Think about the mise-en-scene in Let the Right One In. Examine all aspects of mise-en-scene: lighting, composition, set, properties, etc. This would include color as well. Discuss the concept of "monster" through the mise-en-scene of the film. Choose another "vampire" film (including Nosferatu, if you're not a vampire movie lover) and compare and contrast the concept of "monster" through various elements of mise-en-scene.
Choose one five minute scene from each movie to discuss.
Let the Right One In makes the most of the dreary Swedish winter landscape while shooting, and juxtaposes the quiet environment with the harsh red of the blood of Eli’s victims. In one particular scene, where the bullies attempt to drown Oskar, the quiet calming effect of the pool is juxtaposed by Eli’s violent rescue. The scene begins with Oskar and the coach working out in the pool and ends with Eli and Oskar on the train together. Most of the pool room is in light colors, mainly shades of blues, but Martin, Connie, and Jimmy are portrayed in darker colored clothes, making them appear out of place. Andreas, the one child who is very visibly shaken while bullying Oskar, is portrayed in lighter colors, with a light brown jacket over his white pants and shirt. This choice allows Andreas to keep some semblance of innocence, while the others have already committed to torturing Oskar. The brown jacket represents the shield Andreas puts up in order to stay out of Oscars position. Jimmy, the most sadistic out of the four boys, is portrayed wearing a brownish-red outfit, one that resembles dried blood, a contrast from both the pool’s calm blues and Eli’s vivid reds. This difference between the color schemes of the bullies and Eli present them as two sides of the same coin, with one major difference, Eli is evil out of necessity whereas the bullies are evil by choice. The vivid red that Eli is often associated with next to the muted reds of the bullies provide a visual for the life Eli has through evil, for her it is an act of survival. In the 1922 silent film, Nosferatu, however there is a definite line between good and evil. In the final scene of the film, as well as the rest of the film, the vampire is presented in dark clothing while his victim is portrayed in white. Not only is Nosferatu wearing black, he is surrounded by darkness, while his victim, the “pure-hearted” Ellen is seen wearing white while surrounded by her white sheets. The white frames of the window represent the one thing keeping Nosferatu out of Ellen’s room, and by opening them Ellen invites the evil in. Ellen’s husband, Thomas Hutter, is portrayed wearing a white shirt with black pants, representing the “curse” of Nosferatu, the one that Ellen sacrifices herself to break. As Nosferatu climbs the stairs to get to Ellen, his form is represented by a shadow rather than his body, reinforcing his presence as an evil entity. The use of color to represent good and evil visually enforces the growth of the “monster” in horror films - from pure evil to a child fighting for survival. The idea of the monster is no longer a black and white issue, with many audience members being able to sympathize with them rather than just fear them, and as this portrayal has gotten more complex, filmmakers must be able to keep up cinematically.
ReplyDeleteLet The Right One In, although a monster movie, is very grounded in a normal world. Colors are mostly dull, not too much brightness- even during the day it seems gloomy. When their is lighting, it is natural lighting with artificial lights. Some examples of this would be street lamps for fluorescent lights. This lighting combined with the dull colors of everyone's clothes, the dull colors of the houses and rooms, and the snow, all contribute to this dreary atmosphere. The color red is the color of blood, anger, revenge, but also love. Much of the implicit meaning of the film can be derived from the use of the color red. Although a horror film, a lot of the narrative surrounds Oskar and his troubles of fitting in. The specific scene I have chosen to analyze is the pool scene at the very end of the movie. It starts off with Oskar doing exercises with the coach and then ends with the little boy sobbing in the corner of the frame. This is the climax of the movie and displays the lengths that Eli will go to for Oskar. The bully’s older brother is wearing all red to connote the anger and sadist nature in his character. Then there's the red of all of their blood in the pool. Then their is the blood on Eli as she helps Oskar up from the water. Red in this scene is used not only as anger (the bully’s brother), but also of the revenge, love, and bloodshed that Eli creates. Color is so important to this movie. In contrast, the vampire movie from 1932 Vampyr portrays a very different type of narrative. It is in black and white, and therefore doesn’t have any color theory to be analyzed. It also has a very very different type of monster. The vampire in Let The Right One In is incredibly sympathetic, and when we see what Eli does for Oskar, we are so happy of the romance that has grown between them. In Vampyr, we are not meant to sympathize for the vampire. The vampire and his mortal assistant the village doctor are evil people, wreaking havoc and trying to murder everyone. The main character finds a book describing just how awful vampires are and how they are souls in purgatory on earth that just want to cause harm. In Vampyr, the vampires are the bad guys, but in Let The Right One In, the vampire isn’t the bad guy, the bullies are. Lastly, Vampyr also differs from Let The Right One In by the way it portrays the world. In Let The Right One In, as stated above, it seems very realistic, but in Vampyr, the world is more of a dream, with crazy distorted lighting and action. Although these films are very different from one another, they are both vampire films with great cinematic merit.
