in the beginning which suggests that a lot has changed for the protagonist Katniss as this is an environment she is not used to. Furthermore, as all the characters are dressed in identical suits it may be suggested that in society they are not as seen as individuals and therefore are not important to the people who are hosting the hunger games simply because of their status in society as part of the lower class. Moreover, the fact that the director has included such advanced technology like this hovercraft shows that the hunger games is set in the future as we don't have such high-tech machines even in the 21st century so from this we can infer that it is set at least in the 22nd century even though there is no specific timeline for the film, the fact that the film is set in such a mysterious era as it is the future is intriguing for the audience as it is something that is unknown for all as to what the future will hold - especially in terms of whether our world will become a dystopia or a utopia.
During Peeta's interview at (0:46) the director has made it clear that his importance in society has grown since taking part in the hunger games, this can be seen by the fact that Peter is now wearing a black and red formal suit and has his hair slicked back with gel - this was a popular look in the 1930's so perhaps the director is trying to incorporate some retro style into the film set in the future, furthermore, if we compare this to Peter's appearance in the beginning he looks extremely different as he previously wore old/bland clothing. Moreover, the background lighting is orange and yellow which emphasizes the white seats that they are sitting on - this could have been done to show that Peter's life on television is now made to look clean and modern whereas in fact this is just a portrayal of his current life through the media and is not his reality.
At (0:58) the director has opted to use a medium close-up to show Katniss' facial expression which is clearly full of fear and tension as she is training for the hunger games. The background has an ambiance of blue light yet again which suggests that there is no hope and sadness in this scene. It helps to highlight Katniss as nothing else is going on in the background and therefore it emphasises her importance and makes it easier for the audience to focus on her.
Lastly, at (2:07) we can see Katniss amidst a crowd of other people in her district, they are all dressed in bland coloured clothing once again suggesting that they are poor and cannot afford expensive clothing as they can later on in the film. Furthermore, the lighting is quite grey-toned which connotes a dreary and hopeless life for all the children who live in the district. As this is in the beginning of the film it is still set in the future, however at this point we get to see more of the devastating effects due to the destruction of the earth as we know it. Even though The Hunger Games is set in a future era it would seem that their clothing is quite ragged and plain which is a strong element of mis-en-scene used by the director to help set the scene of a dystopian era.
At (0:16) Katniss and Peeta are on top of the cornucopia. At this point there is lots of suspense due to the fact that one of them may have to kill the other in order to survive.
The fact that the only prop on set at this moment is the cornucopia itself alludes to the idea that there is no hope and that nobody is going to save them as they are in such a desolate area. In addition, the lighting is quite gloomy and blue which connotes senses of sadness and loneliness, the scene has both bright and dark areas in the frame - therefore, seemingly utilizing the chiaroscuro technique which unnerves the audience as there is such a strong contrast between the lighting which makes the situation situation seem harsher. Moreover, both Katniss and Peeta are wearing dark leather clothes, they almost seem to blend into the darkness of the scene, if the cornucopia was not lit up by the natural lighting - presumably from the moon they would blend in.
Yet again the director wants to create a thrilling scene full of suspense and tension at (0:28) as Katniss is running through the forest as a fire spreads in the background. The contrast between the bright orange of the fire and the dark green canopy underneath Katniss emphasizes how serious the elements of danger and fear are for the protagonist in this scene. Furthermore, the fact that katniss has her bow and arrows on her back and is dressed in leather clothes suggests to the audience that she is a survivor and provides some hope that she will get ahead of the fire.
At (0:39) the main lighting in the scene is dark and light blue, this gives the scene a somewhat electronic and very modern appearance, especially as the characters are strapped into glowing seats. This may appeal to the audience as it is very different from the desolate scenes we were introduced to in the beginning which suggests that a lot has changed for the protagonist Katniss as this is an environment she is not used to. Furthermore, as all the characters are dressed in identical suits it may be suggested that in society they are not as seen as individuals and therefore are not important to the people who are hosting the hunger games simply because of their status in society as part of the lower class. Moreover, the fact that the director has included such advanced technology like this hovercraft shows that the hunger games is set in the future as we don't have such high-tech machines even in the 21st century so from this we can infer that it is set at least in the 22nd century even though there is no specific timeline for the film, the fact that the film is set in such a mysterious era as it is the future is intriguing for the audience as it is something that is unknown for all as to what the future will hold - especially in terms of whether our world will become a dystopia or a utopia.
During Peeta's interview at (0:46) the director has made it clear that his importance in society has grown since taking part in the hunger games, this can be seen by the fact that Peter is now wearing a black and red formal suit and has his hair slicked back with gel - this was a popular look in the 1930's so perhaps the director is trying to incorporate some retro style into the film set in the future, furthermore, if we compare this to Peter's appearance in the beginning he looks extremely different as he previously wore old/bland clothing. Moreover, the background lighting is orange and yellow which emphasizes the white seats that they are sitting on - this could have been done to show that Peter's life on television is now made to look clean and modern whereas in fact this is just a portrayal of his current life through the media and is not his reality.
At (0:58) the director has opted to use a medium close-up to show Katniss' facial expression which is clearly full of fear and tension as she is training for the hunger games. The background has an ambiance of blue light yet again which suggests that there is no hope and sadness in this scene. It helps to highlight Katniss as nothing else is going on in the background and therefore it emphasises her importance and makes it easier for the audience to focus on her.
Lastly, at (2:07) we can see Katniss amidst a crowd of other people in her district, they are all dressed in bland coloured clothing once again suggesting that they are poor and cannot afford expensive clothing as they can later on in the film. Furthermore, the lighting is quite grey-toned which connotes a dreary and hopeless life for all the children who live in the district. As this is in the beginning of the film it is still set in the future, however at this point we get to see more of the devastating effects due to the destruction of the earth as we know it. Even though The Hunger Games is set in a future era it would seem that their clothing is quite ragged and plain which is a strong element of mis-en-scene used by the director to help set the scene of a dystopian era.
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