2.5: Geometry of the Scene

Purpose:

This journal assignment invites you to analyze the arrangement of everything within the frame—also known as mise-en-scène—in live-action films. By examining a selected scene from Shoplifters, Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift, Initial D, Shin Godzilla, or Godzilla Minus One, you will explore how elements such as geometric composition, lighting, and character design create narrative depth and emotional resonance.

Your task is to analyze how these visual elements enhance the storytelling of your chosen film and propose new content or improvements to the textbook’s section on mise-en-scène, offering insights that will help future students better understand this critical aspect of filmmaking.

To begin, watch this video analysis by Every Frame a Painting, which demonstrates how Akira Kurosawa employs geometric composition to shape the narrative in The Bad Sleep Well (1960). Use the techniques discussed in the video as inspiration for your own analysis:

The Bad Sleep Well (1960) - The Geometry of a Scene:

Prompts

1. Geometric Composition and Mise-en-Scène in Film

Choose a scene from Shin Godzilla or Godzilla Minus One and analyze the geometric composition and overall mise-en-scène.

Questions to Consider:

• Scene Structure: Is the setting indoors or outdoors? Is it during the day or night? How do these environmental factors contribute to the scene’s tone and narrative?
• Lighting: Is the lighting high-key (bright, low contrast) or low-key (dark, high contrast)? How does it establish mood, tension, or character emotion?
• Geometry and Character Placement: How are the characters and objects arranged in the frame? Are they organized into triangles, leading lines, or other shapes? How does this arrangement guide the viewer’s attention or create tension?
• Set Design: Is the scene set in a practical location or augmented with CGI? How do these choices enhance immersion or believability?

Example: In Godzilla Minus One, Godzilla’s towering presence is framed with angular, triangular compositions that emphasize his destructive power and humanity’s vulnerability. These arrangements mirror the themes of rebuilding and survival, creating a visual language that reinforces the narrative stakes.

2. Character Design, Mise-en-Scène, and Evolution

Focus on a prominent character in Shoplifters or Initial D and analyze how their design and placement within the mise-en-scène contribute to their development.

Questions to Consider:

• Costuming and Appearance: How do clothing, hairstyle, and other details reflect the character’s personality, status, or emotional state?
• Character Placement: Where is the character positioned within the frame, and how does this placement create emotional or thematic impact?
• Visual Evolution: Does the character’s design or placement change over the course of the film? How do these changes reflect their journey?

Example: In Shoplifters, the cramped, cluttered household is a visual representation of the family’s interconnectedness and struggles. Osamu’s simple, well-worn clothing reflects his resourcefulness and economic hardship, while his shifting placement in family scenes illustrates his evolving role as both protector and flawed patriarch.

3. Dynamic Motion and Visual Storytelling

Choose a high-energy scene from Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift or Initial D and analyze how movement and mise-en-scène work together to create visual excitement.

Questions to Consider:

• Dynamic Geometry: How do moving cars and camera angles create geometric shapes or visual rhythm?
• Lighting: Does the lighting accentuate speed or motion, such as neon reflections or blurring effects?
• Set Design: How do real locations or CGI enhance the sense of place and energy in the scene?

Example: In Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift, the neon-soaked streets of Tokyo provide a dynamic backdrop for the high-speed racing scenes. The cars’ drifting patterns create sweeping arcs and spirals, which are captured with low-angle tracking shots to emphasize their power and motion.

Textbook Contribution

Based on your analysis, propose updates or additions to the textbook’s section on mise-en-scène. Use your chosen scene to provide clear examples and explanations that expand on one of the following areas:

1. Geometric Composition: How do arrangements of characters and objects within the frame contribute to narrative and emotional tension? Provide a specific example to illustrate how geometry enhances storytelling.
2. Lighting and Mood: Offer insights into how lighting styles like high-key or low-key affect a scene’s tone, mood, or thematic elements. Use your chosen scene to demonstrate this concept.
3. Character Design: Highlight the role of costuming, appearance, and physical placement in defining a character’s role or emotional journey. Use a character from your selected film to support your argument.
4. Dynamic Motion: Show how movement—whether of characters, vehicles, or camera—can create visual rhythm or excitement. Tie this concept to your analysis of a high-energy scene.

Ensure your proposed updates are clear, engaging, and accessible to future students.

Deliverables

1. Length: Minimum of 500 words.
2. Formatting: Use correct MLA formatting, including in-text citations and a works cited page for the film you analyze.
3. Terminology: Incorporate relevant terms such as mise-en-scène, geometric composition, high-key/low-key lighting, CGI, or character design.
4. Textbook Integration: Your journal should aim to revise or add to the textbook, offering fresh insights and examples based on your analysis.

Goal

This journal challenges you to think critically about how mise-en-scène elements shape narrative and emotion in film. By focusing on your chosen scene, you will contribute to a living textbook, helping future students better understand how visual composition, lighting, and character design work together to create compelling storytelling.

Film Analysis