ReplyDeleteLet the Right One In is a 2008 swedish vampire coming of age film. The movie centers around Oskar a human boy who is constantly getting bullied at school, and Eli who is a vampire that is “12 years old”. The movie keeps the surroundings dark to make sure that it is constantly gloomy that is used to have us see the world to see through Oskar’s eyes because he is constantly sad because he was bullied. Not only was the set dull and gloomy, the lighting also contributed to the dark and gloomy. A vampire movie that is very comparable to the set and lighting is Twilight, which is a 2008 american vampire coming of age film. The lighting in this film is also extremely gloomy, as Bella is a new girl in here new town and she very much does not like it. The set is also snowy and gloomy as much like Let the Right One In, they both game out the same year, so the movies probably had similar influence. The influence of Twilight I believe came from the fact the United states was coming close to another depression around this time.
ReplyDeleteThe mise-en-scene in “Let the Right One In” is stark, cold and dark. However, through this darkness, beauty shines through. Through the film’s use of cinematography and lighting, the audience can almost feel the harsh cold which the characters are experiencing. The film is shocking, and can any moment switch direction and feature an incredibly graphicly violent moment, all of which is done realistically and with practical effects. It all contributes to the tone of bleakness which emits from all aspects of the movie.
ReplyDelete“Let the Right One In”, could, in a sense, be classified as a monster movie. After all, it features vampires as some of its main characters and plot devices. However, unlike other vampire films of the past, such as “Nosferatu”, the movie does not portray these characters as “monsters”, per say. Take, for example, the scenes in both movies in which the vampire is first introduced. Character introductions and first impressions on the audience are important, so therefore these two scenes are of incredible value when examining the films. In “Nosferatu”, the scene in which the vampire is introduced is meant to be scary to the viewer. It is shot in dark shadows, allowing suspense and fear to build. When we do see the monster, he is hideous and terrifying to look at, with his long ears, sharp teeth and stone white face. Everything about this scene goes to tell the viewer that we should be scared of this character. However, this is not the case in “Let the Right One In.” Instead of having her first scene be a scene in which she attacks a victim, the vampires first scene is when she meets the young boy on the playground outside their apartment. The two sit and converse. This immediately lets the viewer know that this film is attempting to show a more human side that monstrous side. The choice to portray the vampire as a young girl is very effective. Naturally we love children, and as a result we are more accepting of this character, even after we see her commit horrible violence against others. “Let the Right One In”, is less of a movie that examines monsters, but more of a movie that examines humans, through the eyes of monsters.
