Connotations of mise en sceneAnalysis of opening sequence in two horror films

Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)In the opening two minutes of this film the audience can see mise en scene and this helps to set the context of the film. The types of mise en scene seen in the opening two minutes includes the setting, the character’s clothes and props, atmospheric sound and lighting. The setting in the opening scene seems to be a dingy factory or warehouse of some sort which is poorly lit and there are industrial sounds as we see close ups of a character making something using tools. We assume the character is a man as the setting is industrial and stereotypically a man would be working in. The clothes shown on the person in the opening scene suggests to be overalls of some sort which backs up by the setting of the factory or warehouse. As the scene progresses the audiences sees sharp weapons being made, into some kind of hand weapon. The props used in the opening scene seem to be machinery, tools and sharp objects these seem to suggest a person is making something sinister. This suggests that there are people working at the factory or the person shown is planning something sinister or there is going to be a horrific event. The whole scene uses both non-diegetic sound with eerie music is create a sinister atmosphere and diegetic sound to represent the working sounds of the factory. The atmospheric sounds add to the creepiness of the opening scene as there are sounds of heavy boots and metal work. As these sounds are heard visuals come up that match the sound being heard. This suggests that the person doing this work is a worker in the factory or doing something evil. The eerie music also adds to the creepiness of the opening scene as the visuals are creepy as well. This suggests that this movie could be a horror film. 

An American Werewolf in London (1981)Mise en scene is used effectively in many different ways in the opening scene of An American Werewolf in London. The scene begins with lots of long shots of green rugged hill landscapes. This suggests it is a wild and isolated natural environment. The scene shows a damp and cold setting which seems to be fairly inhospitable. A truck comes into the shot from a distance away with the headlights on and the green countryside suddenly seems to become an even gloomier and isolated place to be in as the solitary truck emphasises the lack of other human beings in the setting. The truck is a farmer’s truck as it has sheep in the back and it seems to be an old truck. Two young men emerge from the back of the truck, are wearing modern looking clothes; jeans, ski jackets and big rucksacks all made from modern man made materials. This is a contrast to the older farmer’s traditional natural tweed clothes, cloth had and woollen jumpers. This has the effect of emphasising the differences between metropolitan Americans and rural English people.  

The opening scene of An American Werewolf in London is effective for setting the feel and atmosphere for the rest of the film. To begin with the two young foreign men are in an isolated environment, there doesn’t seem to be any kind of houses or people around them. This seems quite chilling it suggests if something happened to them and they scream no one would hear them. This gives the impression of an uneasy atmosphere. The scene also starts to build the tension of the film as the two young men are foreigners in a foreign environment. An unsettling feeling is evoked in the opening scene as the locals know the danger, whereas the foreigners don’t know about the danger in the foreign land. The famer’s warning “Boys, keep off the moors. Stick to the roads and the best of luck.” seems to be a warning to the foreigners and although the audience doesn’t know what the danger is it effectively conveys a feeling of present danger. The theme of differences between the locals and the foreigners is also used effectively in this scene and developed throughout the rest of the film. This is shown through the locals speaking in the local dialect and accent whereas the foreigners are speaking with American accents and the differences in their clothing. The weather conditions show in the scene are effective in the opening scene as it is overcast and grey skies create a sense of something coming like a storm.

By Madeleine Stidder