A MISE EN SCÈNE ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF COLOR RED IN THE FILM “SIN CITY”
This whole research proposal was one of many topics I wanted to discuss for my final paper. In the end, for some reasons I didn't go with it so enjoy reading this "failed proposal."
1. Introduction
1.1.
Background
Visual representation
in a movie contains meaning and could not be set aside. Aspects such setting,
character, plot, themes make movie as a whole, and it can be analyzed further
in literature field of study, specifically film studies. In movies, one of the
details that speak to the viewers is color, as Gibbs (2002) states that color
is an important expressive element for film-makers, and is often mobilized by
means of costume, which has the advantage of a direct association with a
particular character. It might equally, however, be a feature of the lighting,
the set decoration, or particular props. Bellantoni (2005) also mentions that
colors indeed have their own language, which can visually help define a character
arc or layer a story. As one tool for the director to speak to the viewers,
color, in many cases can be used as an effective means of enforcing an
underlying message (Wright, 2004). The study of color in a film itself is under
the terms of Mise-en-scène in Film
Studies. Thus, Gibbs (2005) includes
color to discuss in terms of film’s visual style together with lighting,
costume, décor, properties, and actors as a part of Mise-en-scène’s elements.
Some movies are
presented according to its genre and themes, and color can be a distinguishable
feature of a movie, as seen on “Sin City’s” significant use of red. Three
directors, Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino released an
anthology of a crime movie entitled “Sin City in 2005”. The whole story of the
movie represented visually by only few shades of color, or color tone in film
studies, which are black and white color spectrums with some hints of bright
tone such as red, yellow, and green. Out of the vibrant colors used, red is the
most remarkable and prominent one. The themes brought in the movie are crime,
violence, and sex and some researchers believe that each color symbolizes
something. Stokes (2011) has observed this symbolism in her research paper with
the title “Sin City: An Object Lesson in Colour” in general. She selected some
scenes that is considered as important and scrutinized the colors’ details.
This research will focus on only the color of red and according to
psychological studies, the color of red are closely related to physical courage,
strength, aggression, visual impact, and any other adjectives related to energy
(Wright, 2004). With the duration of 2h and 27m with changing scenes and settings,
the color of red is mostly used as highlighter of the movies’ properties and
sets. The color of red that is put on some items in the movie may work as a
tool for the director to emphasize or develop its plot or theme as a crime
movie, as Bellantoni (2005) claims that red can activate whatever latent
passions you might bring to the table, or to the movie. Red is power, but red
doesn’t come with a moral imperative. With that theory, the contrast color tone
of the scenes emphasized by the directors may indeed imply any further meanings
of the directors’ ideas or even ideology in presenting the story.
Thus, this paper will
observe and analyze the use of color, specifically red, throughout the scenes
and whether it contributes to the story, plot, and themes of “Sin City”. The
research will be based on theories of Mise-en-scène
by (White & Corrigan (2004) and how the use of color affects its movie by
Bellantoni (2005). Using qualitative research design and visual research
methods, the study will include analysis of the color usage and placement in
the scenes, discussion on whether its usage represents or affects anything in
terms of its elements of Mise-en-scène,
and further analysis of the color red contribution or effect to the development
of the plot and theme.
1.2.
Purposes of Research
Thus, this paper will
observe and analyze the use of color, specifically red, throughout the scenes
and whether it contributes to the story, plot, and themes of “Sin City”. This
paper aims to see how the color of red is used throughout the scenes in the
movie, as a highlighter for some items in contrast to the black, grey, and
white color tone of the movie. Furthermore, researcher hopes to expose the
reasons of its significant use by seeing how the color of red contributes to
the theme and plot. In terms of its topic, this study about the significant use
of color red in the movie “Sin City” is expected to be a contribution to
literature and art field of studies.
1.3.
Statements of Problems
In regard to the importance of
color in a movie, researcher considered the phenomena as a topic that can be
scrutinize further.
1.
How is the
color of red being used in the movie scenes?
2.
Why the
color of red is being used significantly amidst the color tone of black and
white in this movie?
3.
How does the
use of color red contribute to the plot and theme?
1.4.
Clarification of terms
This paper uses the title of “A Mise En Scène Analysis of The Use of Color Red in The Film “Sin
City.” In this section, terms and words that are used including Mise en scène, color red, film, and “Sin
City” will be given explanation and clarification.
Mise
en scène as listed in Oxford Dictionary
is defined as the arrangement of the scenery, props, etc. on the stage of a theatrical production or on
the set of a film(English). As for the origin of the word itself, the term
derives from French which has literal meaning for ‘putting on stage’ (Oxford Dictionary).