When thinking of the mise-en-scene of the 2008 Swedish film Let the Right One In, a lot of pale colors are present, contrasted by a bold red. Because of the plain locations, snowy weather, and skin of the children, there is a lot of light, beige tones that fill up the screen throughout. Red is used as a pop out color in clothing items or miscellaneous objects for a number of symbolic reasons. Perhaps the most obvious is because red is the color of blood, emphasizing the “monster” side of Eli’s character when we see her attached to an innocent victim’s neck. On the flip side, red also resembles the color of love in relations to the heart, roses, etc. Eli and Oskar’s romance is represented on the screen in this way, reflected all the way this seemingly young girl is not at all a monster. These two aspects come together in one of the last scenes of the film at the school’s pool when Eli kills the boys attempting Oskar’s life. This is the first time she kills the guilty for someone else’s benefit, creating an even more conflicted look at the word “monster.” A lot of the film is dark, as well. It seems almost everytime Eli kills someone it is in the dark or night time, on account for the fact she doesn’t want to be caught. Her apartment is dark as well, not letting any light into her life until her and Oskar’s relationship develop. At their best times, the two kids have warm, bright, homely moments in Oskar’s apartment, making it seem like Eli is nowhere near a monster. The term monster is very complicated when it comes to vampires because, generally, it is an act of survival rather than evil. Another vampire movie is The Hunger which came out in 1983. The visual composure of this film is very unlike the mise-en-scene of Let The Right One in. It puts a very heavy emphasis on the way things look, but goes for a themes of seduction, timelessness, and edginess instead. The vampire couple that open the film are shown in a club with all black ensembles including sunglasses indoors. There is almost non-stop cigarette smoke swirling around them, just adding onto this established “cool” effect. In no way are they shown as actual monsters, but definitely far from normal.
ReplyDeleteThe mise en scène of Let the Right One In is largely very subtle, with an gloomy and sad tone. This overall melancholy is emphasized by the act that the film takes place for the most part at night, where it is very dark and quiet. If the film were instead bright and loud and thus more “in your face”, the audience would likely perceive Eli as more violent as opposed to sympathizing with her as a result of the sad feel of the environment in the film. When Eli attacks, she is shot from far away or not shown at all to avoid outright portraying her as violent, which would be the effect of a close up shot. The color red makes subtle appearances in numerous shots throughout the film, through various props. The color has connotations of love but also of violence and in this film functions as a reminder of blood, which is directly related to the fact that Eli is a vampire and needs blood to survive. Red making slight appearances is meant to remind the audience of the subject of the film. If the red were shown more direct and as a larger focal point in shots, the audience would likely get a more violent impression of the vampire, which was not the intent of the film. The film takes place in ordinary locations- such as people’s homes and a school. Nothing is represented as particularly outlandish with the set, as everything looks like a place normal people would inhabit and occupy. The way the monster, Eli, is represented is not vicious or brutal. Eli is not a conventional monster, but the film still portrays her as a predator, even if she needs to attack others to survive. Eli looks more like a human than a typical monster, she doesn’t have grotesque features. Instead, the hair and makeup simply makes her look slightly dead or just very sick. Eli’s appearance is more subtly morbid as opposed to overly ugly and monstrous. A vampire movie that takes an opposite approach to the portrayal of monsters is the 1987 film The Lost Boys. The vampires in this movie are shown as much less human because of the dramatic makeup giving them abnormal features when they attack. The vampires in The Lost Boys are shown as teenagers or young adults, while Eli is shown as a child. The vampires in The Lost Boys’ age is emphasized through their clothing such as their leather jackets and the fact that they ride motorcycles. Eli is not meant to look older, as she’s dressed like a child and very shy like a child would be. Eli being displayed as a child makes the audience sympathize with her more, while the Lost Boys vampires are portrayed as rowdy teenagers and meant to be hated by the audience.
