Mise-en-scene of 'Saving Private Ryan'

• Dominant. Where is our eye attracted first? Why?

The eye is naturally attracted to the larger object in the picture as it is helped with the contrast of lighting. The building’s low-key lighting surrounded by bright light clearly shapes the building. Therefore producing a bold and dominant object for the eye to view.

• Lighting Key. High key? Low key? High contrast? Some combination of these?

This shot expresses a combination of low key and high key lighting. Low-key lighting is evident by the brightness of the light coming through the background behind the building and the bottom of the frame giving almost a sandwich affect highlighting the middle region of this still frame. Regarding high-key lighting, the center area is somewhat all camouflaged due to the repetition of the similar colours. Concluding that there is contrast between the top and bottom of the shot to the middle.

• Shot and camera proxemics. What type of shot? How far away is the camera from the action? Angle. Are we (and the camera) looking up or down on the subject? Or is the camera neutral (eye level)?

This is clearly a long shot to help establish the new scene’s surroundings. After John H. Miller and his selected troupe have found Private Ryan in the field, then are taken back to Ryan’s base camp. The angle is at a slightly higher angle than the soldiers eye levels.

• Color values. What is the dominant color? Are there contrasting foils? Is there color symbolism?

The colours tend to be of the same shade, dark green, light and dark grey, black and brown. The main contrasting effect is the sandwich affect where the is bright colours such as light grey on the top and bottom of the shot and dark and camouflage colours in the middle. The selection of similar colours especially in the middle highlights the fact that they are still in war and that there is nothing vibrant about it even though they have found Private Ryan.

• Lens/filter/stock. How do these distort or comment on the photographed materials?Subsidiary contrasts. What are the main eye-stops after taking in the dominant?

The eye is focused on the middle section of the shot and this is done by that same sandwich affect. Then the eye is drawn to the soldiers, as they are the only form of life in the shot.

• Density. How much visual information is packed into the image? Is the texture stark, moderate, or highly-detailed?

This is a very dense shot as it incorporates semi blown up building, rubble every where, smoke in the background, the soldiers that blend in with the rubble and the interesting shot through the barbed wire. There is a lot of detail for the viewers to observe as this scene shows some context.

• Composition. How is the two-dimensional space segmented and organized? What is the underlying design? Depth. On how many planes is the image composed? Does the background or foreground comment in any way on the mid ground?

There are many layers to this shot. The background at a distance from the soldiers involves the use of smoke creating a mysterious effect as well as symbolizing the effects of war. The next layer towards the camera is the movement of the soldiers along the rubble between two semi-destructed buildings this helps to emphasize the fact that they are probably safe now as this new scene starts. Then the shot through the barbed wire amplifies the point that there is a little bit of safety as well as adding another layer to the shot.

• Form. Open or closed? Does the image suggest a window that arbitrarily isolates a fragment of the scene? Or a proscenium arch, in which the visual elements are carefully arranged and held in balance?

The two buildings on either side of the soldiers keep them in a closed environment as well as this barbed wire idea it helps to close off the scene. On the other hand the background gaps include smoke giving a translucently open feeling.

• Framing. Tight or loose/ Do the characters have no room to move around, or can they move freely without impediments?

Although there seems to be a lot of space it is mainly occupied by the left of building parts, therefore highlighting the path that the soldiers are walking along. This also emphasizes the point of camaraderie as they are close together.

• Character proxemics. How much space is there between the characters?

There is very little space between eh soldiers, again emphasizing the camaraderie of war and this closely founded troupe.

• Character placement. What part of the framed space do the characters occupy? Center? Top? Bottom? Edges? Why? Staging positions.

They are placed dead center of the frame located between two buildings giving a sense that they are not vulnerable. Although the smoke in the background gives off an eerie affect there is still a sense of safety as they are tightly packed together.