Lathrop and Sutton (2008) refer Mise
en scène to all the visual elements of a theatrical production
within the space provided by the stage itself.
Color as defined literally by Oxford Dictionary is the
property possessed by an object of producing different sensations on the eye as
a result of the way it reflects or emits light. In this case, color in terms of
literature as explained by Gibbs (2002) specifically in film studies, is an important expressive element
for film-makers, and is often mobilized by means of costume, which has the
advantage of a direct association with a particular character. It might
equally, however, be a feature of the lighting, the set decoration, or
particular props. The red itself can be defined as a
color at the end of the spectrum next to orange and opposite violet, as of
blood, fire, or rubies (Oxford Dictionary).
Film, defined by Oxford Dictionary, is a
story or event recorded by a camera as a set of moving images and shown in a
cinema or on television. To avoid any misconception, film is as the same as
movie, as Dick (2005) states that whether
we use the word “movie” or “cinema”, we are discussing the same “spoke” of the
umbrella term “film.”
“Sin City” is a movie directed by Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez,
and Quentin Tarantino as the first of “Sin City” anthology which was released
in 2005. The duration of the movie is 2h 27m and the genre of the film is
Neo-Noir Crime Thriller (IMDb).
2. Review of
Related Literature
2.1.
Mise en scène
In film studies,
every element that is inside and even outside a movie is being scrutinized and
it has been studied under the term of Mise
en scène. Every detail that
is shown in each frame of a movie is important, and those little details are the
elements of Mise
en scène.
As a media of
expression, movie has been a way for directors to execute his ideas visually.
Those ideas contain ideological meanings and it is spread to many elements of
the movie. A director can put his thought into pieces which believed to be one
way to reach the audience directly and indirectly. Bordwell & Thompson (2008)
states that, film scholars use the term to signify the director's control over
what appears in the film frame. The filmmaker may control setting in many ways. One way is to select an
already existing locale in which to stage the action, a practice stretching
back to the earliest films. The overall design of a setting can shape how we
understand story action. In the course of a narrative, a prop may become a
motif. Through a movie, a director communicates to the audience, making it
important for her/him to cautiously put everything into the frame. Gibbs (2002)
mentions that Mise-en-scène talks
about framing, camera movement, the particular lens employed and other photographic
decisions. Mise-en-scène therefore encompasses both what the audience can see,
and the way in which we are invited to see it, thus it refers to many of the
major elements of communication in the cinema, and the combinations through
which they operate expressively (Gibbs, 2002). Its importance is further
emphasized by White & Corrigan (2004) by providing real life mise-en-scene
example. As they further explain, Mise-en-scène
surrounds us every day, and it can be seen from such general things like a
town’s architecture as a public Mise-en-scène,
and a bedroom’s decoration as a private Mise-en-scène.
Bordwell and Thompson (2008) also points out that many of our most sharply etched
memories of the cinema turn out to center on mise-en-scene, because what we
tend to remember a movie by its vivid visual impression, aside from its story.
The elements of
mise-en scene, as suggested by White & Corrigan (2004), contains the scenic
elements of a movie, including actors, lighting, sets and settings, costumes,
make-up, and other features of the image that exist independent of the camera
and the processes of filming and editing. Gibbs (2002) further elaborates the
elements into lighting, costume, color, properties, décor, action and
performance, space, the position of the camera, framing, showing how many
variables interacted and connected to make a single frame. But, according to
many studies, its elements can be seen by five big points which are lighting,
costumes and make up, properties and decoration, actor and performance, color.
In his book, Gibbs
(2002) mentions that the organization of light, actors and camera makes
possible a series of suggestive readings. The three is functional to create a
dramatic atmosphere of a situation, or even the plot itself. How a character
moves through light or how the lightning on the character changes within a
single mise en scene can signal important information about the character and
story (White & Corrigan, 2004). In terms of costume and make up, movies can
sometimes become iconic because of its characters’ clothes and overall look, or
the way the character dress may hints information that can lead to audiences’
interpretation. It is pointed out by White & Corrigan (2004) that how
actors are costumed and made up can play a central part in a film as well,
describing tensions and changes in the character and the story. Lathrop and
Sutton (2008) also reveal that costume can imply, too, psychological
disposition of characters. As for makeup, it can be a tool for the actor to
emphasize an emotions or expressions (White & Corrigan, 2004). Another
element is properties and decorations where White & Corrigan (2004) studied
that properties acquire special significance when they are used to express
characters’ thoughts and feelings. Gibbs (2002) studied that the arrangement of
everything that is put into a room or anything shown in a frame may give
important message. As the one who frequently shown in the frame, the
performance of actors in a movie is also relevant, even White & Corrigan
(2004) argue that actor who embodies and performs fa film character through
gestures and movements is at the center most of Mise-en-scène. As for the performance, it describes the actors’ use
of language, physical expression, and gesture to bring a character to life and
to communicate important dimensions of that character to the audience. Because
characters help us see and understand the action and world of film and because
performance is an interpretation of that character by an actor, many films are
made or broken by an actor’s performance, as proposed by White & Corrigan
(2004). In this element, Lathrop and Sutton (2008) added figure expression in
which refers to the facial expressions and the posture of an actor, whereas
figure movement refers to all other actions of the actor, including gestures. The
last element, color, will be further elaborated on the next section.