ReplyDeleteThe mise-en-scene of Let the Right One In emphasizes the dreary atmosphere of Sweden, playing up the dull blues and browns alongside white and grey, resulting in more vibrant colors, specifically red, having a more powerful presence when it appears in frame. Often, red is used to remind the audience of Eli’s vampirism, evoking blood imagery, arguably to remind us that she is a monster. It is also arguable, however, that Eli is not the only monster shown in the movie. One scene where this is evident through analyzation of mise-en-scen, fairly early in the film, is the scene where Håkan prepares to get blood for Eli and murders a man in the woods. The scene opens with Håkan pouring an unidentified light red liquid into the sink. The scene opens with a medium close-up on the jug with the liquid in it, but the focus is on the background rather than the container, creating ambiguity about not just his actions, but the intensity of whatever Håkan is doing. This also creates closed framing, which makes the action seem more secretive. This cuts to a pan up that reveals Håkan, wearing a bright red sweater, making him stand out from the environment around him, as well as reinforcing the intensity of whatever he’s doing. He continues to get ready, and there’s a shot of him pointing the light of a flashlight at his face, before turning it away. The lack of colors in the shot, paired with the darkness that encompasses Håkan, indicates that whatever Håkan is going to do is secretive and likely morally grey. This is reinforced by the slight dutch angle created by the shelf in frame when Håkan prepares a gas mask - whatever he is doing is off-kilter from typical societal behavior. There is a long shot of him in the woods as he knocks out an unsuspecting passersby, framed with close framing, particularly when Håkan actually knocks the man out - both their bodies are obscured by a tree trunk, only partially visible. Håkan’s acts are hidden from society - reinforced by the lack of vibrant color in the shot, as well. There is, however, a single lamppost behind Håkan - showcasing that Håkan is fully aware of his actions and does not shy away from them. Most of the following shots of Håkan taking blood from the dead body have Håkan’s body obscuring the dead one, again with a severe lack of color in the frame. Once again, Håkan is obscuring his actions from society, while being fully aware of his actions and their impact. The intensity of his actions is again heightened by the next shot, of a close-up of blood dripping down the bucket placed beneath the dead body - the red blood deeply contrasted against the pale bucket. At some point, a group of people and their dog discover Håkan in the woods, at which point Håkan quickly runs off, doing so behind the trees and the dead body, showing that he is now closed in by his actions and no longer unnoticed by society. Throughout the scene, all of Håkan’s actions are reinforced by the framing to be shifty or morally gray, and the usage of red regarding his costuming and his actions is especially notable, considering that there is no red other than what he wears and causes (via the murder of the man).
ReplyDeleteAnother vampire film is Interview with the Vampire, which, like Let The Right One In, is adapted from a novel. In this movie, a man named Louis is turned into a vampire by Lestat as a result of his lack of appreciation for life. Louis is disgusted by killing humans, opting to drink animal blood instead, while Lestat relishes in “hunting” humans. For a while, Lestat and Louis travel together, Lestat constantly mocking Louis for his perceived weakness. In general, the mise-en-scen of the film is dreary, with dark colors and shadows, reflecting Louis’ nihilistic worldview as well as the darkness that being a vampire results, while scenes that emphasize Lestat’s worldview typically emphasize the red of blood. One scene where the mise-en-scen emphasizes the difference between the two is the first scene after Louis becomes a vampire, where Louis and Lestat are at a party. There are multiple shots of the party-goers, one notable one being a masked man in all black pretending to hit another masked man wearing red, which serves as a tongue-in-cheek reflection of vampires killing people exclusively to consume their blood. There is a cut to Lestat and Louis, eating dinner with a woman. Lestat, to the left of frame, is cast in shadows, and Louis, to the right, is lit by a group of candles that he is sitting behind. This overtly represents Lestat’s embrace of vampire culture and the darkness that comes with it versus Louis’ hesitation and maintenance of morality (and, as he is behind the candles, creating closed framing, the restrictions this creates). The woman is attempting to seduce Lestat, and he uses that to his advantage to bite her neck, which is shown by a close-up on his face where his teeth are covered in blood, vibrant compared to the other colors in frame. Louis and Lestat end up both taking blood from her, which is intercut with a shot of the two party-goers from earlier pretending to have sex, drawing a parallel between the vampires drawing blood and sex, or possibly rape, as the woman does not know what they are actually doing to her. When they are done, Louis states that he will not kill her, cradling her in his arms, and Lestat states that he has already killed her, so Louis will not have to worry about it. By cradling the woman, Louis has boxed himself in the frame, creating closed framing, showing that he feels regret about his actions and trapped by his new lifestyle, while Lestat is boxed in by nothing, showing his lack of regret and emotion. Additionally, Louis is hunched over, and wearing clothing that is similar brown to the woman’s clothes, while Lestat is sitting straight up, making him much larger in frame, as well as wearing a deep purple - showcasing Lestat’s power and difference in opinion to his friend.
