Download Introduction to film studies and more Study notes Mass Communication in PDF only on Docsity!
Mise En Scene Analysis Of Titanic Film Studies Essay
'Titanic' in qualitative perspectives from the five mise-en-scene elements
(Acting style, setting, space, costume and lighting) and also the focus group
to find out ideological elements that portrayed in this film.
Setting can be used to amplify character's emotions or the dominant mood of a film; it also
can establish aspects of the character. In the film 'Titanic', there were only two settings in this movie, the salvage ship, and also the RMS Titanic. The salvage ship was most taken place at the beginning part of the film. This is the working place of the treasure hunter Brock Lovett and his team members who explored the wreck of the RMS. "Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean; they are searching for a necklace named 'the Heart of the Ocean'. They have found out a sketch of a nude woman wearing it, the date was writing at the sketch - April 14, 1912, which was the night the RMS Titanic sinking by hit the iceberg. The old Rose Dawson has recognized the nude woman in the sketch is her. So, she and her granddaughter visit the treasure hunter Brock Lovett and his team on this salvage ship. Rose recalls her memories about the RMS Titanic while answering question from Brock Lovett. So, this setting is the secondary setting in this film, the main setting is the RMS Titanic.
The main setting RMS Titanic is consists of indoor and outdoor. The indoor of RMS Titanic got several levels; the upper level is the extravagant hall, restaurant, church, VIP room and so on. It has created a sense of high class culture; audiences will feel that the upper level is for the higher level and rich people. The lower level is slightly contrast with the higher level, the restaurant and room of the lower level is obviously low standard, not much decoration, the upper level's room is big and have the king size bed, but the lower level's room is small and only have the double-decker bed set, so each small room need to fit a few people, it has created a sense of the place for lower level or poor people.
The outdoor of the RMS Titanic is showing the grand of the ship. Several scene was taken place at the outdoor of RMS Titanic which is the scene that the main character Jack was so excited to get into the RMS Titanic, he shout out 'I am the king of the world'. The scene that the main character Rose want to commit suicide to jump into the sea, Jack was stop him and says 'You jump I jump', the dialogue was memorable. The flying scene that the main character Rose was holding by Jack, standing high and Rose says 'I can fly', this is one of the memorable romantic scene that was taken place at the outdoor of RMS Titanic.
The acting style refers to the character acting in the film, which is the actor or actress in
the film. The acting style is important because the actor/actress is the only element has movement in the scene. There have three main characters in this film which is Jack Dawson, Rose DeWitt Bukater, and Caledon Nathan "Cal" Hockley. Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Jack is a penniless Wisconsin man who has toured various parts of the world, primarily Paris. At the beginning of this film, Jack has wins two third-class tickets onto the RMS Titanic in a poker game and travels with his friend Fabrizio. He is attracted to Rose at first sight and meets her when she wants to jump into the sea to commit suicide. This
accident enables him to mix with the first-class passengers for a night, and also starts a love story with another main character, Rose.
Rose DeWitt Bukater was acted by Kate Winslet. Rose is a 17-year-old girl in this film, she is originally from Philadelphia, in order to maintain their high-class status, she forced into an engagement to 30-year-old Caledon Hockley 'Cal' after her father's death had left the family debt-ridden. Rose boards the RMS Titanic with her fiancé Cal and her mother Ruth, as a first- class passenger, and she meets Jack and starts their love story on the ship. Another main character is Caledon Nathan 'Cal' Hockley acted by Billy Zane. He is Rose's 30-year-old fiancé, and he is the main antagonist of this film. His characteristic is arrogant and snobbish. The relationship of Rose and Jack was made him increasingly embarrassed, jealous, and cruel. He was commits suicide after losing his fortune in the Wall Street Crash of 1929. Besides that, the supporting characters also playing an important role in this film. They are Rose Dawson Calvert, Brock Lovett, Ruth DeWitt Bukater, and also Margaret Brown.
Gloria Stuart as Rose Dawson Calvert, she is the character of 100-year-old Rose. She gives Brock Lovett some information regarding to the "Heart of the Ocean". She tells the story of her time aboard the ship; she is the one who narrate in this story. Brock Lovett was acted by Bill Paxton, he is a treasure hunter that looking for the "Heart of the Ocean" in the sketch that found from the present RMS Titanic. This character was wild ambition, but he later reflects at the end of the film, says he has never understood the story of Titanic until he hears Rose's story.
Ruth DeWitt Bukater is Rose's mother, acted by Frances Fisher. She is Rose's widowed mother; she arranges Rose engagement to Cal in order to maintain her family's high-class status after her husband died. She believes that social position is more important than her daughter. She looks down to Jack, although he saved her daughter's life. This character was created a sense of arrogant and selfish. Brown, acted by Kathy Bates. Because of her sudden wealth, she is looked down by other first-class women, including Ruth, Rose's. She is never looks down and friendly to Jack, she lends Jack a tuxedo when he is invited to dinner in the first-class dining saloon. Her friendly was created the sense of positive to this character.