2.2.
The Function of Color in Movie
As one element under Mise-en-scène, like any other elements,
color also plays an important role. Gibbs (2002) states that color is an
important expressive element for film-makers, and is often mobilized by means
of costume, which has the advantage of a direct association with a particular
character. It might equally, however, be a feature of the lighting, the set
decoration, or particular props. Bellantoni (2005) further agrees in which
colors indeed have their own language, which can visually help define a
character arc or layer a story. When the filmmaker uses color to create
parallels among elements of setting, a color motif may become associated with
several props (Bordwell & Thompson, 2008). Color can also be a tool for
symbolism, Stokes (2011) has observed this symbolism in her research paper
where states, colors used in movies are highly symbolic, and both emphasize the
symbolism inherent in the film’s genre as well as provide associations with
‘real’ life for the viewer.
Another perspective
of color has been studied by Magrin-Chagnolleau (2013) where he proposes that
color and light go closely together. Colors are the components of light. So
anything that generates light or reflects it or let it go through has an impact
on what is seen and on the colors of the scene. But on his paper, he further
reveals that in film, every choice relative to the set, props, and
costumes also has an impact on the general color perception. And in the end, it
is the combination of the two (the elements on stage and the lighting) that
provides the audience with an emotional experience, partly impacted by the
color perception.
Color in movies then
considered as an important element of a movie, as Costa (2011) studies that the use of color in cinema involves explanations and associations
at three different levels. She mentions the physical level as the first one, in the way
that color can affect the viewer giving him/her a more or less pleasing feeling. The second level is the psychological, because color can
stimulate psychological responses. The aesthetic is mentioned as the third level, because
colors can be chosen selectively according to the effect they can produce,
considering their balance, proportion and composition within the film.
It is found that color in movie affects the psychological
aspect of its viewers. Science has always recognized the link between color and
mood/behavior and there is a large body of scientific research into it (Wright,
2004). Regarding to the idea that color is subjective, she argues that response
(of colors) is subjective but, when the study of color harmony is combined with
the science of psychology, reactions can be predicted with startling accuracy.
In the paper, she further explained that originally color’s psychology and
symbolism are two different thing. Historically, what is often described as
color psychology is actually color symbolism – the conscious associations that
we are conditioned to make. These associations often coincide with color
psychology but they are by no means the same thing. She gives example of the
color red that can be symbolized as blood and associated with war, but
psychologically can trigger aggression. Thus, in film, as stated by Costa
(2011), the colors used can be the combination of both, and it is a matter of
the director’s intention. Color is one of the elements rarely recognized by the
audience as manipulating them, and this subliminal quality can be magic in the
director’s hands—or not (Bellantoni, 2005).
2.3.
Red in Movie
Bellantoni (2005)
claims that red can activate your libido, or make you aggressive, anxious, or
compulsive, and in fact, red can activate whatever latent passions you might
bring to the table, or to the movie. He demonstrates that even shades of a
color can affect someone differently. Whereas bright red tends to be cold and
he believes it can raise heart rate and anxiety level, red darkened to burgundy
reads as mature, regal, and elegant. When a color becomes darker, it reads as
“heavier.” Heavier, in turn, is perceived as more serious.
Bellantoni (2005) further
elaborates his studies of red into six characteristics under the consideration
that the characteristics were selected because the emotional associations
repeated themselves over and over again in his movie research. But, he also
mentions that the characteristics are simply examples of how a color can be used,
and may not applicable to certain cases. According to what he have studied, red
often associated to these emotions: powerful, lusty, defiant, anxious, angry,
romantic. In Powerful Red, this color, above all, is dominant and signals
power. Cold red or bright red is perfect for power, as it signals energy. For Lusty
Red, warmer reds are more orange influenced but can run from the color of
poppies to the color of pimentos. They’re the ones that really raise your
temperature, pulse rate, and blood pressure. They can inspire love or
lust—emotions that are passionate, sometimes compulsive and intense. This kind
of red can be very significant and impactful when a minimal use of color can
clue us in to how the characters will behave within a given environment.