DeleteUltimately, both films place an emphasis on the “monster” being whoever is willing to kill, whether it be for their own benefit or for others. Håkan is portrayed as monstrous because of the murder he commits, much earlier and much more intently than Eli is, despite her being the actual vampire, while Lestat is portrayed as unfeeling and uncaring (and thus monstrous), especially in comparison to Louis.
The 2008 Swedish film Let the Right One In is defined through its dreary and dark landscape, which is constantly blanketed in shadow and a white layer of snow. In fact, the set of the film is the most powerful tool in setting the mood, as its lack of color is used to contrast with the blood of Eli’s victims. Whenever Eli attacks a victim, their blood stains the white scenery, breathing life into the frame. This in a way shows the tragedy of Eli’s character, who must kill to survive, as represented by the blood’s bright color in a film which often lacks color. Color is also utilized to define the idea of a “monster” within the narrative. Eli is seen as a “monster”, as she feeds on the innocent populus at the dead of night. She is depicted with pale skin, matching the pale landscape of the set. However, many of the characters share this skin tone, showing that Eli is not that much different from any other person. This is furthered through the actions of Oskar’s bullies, who attempt to kill Oskar at the end of the film. While Eli kills to survive, Oskar’s bullies kill and cause pain out of boredom, blurring the lines between who is the true monster. Oskar’s bullies share a similar skin tone to Eli, showing that they are truly no different from her, and in fact may be much worse due to their intentions. The director also furthers this notion through the manipulation of the aforementioned color red. While red is indicative of blood, it is also a symbol for love. This is important, as it allows the director to further humanize Eli by displaying the love between her and Oskar. This is no more apparent than in a scene in which Eli is sleeping, and a neighbor attempts to kill her while she is defenseless. Oskar comes to the rescue, distracting him long enough for Eli to kill him. The love the two share is then shown, as they embrace despite the fresh blood on Eli’s person. Normally, blood represents the monstrous side of Eli, but in this scene it is a part of the affection Oskar and her share. Eli has opened up to Oskar, and their embrace following the act shows that he has accepted her for who she is. The presence of red is not exclusive to the blood however, as Eli is shown wearing red during the sequence. This is important to note, as she is not shown wearing colorful clothing until that point, often opting to wear colors such as white. This shows a shift in Eli’s character, brought forth by the presence of Oskar. Until that moment, Eli hides from her demons, as reflected in the colors she chooses to wear. Oskar’s acceptance of her allows her to be herself, as well as shift her perception of her affliction. Red no longer becomes a symbol of misdeeds for Eli, but instead of love and survival.
ReplyDeleteWhile Let the Right One In attempts to blur the lines between “monster” and human, other films such as Nosferatu (1922) keep the issue much more black and white. In Nosferatu (1922), the monster is depicted to be the embodiment of evil, only existing to cause destruction upon the common man. Unlike Eli, Nosferatu is not humanized in any way, instead becoming a symbol of an unstoppable and improbable force of villainy. However, much like Eli, Nosferatu is characterized through color, or the lack thereof. In the final scene of the movie, Ellen is shown sleeping on a bed of pure white, while also wearing a white dress. By doing this, the director has characterized Ellen as pure, or the embodiment of good within the film. Contrastingly, the walls of her room are black, and a deep shadow is cast upon her as she lies in bed. This creates a sense of impending danger, that the darkness is surrounding her and encroaching upon her purity.
