Notes:

This isn't a chapter, just to let you know. I just wanted to share this as I wrote it for one of my classes at school. There is spoilers at least I think not too sure though, but anyway there are spoilers for the horror movie: Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark. The movie came out in 2019 so yeah. If you don't want spoilers you won't want to read this. Anyway as an overview of what I wrote, it is an analysis on multiple settings in the movie and how they connect to Mise En Scene.

Mise En Scene means the set, props and etc in a scene and the purpose it plays to the text. - That is just a simple definition of it.

Anyway if you want to read it, then that would be very appreciated. You don't have to but I would like it very much. Also if it isn't too much could you tell me what you think of it?

Alright here it is.

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Crime Horror Film – Directorial Choices for Settings

Setting One – The Bellows' House – Sarah Bellows:

The use of mise en scene in the setting of the Bellows' House makes the scene daunting and spine-chilling. The director Andre Ovredal has used mise en scene to make the scene scary for the viewers, and how this has been done is by the old, rusty, and abandoned look of the house, the interior appliances in the house looking worn down and covered in dust and spider webs. How the way the house is designed makes the scene scarier is because the director has designed it to look like it hasn't been used in centuries, but the spider webs and dust make the setting look abandoned which further adds to the fact that the house is designed to look scary.

Setting Two – Mill Valley – Stella:

The use of mise en scene in the setting of Mill Vally makes the whole movie alarming and hair-raising. The director Andre Overdal has used mise en scene to make the movie scary for the viewers, and how this has been done is how the whole place is designed. The set that majorly adds to the use of mise en scene is the set in and around the Bellows' House. The set used in the scenes that are held at the Bellows' House are all rusty, old and covered in dust. How the way that the Bellows' House is designed helps to make Mill Valley scarier is because the director has designed it to look horrifying but also spotlights the fact that there is little known about Mill Valley especially by the people who live there.

Setting Three – Auggies House – Auggie:

The use of mise en scene in the setting of Auggie's House makes the whole scene nerve-racking and eerie. The director Andre Overdal has used mise en scene to portray the scene as alarming and creepy. The way this has been showcased is by the use of clothing that the creature that kills Auggie wears and the scratch marks that appear on the wooden floors when Auggie runs his nails over it as he gets dragged into the unknown abyss. How the way that the scratch marks that appear on the wooden floor when Auggie is dragged into the unknown make the scene creepier, is because it adds a sense of ambiguousness to the scene making it ten times more interesting and daunting.

Setting Four – The Drive Inn – Romain:

The use of mise en scene in the setting of the Drive Inn makes the whole scene feel unnerving and chilling. The director Andre Overdal has used mise en scene to explore the first meeting of Romain, Stella, Auggie and Chuck which in itself is spin-chilling as they don't meet on such fabulous terms and have to try and deal with Tommy, but the way it helps to explore this is by the use of the set and props. The set pieces used were a multitude of cars, an outdoor movie screen and the wall that Auggie, Stella and Chuck climb over or under depending on the character. And the props used are Tommy's bat and a piece of Romain's things. How the use of Tommy's bat helps to showcase the use of mise en scene in the scene to make the scene scarier is by the way it is used. Tommy uses the bat to inflict terror into Stella, Auggie and Chuck, which indeed causes them to become terrified. But the way this makes the scene scarier is due to the fact that it makes the scene so much more real and petrifying even if not intentionally meant that way.

Setting Five – The School Play – Ruth:

The use of mise en scene in the setting the School Play makes the scene feel fearsome and disturbing. The director Andre Overdal has used mise en scene to portray the scene of the school play as a frightening and terror inducing. The set and props used in the scene helps to showcase the use of mise en scene by Chuck throwing a bucket of water at Ruth to get the spiders that were coming out of her off, which made them scatter everywhere causing a petrifying scene to be displayed on the screen that would send everyone with Arachnophobia into a coma.

Setting Six – The Farm – Tommy:

The use of mise en scene in the setting the Farm makes the scene feel demoralising and distressing. The director Andre Overdal has used mise en scene to explore that if you mess with something or someone too many times it could end with your downfall whether it be your popularity or even your death. But the use of mise en scene in the scene by the use of props adds to the already grewsome death of Tommy in the scene by Harold the scarecrow but adds a layer of depth to the scene making the potential meaning behind the scene so much darker and therefore scarier.

Setting Seven – The Asylum – Chuck:

The use of mise enscene in the setting of the Asylum makes the scene seem bone-chilling and horrid.The director Andre Overdal has used mise en scene to explore the importancesomeone can mean to another. The way this is showcased is by the prop ofChuck's pen. The pen signifies the importance someone can be to another personand that if they open up to you, you should listen as it may end up killingthem. The way this is shown is by Chuck having constantly told Stella andRomain that he doesn't want this, but they don't listen, and it ends up killinghim, the killing of Chuck symbolises the feeling of your thoughts beingrejected when you try to share them and they end up killing you internally. Sohow this makes the scene so much scarier is because of the dark meaning behindthe scene and the use of mise en scene as the pen showcasing the realisationthat you have messed up.

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Notes:

I hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading it. I love you all and please remember you are loved and cared for. Bye for now my wonderful children. 😊