Consequently, when a hotter or more intense color appears, our senses respond
accordingly. In terms of Defiant Red, the color not only speaks sexy but
it also signals danger, rage,
torment, and courage as well. With this type of red, Bellantoni (2005) suggests
that mostly people see red differently on different gender. On women, people perceive
it as sexy, but it becomes heroic on men. Anxious Red, as the next
characteristic, describe that red sometimes is such a visceral presence in
movie that makes the audiences have no choice but to become reactive. It
becomes the guide to a twisting journey through emotions we can’t anticipate
because their causes are often unseen. Red can guides the viewers viscerally
through the movie and kept their anxiety level vibrating just beneath the
surface. When the viewers are kept being exposed to red continuously and
frequently, they are visually held hostage and kept in a state of panic
throughout the movie. Not only is red her high-octane visual fuel, the color
also keeps anxiety level at the bursting point, and it is agitating the
viewers. In the sixth emotion, Angry Red, Red’s association with blood extends
to association with both pain and healing. Red is associated with all “hot”
emotions (e.g., aggression, lust, or anxiety), but it is more than that. If a
movie uses neutral colors, and suddenly uses red, it can gives a huge impact,
it has a primal force. The threat of red’s violence is always near, sometimes
only suggested. He eventually suggests that in terms of Romantic Red, rose is
often associated with romance, and Bellantoni (2005) believes that rose is a
color that inspires romance. Actually, it is more like a color of a memory of a
romance. In romance, red signals energy, passion, but also pain and suppressed
emotions.
In terms of
psychological effect, the color of red are closely related to physical courage,
strength, aggression, visual impact, and any other adjectives related to energy
(Wright, 2004). As Wright (2004) further speculates, that red is powerful
because it is the longest wavelength of all color. Although not technically the
most visible, it has the property of appearing to be nearer than it is and
therefore it grabs our eyes’ attention first. That is why the effect is
physical by stimulating and raising heart rate of anyone who sees it. Red is
strong, and very basic. She supports the view that pure red is the simplest
color, with no subtlety. It is stimulating and lively, very friendly, and at
the same time, it can be perceived as demanding and aggressive. Thus, she
divided the effect of red into positive and negative, such as energy/excitement
versus aggression.
3. Research
Methodology
3.1.
Research Design
The paper will use qualitative research design,
because this paper aims to analyze the use of color in movie scenes by
collecting, analyzing, and reporting the visual data to get the findings.
Specifically, this paper will use visual method in qualitative research, and this
design will help the researcher to identify the details of red that is being
used in the scenes throughout the movie. In regard to this, Rose (2013) states
that visual research methods are
methods which use visual materials of some kind as part of the process of
generating evidence in order to explore research questions. These methods are
diverse, and their diversity inheres in both the sorts of visual materials they
work with, and in the procedures to which those materials are subjected.
3.2.
Data Collection
The main data of this
paper will be obtained from a movie entitled “Sin City” (2005) directed by
Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, and Quentin Tarantino with the genre of
Neo-Noir Crime. The duration of the movie is two hours and 27 minutes, but the
data will be taken from some scenes of the movie that contain anything colored
red.
The data for this
research will be taken from researcher’s note of visual observation of the
scenes. As an analysis of Mise
en scène, which studies about everything that is being put
into the frame, screenshotting the scenes into the form of still images is
considered appropriate to make the analysis easier. Therefore, the data will be in
the form of photos of the scenes’ that contain anything colored red.
3.3.
Data Analysis
Using visual research
methods, researcher will analyze the data according to Wells (N. D.) three
steps of visual analysis; describe, respond, analyze.
The research will
begin with researcher describing the screenshotted shots that has the color red
in it as a transcript. Then, the described shots that has any red items or
things will be responded and analyzed by the researcher with the theories from White
& Corrigan (2004) about Mise
en scène and Bellantoni
(2005) about the meaning of color that is used in movie scenes .
3.4.
References
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Bellantoni,
P. (2005). If it’s purple, someone’s
gonna die: The power of color in visual storytelling. Retrieved from https://designvisualuff.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/if-its-purple-someones-gonna-diethe-power-of-color-in-visual-storytelling-2005.pdf
Bordwell,
D. & Thompson, K. (2008). Film art an
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(2008). Elements of Mise-en-scène. Retrieved
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A. (2004). Color psychology (the “colour
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