This danger is confirmed as Ellen looks out of her window, greeted by the grimace of a threatening Count Orlok. Count Orlok completely contrasts Ellen, being the black to her white, the evil to her good. He is completely covered in dark clothing, with no semblance of color other than his pale white skin. He is seen standing behind a paneless window frame, furthering the insinuation of danger as it appears as Ellen’s last line of defense from the vampire. Eventually, Count Orlok’s true evil is cemented as he enters the home of Ellen and begins drinking her blood. Unlike Eli however, he takes great pleasure in his actions, casting the room in shadow and savoring his kill. However, this becomes his end as he is too distracted to realize that the sun has risen. The room fills with light, and his darkness is cast away.
DeleteLet the Right One In has a sympathetic portrayal of the monster. One scene that shows this is when they first meet outside and Oskar is playing with a Rubik’s cube. Since it is nighttime and it’s snowy it looks very dark and dreary. There is not a not of color. So, the Rubik’s cube stands out. This toy is something that begins to forge the connection between the two children so having it stand out indicates its importance. Also, the colorfulness gives a feeling of youth as well, showing that Eli is still just a kid despite being vampire who is technically really old. It adds a bit of life into what is otherwise a visually lifeless scene. In terms of shot composition and framing the camera is fairly close to their faces and there is shallow focus. This draws attention to their faces and the conversation being had.
ReplyDeleteA movie this can be compared to is The Little Vampire from 2000. I know this is a kids’ movie, but it was one of my favorite movies as a kid and I think that there are definitely some similarities to Let the Right One In. They both have a similar approach to the portrayal of the monster. The Little Vampire is about a lonely kid, Tony, who becomes friends with a vampire named Rudolph. There is a scene that is similar to the scene I chose for Let the Right One In as it also uses mise-en-scene to portray the vampire sympathetically. When Rudolph is hiding in Tony’s room, he says he has to sleep in a coffin, so Tony empties his toy chest. This is in the middle of the night so the scene is very dark with a lot of cool colors, again making it look a bit lifeless. However when the toy chest is opened there are colorful toys in it, namely Tony’s Gameboy which Rudolph begins to play with. He has no clue what it is so Tony explains it to him and their friendship begins as they are able to connect over something.
Both films notably use color to make the vampires more youthful. Colorful toys like the Rubik’s cube and Gameboy stand out from the cold, dreary surroundings. However that’s really where the similarities end. Let the Right One In uses shallow focus to portray the connection between Eli and Oskar more effectively. The Little Vampire on the other hand is pretty flat-looking, which is a characteristic of many 2000s kids’ movies. These two films both portray the monster character in a sympathetic light by using mise-en-scene to bring a sense of childhood and youthfulness to the scene, in addition to strengthening the friendships of the characters.
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ReplyDeleteThe mise-en-scene of Let The Right One In, is a careful combination of editing, cinematography, color grading, and direction that lend to the overall “feel” of the film. To start, the color grading of the film is decisively desaturated, which fits with the horror elements that the film is attempting to accomplish. Not only does the desaturated color scheme fit a narrative purpose, but it adds to the brutality of the action on screen, the murders, disturbing characters, etc. The world these characters inhabit is bloody and misunderstanding, and the cinematography highlights and emphasizing this through the bland color grading. We as an audience are suppose to look at any frame of the film and feel depressed, much like the characters. The costumes are rather mundane; they fit within a fictionalized version of reality that is reality that just so happens to have vampires. This creates a false sense of security that the plot is within a grounded reality, but this reality is jarringly violated whenever the bloody vampire activities take place. Yet, it also emphasizes the horrors of real life issues, such as bullying, which leads to no disconnect when that harsh reality is portrayed in the film. The film does not rely on rapid cuts to heighten the scars when they fo happen, rather, the shots are in presented in wide long takes that aim to present the entire action to the viewer, showing the violence for what it is, and pulls no punches in its overall presentation to give a scare. This is much like what Nosferatu did in the long takes used to create tension in that no cutaways meant that the viewer cannot look away from the action. The action must be viewed, and it is viewed in Nosferatu as it is in this film, in a long take to create a sense of real time, further breaking the curtain between film and reality, which is what I believe the main goal of the mise-en-scene of this film is to be. To blur and warp the lines between fiction and reality.
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