Lighting is emphasizing on the texture, distance, mood, shape, season, glamour, time of
day or night. In this analysis, we have divided the movie as three part, which is the beginning part (The salvage ship is using the submarine to treasure hunting at RMS Titanic that under the sea), rising action part (When Rose aboard to the Titanic and meet Jack), the climax and ending part (after the Titanic hit the iceberg).so, the beginning part mostly used the low key lighting when treasure hunting the RMS Titanic that under the sea, the low key lighting was created the mood of under the sea, they only used the spotlight of submarine to illuminate some part of the RMS Titanic, it has convey the sense of the sadness and loneliness of the RMS Titanic.
The rising action part is after the main character Rose aboard to the Titanic and meets Jack; we can see the high key with yellow lighting at the upper level on the ship. This created the sense of high-culture and extravagant to the scene. For example, the scene of Jack first step into the lobby of the upper class level, the high-key lighting has contrasting the lower level with normal lighting. So, audiences can feel the extravagant of the upper level and also the
The shot that tilt up to Rose that inside the save boat and tilt up to Jack that still at the ship, showing their eye contact and Rose thinking to going back to the ship. This scene is touching and created the meaning that they are not willing to separate. After the ship sank, Rose was lying on the wood. The tilt down shot created the meaning that human is the smallest item in the nature. At the end, close-up to the eyes of older Rose after she finished the story, this make a sense of vicissitudes of time, Rose has been old, but she is still remember the happening of the unforgettable night.
These five mise-en-scene elements (setting, acting style, costume, space arrangement and lighting) are well done in the film 'Titanic', this is deserved to be the best Oscar's film of the year. Based on this analysis, this has achieved the objective of find out the five mise-en-scene elements those are seen in the film 'Titanic'.
How Mise-en-scene proved to be important in film making? (These
following themes will help you identify the imp. Of mise-en-scene from the
perspective of TITANIC.)
Theme 1: The most preferred mise-en-scene element when viewing a film
M1: I am most preferred acting style. Because a good acting style can lead the movie into higher level and credit for the whole artwork. For example in the film 'Titanic', Jack is trying hard to protect Rose and completed the mission impossible. I am most not preferred lighting when viewing a film.
F1: Acting style. This is because if the actor and actress acting style are very poor, I will have no interest in it. But I am more preferred to costume when I am watching 'Titanic', because it can let me know about the costumes of last century of England and differences of costumes between rich and poor people. I am not preferred the space arrangement when viewing a film.
F2: I am preferred acting style, setting and costume. Because those others elements only can guide audience fall into their movie. When jack hug rose in front of the ship, the scene very nice and romantic where fulfilled the 5 elements of mise-en-scene. I am not preferred space arrangement.
F3: Agree! I am preferred acting style but not preferred space arrangement. Because the acting style of character can enhance the storyline of film. But when I watching the film 'Titanic', I am more preferred the setting in this film. The setting in the film that mostly is in the ship is suitable and luxurious setting, show the social status of some character.
F4: I am agree with F3, I am preferred the setting when viewing a film. I like the setting of the movie because I like the titanic cruise. I am not preferred to the lighting.
Theme 2: Ideological elements portrayed in the film 'Titanic'
M1: There have race studies, class studies, and postcolonial studies that portrayed in the film 'Titanic'. The most memorable for me is class studies, lower class people playing lousy instrumental and sing local song under the ship. High class people play violin, piano and etc.
F1: There have Class Studies that I have found in the film 'Titanic'. Class studies is memorable to me because in this film always show that different class of people will get different treatment.
F2: Race studies were portrayed in this film, because it shows the different races in the ship.
F3: Class studies. Because this film has shows social status obviously through their lifestyle. And it also shows that same social status should be group together.
F4: Same with M1, F1 and F3. Class studies is portrayed in this film because the status symbol in the movie is being portray most of the time especially the higher class will look down at the lower class.
Theme 3: The most memorable scene in the film 'Titanic'
M1: The most memorable scene for me is Jack let's Rose lying on wood but he die in the cold ocean. Feel touching, romantic and scarifies and this man are strong without worry shake attack. Their acting is too real like suffering plight; audience can feel the pain and sadness. There also have others memorable scene such as drawing naked body, make love inside the car, you jump I'm jump.
F1: The most memorable for me is after the ship sank, when Jack and Rose in the sea, because Jack is very mighty, he allow Rose go up to the float board that only can support one person and keep remind Rose that, she need to live and can't die. He still holds Rose's hand tightly, although he is died. It really very touches. The lighting and acting style are credited. This is because at this scene, the lighting only focuses on Jack and Rose face. So that, we can more focus on their face expression to more get into the storyline. An old couple hugs together and lying down on bed, when Jack and Rose dance at the lower class party also memorable to me.
F2: I still remember the scene that both of them hug in front of the ship, having sex in a car, Jack drew Rose's naked body and Jack slowly freezing to die in the iceberg ocean. The most memorable scene for me is when Jack hug Rose in front of the ship, because the scene very nice and romantic where fulfilled the 5 elements of mise-en-scene.
F3: Scene of conversation between Jack and Rose when the ship sinking. Because the words that spoken by Jack is touching, I am feeling sad because they are going to apart forever. The setting has did well because there is spectacular during the ship is sinking.
F4: The ship torn into two and everyone is falling from the ship. It is very spectacular. The acting style of the main character is good in this scene. They act very real although I know it is not real.
